The Fix (The Carolina Connections, #1)(54)

Nate: Did Gavin ever show up last night?

Laney: Yeah, and we got into it. I’m pretty sure we’ve disowned each other.

Nate: I’ve done that to Bailey numerous times but she’s still somehow hanging around.

Laney: I don’t think he’s coming to work today. I’ll explain everything later, but I’m really sorry he’s being such an ass.

Nate: Can’t wait to hear this one. Have a good day and I’ll call you later.

Laney: XOXO

Nate: You know I can’t bring myself to do that crap.

Laney: Oh, come on, just one lousy emoji or acronym and I’ll leave you alone …

Nothing. Damn.

I had just arrived at work and really should have been doing my job, but I had to catch up with Nate—and I still hadn’t heard from Fiona. I’d been so pissed off the night before that I’d tossed and turned and waited for Gavin to come home, but he never showed. Not a huge surprise. So, I was basically a zombie this morning, my Diet Coke doing nothing to revive me. I barely made it through the day, and I may have possibly nodded off on the toilet in the early afternoon. If the pins and needles in my butt-cheeks were any indication, I probably did. Is it bad form as an employee to bring a pillow into the bathroom?

I texted Fiona again and finally got a response. “ttyl sorry,” was all it said.

By the time I picked up Rocco and got home, I just wanted to pass out. Thank God it was the weekend. I followed Rocco in the door and was pleasantly surprised to find Nate standing in my kitchen making dinner. “Oh my God, I love you.”

Yes, that’s what I said. Shit fuck damn!

Being the wonderful man he is, after a silent beat he just turned around and smiled, flashing me the dimple.

“Can we please just pretend I didn’t say that and you come here and give me a kiss instead?” I pleaded.

That got a good laugh and the kiss wasn’t so bad either.

“Hey, dude,” Nate addressed Rocco after making my belly dip. “I’m making homemade pizza. You want to help?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” he shouted.

“Go wash your hands first,” I told my kid, “and keep your clothes on—naked people are not allowed to prepare dinner. It’s a health code violation!” He raced to the bathroom, probably ignoring what I said.

“Well,” my arms circled Nate’s waist and I rested my head on his firm chest. “You seem to be in a much better mood tonight.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Sorry about last night, but it’s all worked out … well, for the most part. We’ll talk about it once Rocco’s in bed.”

This was a revelation to me because I hadn’t seen nor heard from my pain-in-the-ass brother since he stormed out of here last night. I was dying of curiosity. But instead of pressing Nate for details, I joined in the pizza-making party and contributed to the total mess my kitchen became. It was pretty awesome.

I put Rocco in the tub after dinner and hoped the flour and sauce that coated his entire body would all wash off. Tonight’s song was about pooping in The Fart Fortress so I tried to stay out of the bathroom as much as possible. I have a dirty mind, don’t get me wrong, but Rocco’s is a totally different variety of dirty I can’t quite connect with.

To my shock and great pleasure, Rocco requested that Nate read him his story before bed. This had never happened before, and I could tell Nate was pretty touched, though he macho-manned his way past it like it was no big deal. Afterward, I gave Rocco a kiss and tucked him in, pleading with him to stay in his own bed.

“But I like yours.”

“I know, but you need to learn to stay in your own bed all night.”

“Why?”

Because I can’t sleep very well with your butt in my face.

Because I want to get laid by my boyfriend and you’re kind of cramping my style.

Because I love you but mommies need personal space.

But no, I went with, “Because I said so.” I had finally done it—I’d turned into my mother. Good God.

Unbelievably, he actually accepted my answer, but I was pretty sure it was just because he was so tired. I would never get that lucky again.



“So, tell me how this whole Gavin thing worked itself out. I didn’t sleep a wink last night I was so worked up. I’m glad it got sorted.”

Nate and I were on the couch, me with my glass of wine and a pillow snuggled in my lap, him leaning back with his legs resting on the coffee table and an IPA in hand.

“Well, I have to say I was pretty pissed last night and I wasn’t sure what to expect this morning. He didn’t show up—”

“What?!”

“Let me finish. He didn’t show up at first. Then around ten o’clock he came and found me. He looked like shit. Then he laid it all out for me like I assume he did to you last night, and we worked out a deal. His pay for yesterday is being docked and he’s on probation, but I’m letting him make up the couple hours he missed this morning.”

“So he’s not quitting,” I stated more than asked.

Nate looked uncomfortable.

“Now here’s the part you may not like. He’s not quitting … for now.” I started to react but he put a hand up to stop me. “Listen, Laney, I don’t want somebody working for me who doesn’t want the job. That’s how mistakes get made and people get careless. That can only result in shoddy work and injuries, neither of which I need. If he doesn’t want to work construction then he shouldn’t.”