Page 19 of Unruly

“Good for steak, or no?”

“It’s all right, I guess. A red wine might be better.”

“A red wine.”

“Yeah.”

“You told me dry-sec, Cross.”

“I told you to choose a wine—try a red, even. That’s what I said.”

“You know what,” Catherine huffed, “buy your own damn wine from now on, then.”

Cross chuckled. “I will.”

“Ma called.”

He set his glass back to the table and reached for a steak knife. “Did she?”

“She’s sending me to L.A. next week.”

“New client?”

Catherine didn’t answer.

Cross slowed his knife cutting into the steak as he glanced to Catherine. “Catty?”

“Not a new client.”

Her work with her mother often took her all over the States. They were only a year into their marriage—not even, as their one year anniversary was the following month—and her work kept her out of their house. A lot.

Her work kept her away so often, that she spent just as much time inside their beautiful Newport home as she did out of it.

Cross wanted more time with his wife, but he also wanted her to do what made her happy. He couldn’t tell her to slow down, could he? Not when it was only for his own selfishness, and not because she wanted that, too.

“So, not a new client,” he said. “What is it, then?”

“She wants me to handle a couple of the girls. Manage them, I guess.”

“Alongside what you already do.”

It wasn’t even a question.

Catherine nodded. “Basically.”

“All right, that’s good,” Cross finally said, though he wasn’t sure he believed it. “Did she say how long you were going to be there this time?”

“I don’t know.”

Cross heard what she was saying loud and clear.

“A while, then.”

Catherine sighed. “Maybe into December?”

“Are you going to be home for our anniversary?”

Because shit, he had a lot planned for that. Tickets he practically had to beat someone to death to get for a show she loved but never saw live. A private helicopter tour of Niagara Falls. A massive dinner with their families.