She couldn’t answer when she’d just wondered if this thing were real. “Regardless, do you really want to announce our…relationship to the family like this?” He opened his mouth as if he wanted to argue. Mikayla held up a hand. “Just stay in here and don’t say a word. I’ll tell her I overslept and will meet her at the salon. It’ll only take a minute.”
She turned and hurried out the bedroom before he could respond. After, closing the bedroom door behind her, and hiding his overnight bag in the entryway closet, she took a breath then snatched the front door open.
“I’m so sorry, I overslept.” The words rushed from her mouth.
Renee pushed past her and marched down the hall to the living room. “Where the hell is he, Mikayla?”
Mikayla’s heart leaped in her chest. She shut the door and followed her friend. “What are you talking about?”
Renee spun around, her high heeled boots knocking hard on the floor when she marched through the kitchen then to the living room. She looked like the angry host of one of those modeling reality shows. “I recognize Andre’s car. I can’t believe this. Didn’t you listen when I explained what it’s like between him and Ryan? I know you’re hurt—”
“I’m not hurt,” Mikayla retaliated. She hurried down the hall to stop Renee from barging into the bedroom.
“Then why? Are you doing this to get back at Ryan?”
“Ryan doesn’t give a damn what I do.”
“That’s a lie and you know it, Mikayla. If Angelica hadn’t come back into his life, you and Ryan would be happy right now. We both know his heart never really healed after Paris. I don’t condone what he did to you, but I know why he took the chance with her. And you do, too. You may not have loved Ryan, but you were friends. Sleeping with Andre will hurt him…you and my cousin know this.”
Renee’s words struck their desired guilty button. She didn’t want to think about how Ryan would feel about her friendship with Andre. Ryan’s feelings stopped counting the moment he stepped in the closet with Angelica.
Mikayla crossed her arms over her chest. “This isn’t about Ryan.”
Sympathy filled Renee’s eyes. “Maybe not for you, but I know my family.”
Mikayla dropped Renee’s gaze to glance at the bedroom door. Her confidence waivered. What was his goal? Cloud her judgment; make her want him just so he could get even with Ryan? Why would he even think Ryan cared if that was his plan?
“Ryan chased after you in the mountains,” Renee said as if Mikayla had spoken her questions. Renee stepped toward Mikayla. “One thing, that’s drilled into us, is to not lose our cool in front of our cousins. Ryan did that, first with Angelica and then with you. Andre knows Ryan still cares.”
Pain sliced through Mikayla’s chest. Tears blurred her vision. She blinked them away.
Another knock on the door interrupted them. Renee touched her shoulder, but Mikayla pulled away. “It’s probably the maintenance guy. My garbage disposal was clogged.”
She wiped the wetness from her eyes and crossed to the door. A glance through the peephole and her stomach sank. Swearing beneath her breath, she sucked in several deep breaths and turned to Renee.
“No one is here, and we’re on our way to the salon, okay,” Mikayla said with steely determination.
Renee’s arched brows scrunched together, but she slowly lifted and lowered her head.
Pasting on a broad tight smile, Mikayla opened the door. “Hi, Dad. What are you doing here?”
Evan Sander’s dark eyes studied her carefully. He stood a few inches taller than her but made up for height with burliness. A brawny man with wide shoulders and strong arms and legs the fruits of lifelong manual labor. He wore a dusty ball cap with Titans, the name of the Pop Warner football team he coached, stitched across the front over his bald head, and a thick leather jacket over worn jeans.
“Do I need a reason to visit? I wanted to make sure everything is okay. When you called after your trip, you didn’t sound good.”
“Everything is fine. I’ve been busy with work and traveling.”
“You know I need to make sure my baby girl is okay.”
She pushed back her frustration and sighed. No matter how hard she tried to prove she could take care of herself, her dad believed it was his responsibility to make sure she was taken care of.
“I’m perfect. In fact, Renee is here. We’re on our way out to the salon.”
Her dad examined her from head to toe. “You’re not dressed, so you’ve got a few minutes.”
With a silent sigh, she stepped back and let him in. He scrutinized everything on his way down the hall. Panic squeezed her chest. Andre’s coat was still in the kitchen.
She pushed him past the kitchen to the living room. “Just a few more minutes, Renee. My dad just stopped by for a second.”
Evan’s square jaw hardened and his bushy brows formed a line over his eyes before pulling away. “No need to push.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Hi, Mr. Sanders.” Renee rose from her spot on the couch and shook Evan’s hand.
A quick sweep of the room showed Renee hid the empty lager bottles from the night before. Mikayla mouthed “Thank you.” Renee may not agree with Andre being there, but hiding the evidence meant she had Mikayla’s back.
“Good to see you, Renee. So how was the wedding?” Evan pulled back and took stock of everything in the living room.
“The wedding was nice. Beautiful with the snow and everything.”
Evan nodded. “I was worried when you called to see if Mikayla stopped to visit me. I thought maybe it didn’t go so well. I know now much you and Ryan were looking forward to it.”
Mikayla cringed. “Want some coffee, Dad? Sit down while I make some.”
She spun and went into the kitchen before he could answer. She grabbed Andre’s coat off the chair and opened the pantry door.
“Whose tool box?”
Mikayla threw the coat on the pantry floor and slammed the door. She turned while her dad examined the box and the tools.
“The maintenance guy. I’m out of coffee.”
He opened the box and shuffled through the tools. “The garbage disposal again? They charge you too much rent to have things breaking down every day.” He opened the cabinet below the sink and kneeled to take a look.
“Dad, please, it’s fixed now. And I really need to get dressed.”
Thankfully, Renee hurried into the kitchen “We’re going to be late. You know Cathy hates when we’re late.”
Mikayla crossed the room to Renee, hoping her dad would follow. Instead, he pushed past her and opened the pantry door.
“Whose coat is this?” Evan picked up Andre’s coat from the floor.
Renee raised an eyebrow and speared Mikayla a what the hell look.
Heat rose in Mikayla’s cheeks. Deal with the most pressing issue first. With a straight face, she turned to her dad.
“Ryan’s. He left it here right before the wedding.”
Her dad’s eyebrows met over questioning eyes. “Why is it on the pantry floor?”
“I may have thrown it in there without thinking. So the maintenance guy wouldn’t get it dirty.”
He looked at the label. “This is an expensive coat.”
She walked over and pulled the coat out of his grasp. “I know it’s expensive. I’ve got to get dressed. How long are you in Columbia?”
“Just drove down to see you. Let’s talk, Mikayla.” He looked to Renee. “If you’ll excuse us.” He placed a firm hand on Mikayla’s shoulder and gently guided her forward.
Renee stepped out of the way. When Mikayla stopped outside of the kitchen he plodded pass and went straight into the bedroom. Mikayla’s heart jumped in her chest. She sprinted across the hall and into the bedroom. Evan stood at the foot of the bed. His arms crossed, a scowl marring his face.
Rumpled sheets, but an empty bed. The bathroom door closed. Swallowing hard, she willed Andre to stay out of sight.
“Clo
se the door.” Her dad said. Once she did, Evan continued. “Now tell me the truth. You and Ryan are through, aren’t you?”
She nearly sagged with relief that she could answer truthfully. “Yes.”
Her dad’s nostrils flared. “Did he hurt you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Did that rich boy hurt you?”
The vision of Ryan and Angelica on the floor flashed in her mind. She shoved the embarrassment away. “No, dad. It was mutual. You were right. Ryan and I are better as friends.”
He studied her then slowly his face relaxed and he uncrossed his arms. “One day, you’ll learn the advice I give, is solid. I know you want to be independent, and that you like the fancy clothes and parties.”
“It’s not the clothes and parties, Dad. My job requires me to attend events with a dress code that doesn’t include camouflage and overalls.”
Evan flinched. The jab was petty, but he had to accept that she wasn’t his little sidekick anymore.
“The point is, they’re not your family. You can always depend on me. You may not be able to depend on them.”
Mikayla walked around him and tossed the pillows on the bed to the floor before jerking the sheets up. “I know.”
“Is that why you haven’t called, because you were embarrassed to admit that you were wrong about Ryan?”
She bit back a smart reply and continued to make up the bed. Wrong when it came to Ryan, she had no one to blame but herself for her dad believing she deserved an ‘I told you so’.
“I’ve been busy with work.”
He sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned away from the bed to face him. Evan gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder, just like he’d done when she was a little girl. “Don’t work yourself so hard. Life is too short.” Concern filled his eyes.
Guilt swept over her. After her mom’s heart attack, her dad became extra diligent about their health. He feared she’d work herself into an early grave.
“I will. That’s why I’m going to the salon with Renee. To relax.”
He nodded, initiated another that-a-boy pat. “Alright, you don’t have to say it again. I did bring my fishing gear. Thought I’d fish over on the lake. I was hoping you would join me.”
“Not today, Dad. Hair appointment and all. But, look, I’ll come up next weekend okay?”
“We’ll go out to dinner tonight, alright. My treat. You can even wear one of your fancy dresses.” He turned toward the door. “Get dressed, I’ll say my goodbyes to Renee and you can go.”
“Dad wait,” she hurried over and gave him a hug. “I look forward to dinner.”
An easy smile relaxed the hard lines of his face and he nodded. “Me too.”
The bedroom door shut quietly behind him, and the bathroom door opened. Andre stood in the doorway. His dark eyes boring into hers. Renee’s warning came back, but it didn’t prevent the memories of the night before from resurfacing.
“Why did you cover for Ryan?” he asked quietly.
She raised her chin. “I didn’t cover for him. I kept my dad out of my business.” She whispered back, in case her dad hadn’t left yet. “I think you should go.”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Why?”
“We should end this.”
A dark scowl covered his handsome face. He stalked across the room and towered over her. “After last night, you want to end this?”
“What was last night really about, Andre?”
He pointed at the door. “You’re listening to Renee? You’re going to believe that bullshit instead of what we both feel.”
She pushed past him and snatched the pillows off the floor. “It’s not bullshit.” She slapped one down at the head of the bed.
Andre marched over and wrenched the other pillow from her hand. “The hell it isn’t. I like you, Mikayla.” He pointed the pillow at her. “I don’t say that to many women. And I’m damn sure not happy about saying it to you considering your connection with my family. I don’t lie or play games. I want to get to know you better. Do you want to get to know me, or do you want Ryan and Renee?”
She swiped the pillow out of his hand. “It’s not a competition. Renee is my friend. She’s only trying to look out for my best interests.”
He snatched it back. “She’s also Ryan’s sister, my cousin that hates me, and a Caldwell, which makes her manipulative as hell. Tell me to go, and I’m not coming back.”
She took a step back. “Is that supposed to be a threat?”
“No, it’s a simple statement. I will not fight a losing battle for you. ” He dropped the pillow on the bed and stepped closer, enclosing her in the warmth of his body. His hand cupped the back of her head. He tilted it up until she meet his eyes. She could barely breathe trapped under his dark gaze. “I’m tired of the games. I’m tired of the pressure to do what’s expected. I don’t have to do that around you. Every minute in your company is like a five-week vacation. That feeling has everything to do with you and nothing to do with The Caldwell’s damn family fight.”
He came across as sincere. And a bit uneasy. She doubted Andre made many heartfelt declarations to women.
Her shoulders relaxed. “Please don’t hurt me, Andre.”
He sucked in a breath and his dark eyes widened. Before she could say more, he eased a strong arm around her waist and drew her against his hard body and covered her lips with his. He tasted like Colgate toothpaste, and the delicious flavor that was him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed into his firm body.
“Mikayla,” Renee’s distressed voice cracked through the room.
Mikayla broke from Andre and spun around. Renee glared at Andre, her face pulled tight and slender hands balled into fists.
Mikayla stepped forward. “I know the history. He told me about the fight between him and Ryan in the mountains. I’m going to trust him.”
Renee pointed at Andre. “You can’t trust that side of my family.”
“And he says I can’t trust your side.”
Renee’s beautiful face crumpled. She turned to Mikayla with pain filled eyes. “You’re picking him over us. I thought we were friends.”
Mikayla shook her head. “We are friends, Renee. I’m not choosing sides in your family feud. I’m choosing what I want, and right now I want to get to know Andre. If you know anything about me, you know I wouldn’t say that without thinking things through.” Mikayla straightened her shoulders. “Please don’t make our friendship a condition of my relationship with him.”
Every twitch of Renee’s face gave away her suppressing the need to argue. Mikayla never denied Renee’s requests before. She usually went along with all of Renee’s advice. A part of her feared her friend would reject her. That they still weren’t as close as she thought.
Finally, Renee settled cold eyes on Andre. “She’s like my sister. If you hurt her, I will jack you up.”
Andre stepped up to Mikayla and placed his hand on the small of her back. “The same goes for you and your brother.”
Mikayla peered from one to the other. Had she made progress, or just committed to her own eventual heartbreak.
CHAPTER 16
“When are you going to let me know what really happened between you and Ryan?”
Mikayla nearly choked on a buffalo wing. Even though her dad said he’d take her some place fancy, she knew he would be more comfortable at a sports bar. So that’s where they were, drinking beers, eating wings and watching basketball highlights on the television screens. She’d even gone so far as to wear her old Clemson sweatshirt and a pair of faded—non designer—jeans.
She swigged the beer and focused her eyes on the highlights from today’s games. “What makes you think there’s more to the story?”
“I’m not stupid, Mikayla, and I know when you’re lying. I also know you don’t like it when I get in your business, so that’s why I left instead of demanding to meet the guy hiding in your bathroom.”
Mikayla
slid the beer bottle across the table. Man, I need a cigarette. Evan raised a brow and leaned his elbows on the table.
“Don’t look so surprised. That wasn’t Ryan’s coat. And you always sleep on the left side of the bed. Both sides were rumpled.
Her cheeks heated. “Do we really have to talk about this?”
“I know you’re an adult. And while I may not like the idea that my little girl is having sex, it doesn’t mean I can’t talk about it with you.”
Mikayla ran a hand through her head. “I didn’t have sex, Dad,” She said, barely checking the annoyance.
“Then what the hell were you doing with a man in your bed?”
Mikayla gripped the edge of the table. “When are you going to let me handle my life on my own? You don’t have to know everything that is going on with me.”
“Well, excuse the hell out of me,” he crossed thick arms across his wide chest. “You’re all I’ve got left in the world. All I ever want, is to see you happy and taken care of. You may view my interest as overstepping boundaries, but I’m making sure the only person I care about isn’t getting herself into trouble.”
“I’m not getting myself into trouble. I know what I’m doing.”
“Then why don’t you tell me what you’re doing. One day you’re going away for the weekend with Ryan. Today, you’re in your apartment with a different guy. Please explain to me why I shouldn’t find that situation confusing. Why I shouldn’t worry about my little girl?
He didn’t raise his voice. Evan never did. His firm, no-nonsense tone always drilled past her arguments straight to her guilt.
Her eyes burned with unshed tears. She didn’t know what she was doing. Everything seemed so right when she was with Andre. Thoughts that any type of relationship with Andre would make her appear desperate resurfaced.
“I’m seeing someone else. It’s nothing serious, we’re just friends.” She squirmed in her chair.
“A friend that sleeps in the bed with you?”
“He came over to repair the disposal. We ate pizza, watched some movies and that was all.” Her breathing hitched as the memory of Andre’s hands on her breasts.
“Why was he in the bed with you if that was all?”
Show Me How to Love (Caldwell Family Book 1) Page 12