Read Online Brick by Brick by Maryn Blackburn - Free Book Online

might as well be Italian.
    Now he slumped as if I’d let the air out of him. “Not yet. I’m sure if I asked, Daniel’d make me a loan.”
    “I know how hard you work. Things will turn around.”
    “They’d better, or I’m going to have to go to Daniel. Shit. So, we going to breakfast or not? I’ve kind of lost my appetite too.”
    “Forget trading waffles for sex. Let’s just do something together.”
    “Want to go to Sabino Canyon? We can pack something, eat out there.”
    And he tried, he really did. We hiked a little, had a picnic breakfast, took the tram a little, hiked a little more. He held my hand. We kissed. I smiled. He felt its phoniness.
    We came home before the afternoon turned the canyon into a furnace. I encouraged James to nap on the sofa. We had perfectly nice but uninspired sex when he woke.
    That night, I put Gage’s ruby stud earring in with my socks, safe but unseen. I didn’t want a reminder of how amazing and adventurous our sex life had once been.
    Nevertheless, I moped a few days later when I found Gage’s bottle of wine mysteriously moved to the back of the cupboard. The hope had evaporated.
    Fine. We didn’t need Gage Strickland. When James came home late for dinner that night, I’d set us a pretty table outside, where orange blossoms scented the air. I lit candles and uncorked my twelve-dollar pinot noir while he took his shower. When I heard the water stop running, I brought the food to the table in covered dishes, even though that meant more dishwashing.
    “Nat?” he called from the house. “Where’d you go?” He stepped onto the patio, where everything for an elegant meal waited, but he didn’t smile. “Did I forget a special occasion?”
    “No. I think I forgot how special you are. This is to show my appreciation.”
    His sigh was long. “Don’t be mad, okay?”
    “Why? Did you stop being special?”
    “Maybe. I don’t have time for sex tonight. I have to work on my order, because if I don’t get it in tomorrow, then I lose the contractors’ discount, and I need—”
    I held up my hand, stopping him. “This is just a nice dinner, no more.” Nothing like breakfast at IHOP. “Let’s just enjoy it, and each other.”
    He gave his crooked smile. “That’s easy. For me, anyway. Tell you what. Tomorrow night, I’ll try to make it home by six, which means I’ll actually be here by six thirty. We’ll eat out and then, who knows? Where do you want to go to dinner?”
    I grinned at him. “Don’t laugh, but I have a yen for junk food. Something bad for me.” Something we could afford.
    “Then I’m your man.” James poured me wine, but none for himself. He lifted the lid off the garlic roasted potatoes. “Smells good. So how was your day?”
    His smile warmed my insides more than any waffle. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow night.

Chapter Ten
    The “personal shave” that would surprise James had taken much longer than I’d thought. I stepped into panties and decided minimal makeup would be fine.
    Eyes lined and mascaraed, I’d found a bra and tank top and was pulling up jeans when the doorbell chimed. I hoped it would be James, ringing with his elbow because he carried a pizza. We could eat and get right to it without leaving the house. I zipped up and opened the door.
    “Hi.” Gage was loaded with paper bags, most with handles. “Can you take this one? Thanks. He’s not home yet, huh?”
    “No. Come in.” Gage was back! I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
    “He didn’t call?”
    “I was out, and I never check messages. They’re always for James.”
    “I tried the home number on James’s business card first. There’s a message from me. I got him at work.”
    “Oh.” I’d play the messages every day from now on. “What’s in the bags?” My nose told me the basics.
    “Hot-and-sour soup, spring rolls, shrimp lo mein, twice-cooked pork with vegetables. You guys aren’t vegetarian, are you?” Gage set the cartons on the dining room