Addison (The Mitchell/Healy Family #6)(10)

“Hello?”

“Precious, did I catch you at a bad time?”

I sat straight up in my bed, wide-eyed and alert. “Cole?”

“Do you have any other boyfriends calling?”

I rolled my eyes and plopped back down in bed. “It’s too early for jokes. Don’t you know it’s not nice to wake a woman?”

“I never said I was nice. So, I was wondering if your offer stands.”

“What offer? There are no meetings until tonight.”

“I don’t have a ride from the hospital. Joe is working, and my foster parents are at some retreat in New York for the week.”

Knowing he didn’t have a friend to call, it was important to prove I could be there for him, like I’d promised. “I can be there in half in hour.”

“Make it forty-five minutes. It’s not nice to make a good woman wait.”

“Oh brother, are you for real?”

“I’m always for real, precious. I’ll see you in a bit. Wear something low cut for me. I want to know if it’s as sexy as I dreamed about last night.”

“Do you always talk to strangers like this?” I was very curious. Maybe he was a player.

“We are hardly strangers. We’ve met three times, and yesterday I pretty much told you about my past. I’d say that makes us friends. It’s only a matter of time before you admit you like being around me.”

“I told you I’m not interested.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that. I’m not good at many things, Addison, but I can be irresistible if I want to. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“I’m hanging up now.” He was full of himself for sure. If he thought for one second I’d go for his come-ons he was dead wrong. Guys like him needed to be castrated.

“See you soon, precious.”



Climbing out of bed and knowing I had to pick him up left me with a headache. I was all of a sudden looking through my closet for something suitable; something that said ‘I’m not interested no matter how much you make me blush’, but I was coming up empty. Being that I had no other choice, I raided my mother’s closet, pulling out the most hideous of her dresses. She wore this particular one to church, and even my dad hated it. The dark green color was drabby. The arms came down to my elbows and were lined with a frilly lace. That same pattern came up around the high neck-line. It was perfect.

I skipped putting on makeup, but did manage to wash my face before throwing my hair in a messy bun and headed out the door.

About halfway to the hospital I burst into laughter. I must have looked like basket case, and I’d done it all to avoid getting hit on by Cole. When I pulled up I wanted nothing more than to root through my trunk and find something to change into, even if it was dirty. Unfortunately, Cole was already waiting for me. He approached the vehicle as I was getting out. After one quick once over, he simply shook his head and chuckled. “Really?”

I put my hands on my hips. “What? You can’t handle my style?” I tried to play it off like I looked hot.

He walked over to the passenger side and waited for me to unlock the door. When he climbed in he buckled his seatbelt and turned to face me. “Do you know where Joe lives?”

“Sort of. I know the area.”

“Good. Just head that way. I’ll give you directions when we’re closer. Oh, by the way,” he said as I pulled away. “Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

“For what?”

“I’ve been clean for three days. I say it’s cause for a celebration. How about I buy you breakfast?”

“I can’t let you do that. This is just a ride.”

“So, you got all dolled up for just a ride, huh? It makes sense – not! Keep playing hard to get, woman. When you crack, you’ll kick yourself for waiting so long.”

“What makes you think I’ll crack? You don’t know anything about me.”

“Go to breakfast with me and we’ll rectify that. It’s just a meal. I’m not asking to cop a feel under the table. I’ve had hospital food for days, and I’m starving. Besides, I don’t know anyone else around here. Come on. Who doesn’t love pancakes?”

Was I crazy? If I spent time with this guy was I setting myself up for failure? I felt strong until I was near him, and then my head was messed up. It was like he put a spell on me. Maybe I was so darn desperate that my vagina was making decisions before I could step in and rationalize with the repercussions? “Fine, just breakfast. Then I’m dropping you off and going back to my day. This is just a pit stop because I’m hungry.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”

I went to a local pancake house my family frequented after Sunday service. It was the one time of the week where we were all together, including my grandparents. They reserved a large table in a separate room where they had banquets. We’d chat up a storm until well after lunch time. Usually we had the same waitress, but today there was someone new. She looked to be around my parent’s ages, but a rough life had made her appear older. She had tattoos on both arms, and none were done well. Her voice was hoarse, like she smoked way too many cigarettes. Her nice demeanor made up for the way she appeared. The waitress led us to a corner table, handed us some menus and told us she’d return later for our orders. From the moment I sat down across from Cole, I could tell something was wrong. “Are you okay?”