That kiss on the cheek. What did it mean?
Cade couldn’t stop thinking about Alex’s soft lips lightly brushing his cheek and wished they could be on other places of his body. That he could have grabbed her in his car and shown her what he really wanted to do.
But he couldn’t and he didn’t.
Here he was a week later though and wondering if she was trying to take another step or he was imagining it.
It was a huge wake-up call for someone who never had doubts asking someone out. He was wondering what was holding him back now.
It’s not like she worked for him. He was slick enough to balance both. If it didn’t work out, it shouldn’t or wouldn’t affect either of their businesses.
The thing is, he never mixed business and pleasure at all. But he knew enough to keep it up front on the table, to not rock an unsteady boat.
He heard footsteps in his condo and figured it had to be a family member. No one else would be able to get in unless they had the code to get past his security.
“Cade,” he heard his mother yell. “I hope you’re alone and not in bed.”
He rolled his eyes. It was noon. He really wished his family would stop thinking all he did was sleep half the day away. “Working in the office.”
“Are you alone?”
“Of course,” he said back. She always yelled, and out of habit, he yelled back. They all did. Sometimes it was the only way to be heard growing up in the house of seven.
He stared at the doorway waiting for his mother to make an appearance. “Don’t get lippy with me,” she said.
“I’m not getting lippy,” he said, grinning at her.
“Good, because I don’t have time to lecture you in the car.”
“I’m too old to fall for that now, Mom.”
He was too old to fall for it as a teen, but if she told him to get in the car, he did it because she was his mother and he always listened to her. Just like he couldn’t keep too many secrets from her either. The guilt normally got to him if he did something wrong, fearful she’d find out and make his punishment worse. He was the only one of the kids that ever confessed his sins. Maybe because it seemed like he sinned the most.
All those times he’d felt left out growing up, she’d known and she’d pulled him aside and let him talk. Then he listened to what she said. He always believed her even when he didn’t want to back then. That there was something about him that made him different.
Being the family prankster wasn’t something to be proud of, but he got a lot of laughs and he supposed that was a good thing. Except, sometimes he went too far and he knew it.
“You’re never too old to be punished when you do something wrong.”
He snorted. “I’m bigger than you now.”
“I could jump up and down on the floor and your eyes watching my movements would probably get you sick.”
He burst out laughing. “That’s wrong.”
“No, it’s probably true. Want me to test it out?”
“No,” he said, not willing to put it to the test. To this day he still wondered why he was the one plagued with such a weak stomach. He learned to just laugh about it; otherwise it was more ammunition for people.
“So, to what do I owe this visit?”
“I wanted to show you what Alex did.” She pulled her large bag off her shoulder. “Look at this. Isn’t it great?”
He reached for the glass plate that was etched with the Fierce logo and had the five of their names on the outer edge. “That’s really wonderful. Did you order that?”
“No. She called me and said that she was trying something out and decided to use our logo and names. She was so thrilled with it, she wanted me to have it.”
“That was nice of her.”
“She’s a really nice girl, isn’t she? Such a hard worker too. Just like you.”
He snorted. “You’re the only one that thinks I’m a hard worker.”
“Everyone knows it, Cade.”
“They sure don’t say that,” he argued.
“That’s because you joke about everything. You hardly ever take anything seriously so they’re doing the same with you. But when it counts, they tell you. You know that.”
“I guess.” He remembered the gratitude he got when he helped Aimee out of her mess with her ex. Then Aiden with a potential lawsuit with an employee and Mason when he beat the shit out of an ex-employee during a robbery.
“When they need me, they take me seriously.”
His mother started to jump up and down and wave her arms in all sorts of directions. “Is it working?”
“No,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“Damn.” She walked over to a chair and sat down opposite him. “Cade, stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
She sure knew how to hit below the belt. “I’m not.”
“Really? You all struggled at different points in your life to find your identity. You’re the only one still struggling, but you fight to not let anyone see it. Why?”
He shrugged. “No one sees me as anything other than someone that talks too much or goofs off.”
“I’m not going to tell you again how false that is. They tell you that just to get a rise out of you. It’s working.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Time to stop it. Time to grow up and just be who you are. Your siblings know the real you and they appreciate it. They also appreciate that they can pick on you and know that you don’t take it to heart. They’d feel really bad if they knew you were bothered. And they’d be surprised, since you spent a lot of time terrorizing them growing up.”
“They deserved it. Everyone was so serious all the time.”
“That’s my point. You always had your own identity. You’re the wild card like me. That’s something to be proud of,” she said, bobbing her head up and down rapidly.
He always did enjoy knowing he had the most in common with her. His parents never really had a favorite that he knew of, and they tried to spend an equal amount of time with all five of them.
“I am proud to be just like my mother.”
“That’s my boy. Now make me proud and ask Alex to come to the Labor Day party we’re having.”
“Where is that coming from?” Even if he would love nothing more than to do it.
“We didn’t have the summer party because of Brody’s wedding. This party is in that place and it’s for all employees and family. Alex is almost like an employee. Don’t you think?”
Not what he wanted to hear. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“Why?” she asked, looking curious.
He couldn’t tell her why. He didn’t need dating advice from his mother. “I don’t know.”
“I said almost an employee. And she has the closest relationship to you, so you should ask her. I could have your father do it since you know we normally do, but in this case, it should come from you.”
“Why? Especially since you just said it normally comes from you guys.”
“Because I get the feeling she’d accept it from you and not from us. Since she is making so many things for the company, don’t you think she should come and mingle? Maybe get an idea of the staff as a whole. Or talk with some of them and get ideas?”
“I suppose that has merit.”
She stood up fast. “I know what I’m talking about, even if all you guys think I don’t.”
“I’ve never thought that.” He knew his mother was fast as a whip.
“Exactly. Just like your siblings. They all know the truth when it counts, Cade. Just remember that.”
He watched her walk out the door and realized she just gave him the perfect excuse to spend some time with Alex outside of work. He should thank her, but he wouldn’t.
***
“This one is taking more work than I thought it would,” Jolene said to her husband when she found him out by the pool.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, lifting up his beer and taking a sip. She loved that he enjoyed the pool so much, particularly after she had to all but twist his arm to get him to put it in when the kids were younger.
“Cade. I just came from his place. I can’t believe he hasn’t made a move toward Alex yet.”
“First off, I told you you were pressing your luck with this one. Second of all, how do you know he hasn’t made a move yet?”
“Because I was at Alex’s before Cade’s. She called me and asked me to stop over when I had a minute. Look at what she made for us.”
He reached his hand out for the plate. “Isn’t that nice. It’s the old logo too. Wow. Where are you going to put this?”
Gavin had always been a sucker for family too. She’d gotten so lucky with him in her life.
“I think the fireplace mantel is a great place. It’s not like I’ve got to worry about one of the kids knocking it down and breaking it anymore.”
“That’s true,” he said, handing it back to her.
“So she gave you this plate. Why do you think Cade hasn’t made a move yet?”
“Because she didn’t mention his name once. Didn’t say anything about him at all. Just said that she was thankful for all the work she’s been getting and that she wanted to try this out. It was a thanks for recommending her.”
“Maybe Cade has ticked her off,” Gavin said. “Or maybe she just isn’t interested in anyone right now, least of all Cade. I told you they didn’t seem like a good fit to me. They’ve got nothing in common.”
“First off. If she was mad at Cade, I would have gotten that impression and I didn’t. Second of all, they’ve got more in common where it counts the most. More than the other three with their significant others. These two just need a push to get there.”
“And you think having her at the party is going to be that push?”
“You just wait,” she said. “I’ll think of something.”
“You always do,” Gavin said, shaking his head.