“Oh, no.” Jade shook her head, knowing full well her friend would stick around. “He’s harmless, just annoying. You go on home and rest. I wouldn’t even hear if he came back because I’ll be upstairs asleep.”
Livie let out a yawn and headed toward the door. “If you need me, call. Or call Jax. He’s at the airport because the new heating and cooling units are being installed today.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured her friend just as the cell in her pocket vibrated again. Relentless man. “I’ll text you later and we can figure out what to do about this baby shower we were supposed to have in a few days.”
Livie laughed. “I guess Melanie and Knox can both attend.”
Jade held the front door open and let Livie out. “Oh, wait,” Jade said.
Turning back around, Livie raised her brows and grinned. “You want to confess something? Maybe about Cash?”
“Not likely. I want to discuss something with you when we’re both not sleep-deprived.” Jade stepped out onto the porch with Livie. “It’s about the house.”
Her friend’s blond brows drew in. “You’re moving? I don’t have the energy for this now. Please tell me you’re not leaving Haven.”
Jade reached out and grabbed Livie’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “No, I’m not moving. Actually, the opposite. I wanted to discuss buying your house.”
Livie’s eyes widened. “What?”
“I think I want to stay in Haven. You know, reset my roots.” Jade dropped Livie’s hand and shrugged. “Definitely something we can talk about later. And if you don’t want to sell, I completely understand.”
Livie’s eyes misted. “If I sell my childhood home, I can’t think of anyone else I’d want living here.”
A bit of weight lifted off her shoulders. Jade hadn’t even realized how much she wanted this until now. She’d been tossing the idea back and forth in her mind, but she figured she’d mention it and just get a feel for Livie’s stance. Now that she knew, Jade truly wanted all this to work out. Coming back home wasn’t always easy, but she had a good feeling she’d made the right decision.
Jade wrapped her arms around Livie. “Thank you.”
She eased back and tipped her head from one side to the other to relieve some tension. “Now, go on home. We’ll talk later. Just discuss with Jax what a fair price would be.”
Livie nodded. “You’ll get the family discount.”
Their friendship was stronger than that of most sisters, but Jade wasn’t going to let Livie discount her home. She wanted to be fair, so she’d probably get Sophie over here to give her an idea of what she should offer.
Once Livie had gone, Jade closed and locked the door. As she climbed the stairs, she pulled her cell from her pocket. She tripped over the last step and nearly fell into the hallway as she read Cash’s latest messages.
He’d incorporated all her favorite foods all right. Each one on a different body part and in different rooms of his house . . . including the hot tub.
Well, that man certainly had quite the erotic imagination—and she was one lucky woman.
Had Livie seen these, there would be no denying what she and Cash had going on. Jade would have to be more careful if she wanted this affair to remain undisclosed.
Scrolling through the messages, Jade smiled as she reread each one. But she didn’t reply. He deserved to wait on her response after getting her in a bind earlier. Technically, leaving her phone behind was Jade’s fault, but the timing of his messages couldn’t have been worse when the cell had been in Livie’s possession.
Besides, she didn’t have the mental stamina to start this conversation. She needed sleep, and dealing with Cash would require her to be at her best.
No one challenged her like he did; nobody ever had. The allure of a secret affair with someone who made her feel giddy and reckless was too exciting to end it. Jade was certainly in no rush to call it quits, which meant she’d have to hone those acting skills before she ruined a good thing.
Jade sank down onto her bed and swiped a hand down her face. First she got involved in a heated affair she didn’t want to end, then she was talking about buying a house in her hometown.
If she had more energy, she’d start analyzing everything from every angle. Jade toed off her shoes and fell back onto her mound of pillows. She stared up at the draped sheers over the canopy.
Would she rather be back in Atlanta making seven figures and being taken for granted in a thankless job, or would she rather make significantly less living in her hometown, where she was risking everything by investing not only her money but her time and emotions in an airport?
More importantly, would she rather find someone to settle down with or would she rather continue on with a man who made her feel alive for the first time in her entire life?
Jade smiled, knowing everything she’d decided was worth the risk. The permanent move and the temporary man.
Chapter Twelve