Never Saw it Coming Read online

  The door to the stairwell was locked. She fetched her keys from her jacket pocket and opened the door. Quickly she ascended the stairs and pushed open the apartment door.

  Mike stood in the small kitchen, over the stove stirring something in a pan with one hand and holding a cup of coffee in the other. He was shirtless, barefooted, and his lounge pants rode low on his hips. He must have been freshly showered, as his hair was still wet and looked as though a towel had been run over it.

  Chandra swallowed hard as she held up a finger. “Where is he?”

  Mike cast a look around the apartment. “Good morning,” he said first. “Where is who?”

  “Gabe and I have an arrangement. He kicked me out yesterday, and he’s not going to do it again. I have two more weeks, and then he can give me a goddamned vacation.”

  Mike pulled the pan from the burner and set it on another. “Did you eat breakfast? I have bacon and eggs. Take your coat off and sit down.”

  It was then she finally smelled what he was cooking. “I’m fine. I want to know where Gabe is.”

  Mike pulled two plates from the cupboard, filled them with eggs, and set a slice of bacon on each. He carried them to the table, set them down, then retrieved another cup of coffee and two forks.

  “Sit,” he demanded as he moved by her to close the door to the apartment. “I’m going to go put on a shirt.”

  He disappeared into the bedroom, and when he reemerged he had on a University of Southern California shirt, a pair of socks, and his hair had been combed.

  Mike retrieved his cup of coffee, warmed it from the pot, and sat down. Looking up at her, he motioned with his eyes for her to sit, so she finally did.

  “Gabe isn’t here. And he’s not downstairs as far as I know,” Mike offered as he scooped up a forkful of eggs and put it in his mouth.

  “His truck is here.”

  She watched the humor slide over Mike’s face as he hid his smile behind his coffee mug. After taking a sip, he lowered the mug to the table. “Someone offered me storage space in the garage,” he said narrowing his gaze on her. “I needed his truck to make that happen. Then they can come get the storage unit and restore the parking lot to normal use.”

  “You have his truck?” she asked, then looked at the eggs as her stomach growled.

  “Yes. Later I’m going to load my stuff into it. Peter is coming to help me, and then we’ll take it to your house. Your mom is going to meet me there. If the sale on the other house goes through then I’ll move it there.”

  Unable to resist, Chandra loaded her fork with a bite of eggs. As she tasted them, she was sure she’d closed her eyes and let out a sigh. How was it the man could whip up eggs that tasted like heaven?

  Swallowing, she looked up at him and noticed he was watching her, still smiling.

  She washed them down with a sip of coffee. “So you’re going through with buying the house?”

  “Yep. Your mom and Tracey have done nearly all the early footwork. The physical stuff will be all me. It’s going to be great,” he said promisingly.

  She took another bite of her eggs. “Well, I’m glad Gabe isn’t here. That was going to piss me off.”

  “I gathered that by you busting through the door.”

  She winced. “I’m sorry about that. You should have it locked.”

  “Couple of your employees were looking for you bright and early before your kitchen manager got here. I guess they thought they’d look up here. I went down the stairs to answer when I heard them knocking.”

  “I’m sorry. Did they wake you?”

  He laughed and sat back in his chair. “No. I was painting the bedroom. I woke up about three and couldn’t go back to sleep.”

  “I don’t smell paint.”

  “Good. I’ve been using some new stuff I learned about that doesn’t have paint smell. I thought it would be best, especially with the restaurant.” He watched her for a moment. “Your mom picked out the color. Would you like to see it?”

  Chandra gripped the fork tightly. “My mother was in your bedroom?”

  He chuckled. “No. I said she picked the paint.”

  She felt small for saying that. Setting her fork down, she pushed back from the table. “Yes. I’d like that.”

  They both stood and started for the bedroom, nearly running into one another. Mike stepped back and motioned for her to go through first.

  When she stepped through the doorway, she certainly saw her mother’s approval painted on the walls. They were a rich, creamy color and they warmed the space. The blinds were new and she noticed he’d even put some kind of storage system in the closet.

  His bed was covered with a tarp, but she imagined if he were to have a dark bed set, it would compliment the room perfectly.

  “This looks beautiful, Mike.”

  “It looks clean. He’ll be able to up his rent when I’m done.”

  She turned to him now and pushed a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes away.

  “I’m sorry I barged in here like I did. That was uncalled for.”

  “Forgiven. I wish I had someone who looked after me the way you did Gabe. He’s a lucky man to have a fantastic wife and a caretaker.”

  “I’m not his caretaker.” She winced at the thought. “We took care of each other for a time, and now things are different, but we’re still here for each other.”

  “I meant it as a compliment,” he clarified. “C’mon, our eggs are going to get cold.”

  Mike walked back to the table and sat down. Chandra followed suit. “Would you mind if I came back up in a few hours and used your new and improved bathroom? I overslept, and I could use a shower.” She’d felt the heat in her cheeks when she’d admitted to oversleeping. Or perhaps it was the understanding in his eyes, without her having to say why she’d overslept that filled her with dread and embarrassment.

  “Sure. I can go down and get your inventory started. See to the delivery. You can get ready after you eat.”

  Because he’d mentioned eating, she forced herself another bite, though she’d lost her appetite thinking about what she’d done the night before.

  “If you’re sure.”

  “Positive. I’ll just change real fast. I don’t think this looks official enough.” He took his plate to the sink and rinsed it off. “How’s Jason? Getting excited for spring break?”

  “Yeah, he mentioned it this morning. Actually, he told me to tell you hi.”

  It warmed her when Mike smiled. “Tell him I say hi. Dane will be here in two weeks, too. Already have us a place booked in Breckenridge. I think the runs will still be good enough to get some good skiing in.”

  “You’ll have a good time.”

  Mike leaned a hip against the counter. “You and Jason wouldn’t be interested in joining us would you?”

  A nervous excitement filled her stomach, and she felt the smile form on her lips, but then just as quickly she released it. “Austin doesn’t ski.”

  She watched the disappointment shadow his face. “Right. Maybe while Dane is here, he and Jason could kick around the soccer ball a bit. I know Dane wants to meet him.”

  “He’d like that.”

  “Right.” He cleared his throat. “So, clean towels on the shelf in the bathroom. I’ll change quickly, and then the place is yours.”

  She thanked him, watched him scurry around, then quickly leave. Chandra sat alone in his apartment with the breakfast he’d made for her—or shared with her.

  She thought of the invitation and how much Jason would like to go with Mike and Dane. Resting her elbows on the table and then her face in her hands, she thought about Austin being part of their lives again. Would it bring any of them joy—including Austin?

  She looked around the apartment which Mike had made feel homey and warm. Would he have that same touch with the house that he was buying with her mother and Tracy?

  Of course he would. She couldn’t help but wonder why a woman ever would have left him, and then that tho
ught hit her harder. Why would she choose Austin over him if there was a choice?

  The thought had to go. She stood, took her plate to the sink and rinsed it. A few minutes later she started the shower and stepped inside. His scent surrounded her. His soaps. His shampoos.

  Jason wasn’t the only person who liked the man enough to want him around. She wanted that too. But with Austin in the picture, she couldn’t move forward at all.

  Chandra tipped her head back into the stream of warm water. She lingered there hoping the water would wash all the uncertainty away. But it seemed to do the opposite.

  The more the scents of him surrounded her, the more she wished she’d given into his kisses and his interests. Her mother always said she deserved better than what she got. Mike was better.

  He was kind and decent. There was great vision in a man who would buy a house to make it something bigger—better. She turned off the water, stepped out, and wrapped in a towel. She looked around the small bathroom and realized even in this space he had vision. So why had he had an interest in her?

  Chandra wiped the steam from the mirror and looked at herself. The tattoos on her arms usually scared men, but he didn’t seem put off. Her hair was just hair. She wore it tied back, but rarely ever curled it or wore it down. Perhaps she didn’t think enough of herself to take the time to do that. That was a crock. She thought a lot of herself. She was strong and brave. She was a freaking single mom who rocked the title she reminded herself.

  Austin was the ass that came and went and found no pleasure in family. That wasn’t her.

  Mike found pleasure in family. She’d seen his eyes light up when Dane was mentioned. The joy in him only intensified when Dane called.

  Last night, she’d sold herself short. Trying to recapture something that was never there—well, it was a waste of time.

  Chandra took the comb off the sink and ran it through her hair. It was all new, and it needed some time. Interest was one thing. Seriousness was another. Mike was building a foundation for himself. She was building one for herself and Jason. Right now that included Austin. With Mike being business partners with her mother and Tracy, it wasn’t as if he’d be going anywhere. All of this pent up frustration just needed some time to ease. She was overworked right now and full of stress. Yes, that was it.

  Pulling her hair back to put it up, she looked at herself again and let her hair fall. Maybe today she’d let the process of foundation building look different. It was okay to ease up a bit.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  She’d taken longer showering than she thought she had. Chandra was surprised at the number of people already in the restaurant and kitchen when she finally emerged from Mike’s apartment.

  Her food rep was in the kitchen talking to the kitchen manager, and the bakery rep was taking inventory.

  She could hear Mike’s voice when she ducked into Gabe’s office to gather the clipboard with orders and inventory numbers. With her newfound enthusiasm about taking control and feeling out the interest Mike said he had for her, it seemed to send a jolt of excitement through her.

  Mike was talking with the alcohol rep, and both men were fully engaged in their conversation and didn’t notice her until she came to stand behind the bar next to Mike.

  “Hey, Chandra. I thought you’d taken the day off,” Keith said as he typed information into his tablet.

  “Two more weeks and I’m out of here.”

  “Oh, yeah? Gabe’s paternity leave is over huh?”

  “Spring break, too,” she said shifting a look toward Mike who was pouring a cup of coffee.

  “Yeah, my kids are out too. They of course wanted to go to Disneyland, no, Disney World.” He looked up at her. “That’s in Florida right?”

  Chandra nodded.

  “Yeah, well, this job don’t pay for a trip like that. I’m thinking a day at the movies and maybe some play time in that play area at Cherry Creek Mall, which is the only reason I’d go there.”

  “Jason used to like that place too.”

  “Okay,” he said swiping his finger across the screen of his tablet. “I’m done here. You two have a fine day.”

  Mike lifted his mug toward Keith. “He’s a friendly one,” he said as Keith walked out the door.

  “He is.” She took a mug and filled it with coffee. “Thanks for covering for me. And thanks for the shower.”

  Mike gave her a nod and moved to the patron side of the bar.

  She couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as if he were avoiding conversation.

  He finished his coffee at the bar as the staff came to her for answers to this and that. Of all days, the mundane annoyed her.

  When Mike’s phone chimed, he pulled it from his pocket and read the text. “Peter is on his way. I’m going to go up and get ready to load all of that stuff into Gabe’s truck.”

  Picking up his mug, he stood, and walked back around the bar. He rinsed the mug and slid it into the small dishwasher under the counter. Without another word, he went out through the kitchen.

  Mike had the few things he could load into the extended cab of the pickup truck when Peter pulled up.

  “Tell me you did all the hard work,” Peter joked as he climbed from his car and locked it.

  “I’ve more than once considered having them haul this thing off and starting all over.”

  Peter laughed. “Well, I’m yours all day. Tell me where to start.”

  The men unloaded as much of the storage unit as they could, and then headed toward Chandra’s house.

  They’d made it to the first stop light at the end of the street when Peter turned toward him. “Tell me what’s going on with you and the bartender.”

  Mike coughed out a laugh. “And why do you ask?”

  “It’s just the way you say her name when you talk about her mom, her kid, her house. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I know when a guy has a thing for a gal.”

  “A thing, huh?”

  “Yeah. Or do you have a thing for her mom?”

  Now he laughed hard. “No, it’s not for the mom, though she’s a catch. Strong. Wise. Just like her daughter.”

  “See, you nearly sighed.”

  At the stoplight, Mike ran his hand over his head and caught the grin on his face. “I’ve told her I’m interested in her. Kissed her a few times. She seems to think it’s not a good idea. Oh, and her ex-husband has come back into the picture and is living at her house.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Yeah.” He shrugged and then eased through the light when it changed. “But she’s a good friend, and her mother is one of my partners in the house, so I need to be okay with her not being interested since she’ll be in my life.”

  “The ex-husband. Is he good material? Not all ex-husbands are dicks. I mean you and I are still catches for other women.”

  Mike laughed again. “We are catches, aren’t we? I mean, who wouldn’t want some of us.”

  Now Paul laughed too. “Right? We just picked wrong the first time. Or just need to remember to stay interesting. I don’t know really what to think there.”

  “In my case, we were just wrong for each other from the beginning. We liked each other. We just never loved each other fully as we should have. It’s clear in hindsight. We did make one excellent kid, though. For that I’m grateful.”

  “Nicely put.”

  “As for Chandra’s ex, he made one great kid too.”

  Peter let out a hum. “But he’s…?”

  “Oh, I think he’s a tool.” He grinned. “But that’s because I have a thing for his ex-wife.”

  “A tool it is then,” Paul agreed as Mike turned the truck down an alley and parked next to a garage where a woman waited. “Is this her mom?”

  “That’s her.”

  Paul scanned a look over her before reaching for the door handle. “She looks like a hard woman.”

  Mike could understand that. Her long gray braid hung over her shoulder, and leather jacket with a chain of some kind. “
I suppose if you messed with her, she’d mess with you.”

  They both stepped out of the truck.

  “I thought I had some extra help for you,” she said. “Austin was here until five minutes ago. I’m pretty sure he took off so I wouldn’t ask him to help.”

  Mike pulled her in for a hug. “All the better. Esther, this is Paul.”

  She held out her gloved hand and shook Paul’s. “Nice to meet you. You’re the one with the startup business?”

  “That’s me.”

  “You’ve got a good one with this guy. Mark my word.”

  Mike smiled. “She likes me.”

  Esther opened the garage door, and Mike and Paul went to work unloading the few items in the back of the truck. They’d loaded boxes on top of the sofa, and had managed to get in a dresser.

  “I’ll be back in forty-five minutes with another load,” he told Esther.

  “I don’t see why I’m here for this.” She took the key from the keyring in her hand. “You can give it to Chandra when you’re done. I’m not moving back here.”

  “Things are that bad, huh?”

  Esther jammed her hands into her coat pockets. “That ass-hat of an ex-husband sat here telling me all about them sleeping together and how he’s going to change their world. I don’t imagine she’s buying that crap. And I sure hope Jason’s not. He’s done nothing but let that boy down. It would be best if he just disappeared in the middle of the night, just like he’s known to do.” She huffed out a breath and it carried on the cold air. “Actually, I’m perfectly happy with Tracy at her place. It’s nice not to have to worry about anything. Not that it was a big deal when it was just Chandra, Jason, and I. But now it’s better.”

  She looked at the two men who both stood there in the cold, their mouths partially open. “Is there room in that truck for one more body?”

  Mike nodded. “Whole backseat.”

  “Why don’t I ride back with you both? I’ll treat you to lunch at the restaurant and come back with you when you bring the next load.”

  “You don’t have to buy us lunch,” Mike said.

  “I might be pissed at my daughter, but this is my opportunity to see her, and she can’t argue with me,” she said as she let out a laugh. “Let me just make sure the jerk locked the house up before he drove off.”