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“What?”
“You’re not an optimist by nature,” she suggested.
“I haven’t found a lot of reasons to be optimistic,” I said.
“Someone left you a house out of nowhere. And two hundred thousand dollars to use to fix it.”
“Came with a few burdens,” I quipped. “Like a Tanner in residence.”
Addie elbowed me in the side, and despite the coffee that sloshed over the rim of my cup, I thrilled at that little familiar touch. “You’re not so bad, I guess,” I said.
“Oh, thanks.” She looked into her own cup. “I’m working on my own optimism. So we can work on it together while we fix the house, I guess.”
“Are you a reformed optimist?”
She looked at me, and I could feel the change in the air between us the second she decided to confide in me. “I am. I used to believe the best of people. I believed you could count on them, depend on them if they said you could. But I know better now.”
“Who let you down, Addie?” I put down my mug and faced her.
Addie met my eyes, and the depth of sadness there lit a fire inside me. Whoever had turned this pretty, smart, independent woman into a pessimist deserved to be unhappy for the rest of his life.
“His name was Luke. I thought we were going to get married. Have kids. I waited eight years for him to think the same thing.”
I sighed. Clearly, it hadn’t gone that way. I was sad for Addie, but didn’t feel terribly torn up about it really. He clearly didn’t deserve her.
“I came home from work one day to a letter. More of a note, actually.”
“A note?” Fury stirred inside me, despite the fact I’d had only a half cup of coffee. No asshole should write anyone off with a note.
“He said I was holding him back. That he’d had an opportunity to join a symphony in Europe and had turned it down once already because of me. He took it this time and left.”
“Seems like that’s more of a conversation after eight years. Not a note.”
“Right?” Addie stared into her cup. I could almost feel the self-doubt that asshole’s actions had lodged in her otherwise confident persona.
“Hey,” I said, touching her hand. Her skin was warm, soft. “That’s on him. That wasn’t about you.”
“I wasn’t enough to make him want to stay.” Her expression was so defeated, I felt like I’d do anything to wipe it from her face, change it to a smile.
“You’re enough,” I said, and stepped closer, pulling Addie into my arms. I hadn’t planned it, but the atmosphere between us made it feel so natural, so close. And if ever a woman needed a hug, it was Addie.
Her arms slipped around my waist, and her head dropped to my shoulder, and we just stood there, letting the warmth of our bodies mix. Addie smelled good, and her hair was soft and silky against my cheek. And after a moment, the feel of her breasts pressed against my chest began to become a little bit distracting, and I felt my cock hardening in my jeans. I was about to step back when the kitchen door opened and the last person I wanted to see in the world stepped in.
“Well, this is cozy,” Shelly said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Addie practically leapt backward, spinning to face my ex-wife. “Oh, hi! That was, I mean...that wasn’t what it looked like, it was...“
“It was really none of Shelly’s business,” I interrupted. “Since she walked into our house without even knocking.”
“Ourhouse?” Shelly asked, looking between us. “Are you two a thing now?”
“Also none of your business,” I said, at the same time as Addison said, “No!”
Shelly rolled her eyes—something she was very talented at—and pulled a piece of paper from her purse, unfolding it. “Daniel left this at home, and I think he needs it for school Monday.”
I reached for it, but she didn’t hand it to me. “I’ll give it to him,” she said. “Where is he?”
“He’s still asleep,” I said, hoping my voice made it clear she wasn’t going to go traipsing through the house.
