Simple Perfection (Perfection #2)(19)

"I can't. How the hell do I do that?" I asked, stopping my pacing and leaning against the wall. If it was a choice between Della and my mother, I would choose Della. If she forced my hand, I was going to have to turn away from her. First, I needed to decide about the board. I needed a lawyer. My own lawyer, not my father's. I was done using the people he had set in place. Things were different now and I didn't need a crazy-ass phone call from my mother sending board members to my office questioning my decisions.

It was time I made sure this place was run by me. My board would be made up of people I trusted and confided in. It was time for a new generation.

"Jace," I said, turning to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"You ready to be a board member?"

Jace frowned. "What?"

"I'm getting a lawyer. I'm firing the old board and starting my own."

A grin spread across Jace's face. "Hell yeah," he replied.

For the first time since I'd gotten the call earlier that day, I felt lighter. I wasn't going to let my mother control me. I was in control. My grandfather had left it all to me. Even her home was now mine. If she wanted to f**k with my life I'd f**k with hers enough to make her stop. She was my mom, but Della was my life.

Four hours had passed since I'd left Della. Dammit. I'd lost track of time. Grabbing my phone, I headed out the door to my truck. My call went straight to her voice mail. Shit!

Della's car was in the driveway. She was there. Maybe she'd been outside when I'd called her. I had promised her dinner tonight in Seaside. I was two hours late. This wasn't fair to her. I couldn't keep her here all the time. She was coming back to work with me. I needed her help. She was good at her job.

Opening the door, the smell of roasted garlic and tomatoes met my nose. I closed it and followed the smell to the kitchen. Della was standing at the stove with a black apron on from the club, stirring a pot.

"Hey," I said quietly so I didn't startle her.

She spun around and smiled at me. There was a sadness in her eyes she couldn't hide. I'd made her sad. My leaving her here had upset her. She had wanted to go to work today. I would have to explain all that tonight.

"I decided to cook instead of us going out," she said.

I walked over to stand behind her and wrapped my hands around her waist. "It smells incredible."

"Good. I haven't made lasagna in a long time. This sauce is hard to get right."

Something was off in her voice. I hated that she was upset.

"I'm sorry about today."

"Don't apologize. Please, don't. You had work to do. I know that and I'm okay with it."

She didn't want my apology. What was upsetting her then?

"You can come back to work tomorrow," I told her.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet," she replied.

She wasn't ready for it? Today she'd tried several times to go back to work. What had changed?

"Why do you think you're not ready? Did you have another episode today?"

She shook her head. "No, I think it's just too much on me right now. I need to get a better grip on myself first." She turned and looked up at me. "Let's not talk about it tonight. I want to cook you dinner and enjoy being with you."

I tucked my head in the curve of her neck. "Okay," I replied. We would talk about it tomorrow then. "How can I help you with dinner?"

She turned and kissed my head. "You can slice the French bread, butter it, then sprinkle it with garlic powder. I need to toast it."

"I can do that," I said, stepping back from Della and reaching for the bread.

Della

I had known deep down that this wouldn't be forever. I'd thought once Woods realized how impossible life would be with me that he would end it. But that wasn't true. He was already tired of dealing with my being "crazy," but he'd never let me know. He made me feel cherished. If I hadn't heard him talking to Jace I would still have been holding on to the belief that we could work through it all.

Years of not living among other people had hindered my ability to read them. Jace had known that Woods was tired of dealing with me but I hadn't gotten the hint. I knew now. Tonight would be it for us. I had cooked for him and enjoyed looking at him and listening to him talk. I wanted to etch every moment of tonight in my memory.

When I left tomorrow, that would be it. I wasn't coming back and Woods would be relieved. At first he would be upset. I thought he loved me. I was just more than he'd bargained for. When he realized I'd taken myself out of the picture for him, his life would get easier. He could be free of worrying about me.

Tonight, though, he was still mine. I could hold him and believe in what we had. Just once more.

We stood side by side and cleaned up the dishes. Normally we talked and laughed but I couldn't find anything fun to talk about. My heart was too heavy.

"Are you okay?" Woods asked when he put the last dish in the dishwasher and closed it.

I nodded and smiled.

He reached over and laced his fingers through mine. "Are you sure? I'll fix whatever is wrong if you just tell me," he said, gently tugging me to him. He was a fixer. He wanted to fix my life, and that wasn't possible.

Instead of answering, I stood up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his neck. "I want you," I whispered against his warm skin . "Right now, all I want is you."