No Love Allowed (Dodge Cove Trilogy #1) (10 page)

Wringing her hands on her lap, she finally said, “If I did something wrong, tell me so I can improve, change things.”

Caleb startled as if realizing she had been sitting beside him this whole time.

“Didi . . .” He whispered her name so softly she almost wouldn’t have caught it if not for the movement of his lips. He took a lock of her hair and twirled it between his
fingers. “Did I get a chance to tell you how much I like your hair?”

Resisting the need to run her fingers through the strands, she clasped her hands together. “Why the sudden cold shoulder? I mean, I thought I did okay today. Is it the Ashley thing?”
She shifted in her seat so she faced him. His hand fell away from her hair. “Please, you have to tell me. I don’t want this to end. I’m having way too much fun. Did you see how
Mr. What’s His Name . . .” She snapped her fingers. “That bald guy.”

He laughed, breaking the uncomfortable tension that had built between them. “You mean Mr. Pritchard?”

“Yeah, him. When we talked about the Impressionists and how I believe the Expressionists were better?” She spoke with her hands, gesturing like she was picking words out of thin
air.

Caleb slapped the steering wheel from laughing so hard. “And his face got all splotchy?”

She laughed too, feeling some of the icky tightness in the air ease. “Oh yeah!” She clapped her hands once. “I actually thought he would die on the spot.”

“I think he did just a little bit.” Breathing hard, he settled heavily against the seat.

“Then why so quiet?” Didi pushed her thumbs together.

Shaking his head, he sighed, then ran his fingers through his hair, further tousling the dark locks. It took all of her self-control not to follow the path of his fingers with her own. In her
mind she convinced herself the touch would have been for research purposes. For her painting, so she could accurately capture him. But maybe he had reached his PDA limit for the day. Besides the
few minutes with Amber, Caleb hadn’t stopped touching her.

“I really feel like I’m not doing enough to help you.”

“Hey, you picked me up, gave me a new look courtesy of the fabulous Nathan, and brought me to a party,” she said in all seriousness. “I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Especially
during that bit where I thought Ashley’s head would explode.” When he gave her a bland smile, she sucked her lips into her mouth to keep from saying anything else.

Maybe because she was making a funny face, or maybe it was something else, but Caleb’s features softened. “I know you said no, but . . .” He reached into the backseat to
retrieve a black box and handed it to her. “Here.”

She opened it and found a cell phone inside.

“What the hell is the meaning of this?”

“You said yours doesn’t work anymore and that you didn’t have money for a new one. This one is fully paid for the summer.”

She blinked fast to keep the tears from falling. If he had intended to keep her feelings for him nonexistent, he was succeeding. At the moment, she only had room for annoyance. Trust him to ruin
a nearly perfect day.

“Growing up, my mom and I only had enough to get by. Sometimes not even that. Once in a while our electric bill goes unpaid, but we manage to survive. I don’t know what it means to
grow up with money. I can’t go out and buy a new phone on a whim, but I’ve never felt as cheap as you’ve made me feel just now.” She threw the empty box at his head.

He raised his hands just in time to deflect the incoming missile. The box bounced off the dashboard and landed between them. Exhaling slowly, he thumped the back of his head against his
seat.

“Please don’t make this an issue, Didi. My number is in the contacts,” he said. “The next event is next week. I will text you the details a day before.”

She went from frustrated straight to pissed. The tears receded like a well drying up. Not wanting to throw the phone itself at him, she opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The
bastard was getting on her last nerve.

“Didi,” he called. “Didi, what the hell?”

Slamming the door, she leaned down and glared at him through the open car window. “Tell Nathan I will have Natasha’s dress dry-cleaned and sent back. Thank you for today. I had
fun.” She said the last word with so much venom, Caleb’s mouth actually opened without anything coming out.

Satisfied, she turned on her heel and strode to her house without looking back. When she reached the front door, his car’s engine roared to life. The second she stuck the key into the lock
he sped away.

Once she was inside the house she went straight to the kitchen and ran smack into her mother in her peach diner uniform. They collided with an
oof
, and she dropped the phone and her
watermelon clutch while her mom braced herself against the kitchen table.

“Mom!”

“Didi!” Her mom grabbed her chest, gulping in air. “I didn’t expect you to be home.”

“Ditto.” She bent at the waist and picked up the things she’d dropped. She didn’t know what Caleb’s deal was, picking a fight with her. There he went throwing his
money in her face again. When she straightened, she caught her mother in the middle of giving her a once-over.

“You cut your hair. And where’d you get that gorgeous dress?” Awe and suspicion intermingled in her question. “You didn’t buy it, did you?”

“No, Mom. I wouldn’t blow money on something this expensive. It’s a loaner.”

“Did you suddenly find a sugar daddy I don’t know about?”

She could tell from the mounting worry in her mother’s tone where this conversation was headed. Whatever was left of her anger disappeared. As much as she didn’t want to get into
this right now, she knew she had to explain before her mom took things to a place Didi didn’t want to go.

“A friend at the club invited me to this garden party. I spilled something on my dress so he lent me this. I’m returning it after having it cleaned.” She hadn’t realized
she had been speaking too fast until she noticed the crease on her mother’s forehead. “I’m fine,” she immediately added. “Taking my meds regularly.”

“I know,” her mom said, eyeing Didi carefully. “I checked. But suddenly cutting your hair . . .” She hugged herself. “It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but
. . . are you sleeping regularly?”

“Mom.” She turned the word into two long syllables.

“You have to understand where I’m coming from. This is all so sudden.”

“I know it looks crazy.” Didi waved her hands in the air. “But I’m not being manic. I promise. It’s just some summer fun hanging out with a friend. No strings
attached.”

Her gaze hardened. “There are always strings.”

“Not with Caleb,” she defended. She might think of him as a Class A jerk right now, but he didn’t deserve to be misunderstood.

A long moment passed where they did nothing but stare into each other’s eyes. Didi stayed still, hoping against all hope her mother would see this wasn’t an episode. That she knew
what she was doing.

“What are the chances you’ll do this behind my back anyway if I say no?” her mother finally asked. The seriousness in her tone didn’t quite manage to hide her defeat.

“Almost a hundred percent.”

“I can’t say I’m completely comfortable with this, Didi.” Her mother looked her in the eye in the way only mothers could. “But I also don’t see what stopping
you will do. I know you deserve some fun in your life. God knows I can’t give you dresses like that or—”

Didi’s hug cut off the rest of what her mother was about to say. “I can’t ask for a better mom. Don’t think I don’t see you worrying over the bills at night when
you think I’m asleep.”

“Hey . . .” Her mom pushed back so she could cradle Didi’s face in both hands. “Do I wish our lives could be easier? Sure. Who doesn’t? But don’t ever think
I’m disappointed that you are my daughter.”

“Even if it’s keeping you from buying dresses like this one?” Didi joked through a new wave of tears brimming in her eyes.

Her mom kissed her forehead. “Not for all the dresses and shoes in the world.”

CALEB DROVE AIMLESSLY
until the sun turned the sky orange and pink, unwilling to face the emptiness of home while still
seething. His frustration finally brought him to the massive man-made lake found at the center of Dodge Cove. Summer homes dotted its surrounding area. He parked his car near the shore and just sat
there, staring at the calm water.

He blamed himself for the tears he had seen Didi valiantly keep unshed. All day he had marveled at her beauty and the grace with which she mingled with his people, but nothing compared to the
fire in her eyes as she slammed out of his car. He deserved her anger.

He had been so happy with her performance, and then he’d had to go and fuck it all up. At least she hadn’t thrown the cell phone itself at him.

He leaned forward until his forehead banged the steering wheel. If she refused to accompany him to the next event, he couldn’t blame her. His insides twisted at the thought of the
consequences of going stag, but what could he do?

Then the passenger-side door opened, and the car dipped as someone got in. He whipped his head up and lifted his fists, ready to defend himself from the carjacker. A blink later he recognized
Preston, dressed in nothing but running shorts and running shoes.

“Jesus, Pres,” he said, lowering one fist while raking the fingers of the other through his hair. “You scared the shit out of me. What the hell are you doing here?”

“On a run,” Preston deadpanned. “What are
you
doing here?”

Closing his eyes, Caleb said, “I screwed up.”

A drawn-out pause followed.

Then, just when the silence between them grew thick, Preston said, “You’ll have to specify what you mean.”

Laughter bubbled up in Caleb’s throat, begging to be let out. Just barely, he managed to keep the humor in, out of respect for the seriousness of his friend’s statement.

Without hesitation he described everything that had happened with Didi after he brought her home. He winced at the memory of the box throwing.

“That explains you moping in your car,” Preston said.

Others would have taken his words as an attempt at making light of the situation. Caleb knew better. “So, like I said, I screwed up. I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t want
to see me again.”

“And you still have several more events to attend for the firm.”

“Don’t remind me,” he groaned.

Another long pause. He let it play out. Preston was thinking, he could feel it from across the front seat. He was at a loss for what to do next. Asking for forgiveness wasn’t his strong
suit.

“Do you know what she likes?”

The seemingly out-of-left-field question took him aback. “What?”

“Her likes,” Preston said. “You must know one thing she’s interested in.”

The answer popped into his head immediately. “Painting.”

“I suggest you drive to the nearest art supply store and fill an entire basket with whatever you think she’d need.”

Caleb huffed. “I don’t think she’ll accept anything from me right now. Might even piss her off more.”

“Who says you need to be the one to give it to her?”

Caleb grinned, catching Preston’s drift, and started his car. A solid friend was hard to find. “You want to come with me?”

The big guy shook his head, and just as fast as he had come, he stepped out of the car. Without breaking his stride, he resumed his run. Caleb watched his friend’s back disappear around a
bend, then he put his Mustang in reverse and mentally catalogued all the supplies he had in mind to buy.

Two days later, a red sports car showed up at Didi’s house just as she was leaning a painting of the carousel ice sculpture from the garden party against the couch in the
living room to dry. She peered out the bay windows to see who had arrived. Her eyes bulged as Nathan slid out of the driver’s seat in impeccably pressed mint-green slacks—the kind with
the crease in front—and a light gray V-neck. Loafers complemented the relaxed elegance nicely. If Caleb was a Ralph Lauren model, Nathan easily belonged on some high-fashion runway in his
vintage Ray-Bans, which he removed and slid into the pocket of his sweater.

These Parker cousins were gorgeous. She caught herself thinking that if Nathan wasn’t gay, she would totally be crushing on him. Then she stopped herself. Even gay she totally crushed on
him. Crushed on him hard. A smirk worked its way up her lips.

What was in the water over at Caleb’s part of Dodge Cove that produced Adonises? So much hotness in one place should be considered illegal. Or at least made into a tourist attraction. The
World’s Largest Congregation of Hot Boys. She’d pay to see that.

Her wandering thoughts returned to reality when Nathan produced a large basket laden with what looked like art supplies wrapped in white cellophane topped with a brilliant red bow from the
passenger seat. Her heart skipped as he shuffled down her walkway. She scampered to the front door and threw it wide open just as Nathan’s finger reached the doorbell.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, breathless in her excitement. Visitors were so few and far between that if she’d had a tail it would surely be wagging.

“Hello to you too,” Nathan greeted her, eyebrows lifting.

She turned her attention to the white envelope with her name on it, taped to the cellophane. She slipped out the card and flipped it open. Inside, a masculine scrawl read:
You might want to,
but please DON’T throw the basket at Nathan. You’ll need the supplies for our modeling session. C.

Her eyebrow arched. “He sent you to bribe me with gifts? Coward can’t even come himself.” A part of her was joking, but deep down she couldn’t help but feel a prick of
disappointment.

“Actually . . .” Nathan shifted the basket in his grip. “He thought maybe a friendly face would make you more inclined to listen.”

“Ah.” She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her painting overalls. “So he told you about that, huh?”

“Please forgive him, Didi. He can be an idiot sometimes. God knows, I grew up with him. But in this instance, his heart is in the right place.”