“Really? I had no idea.”
“She doesn’t advertise it. And I don’t think she realizes how talented she actually is, but trust me, she’s the real deal. The thing is, she’s too scared to show her work to people. She just started researching possible publications she can submit to, but I remembered that you worked at Today’s World and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask you to take a look at this.” He held out the memory key. “All her stuff is on this.”
Jane took the USB and tucked it in the front pocket of her denim capris. “Sure, I’d be happy to take a look, and if her photographs are as good as you say, I’d also be happy to forward them to the photo editor at TW. He’s always on the lookout for talented freelancers.”
“Wow, that would be amazing. Thanks, Jane.”
She tilted her head pensively. “Why didn’t Jen just ask me herself?”
“Um…well, she doesn’t exactly know I’m talking to you. In fact, if you don’t mind, I’d like it if we kept this between us.”
Her bewilderment grew. “Why?”
“I don’t want her to think I’m overstepping my bounds and messing around with her career. She’s got this blog where she puts up her pictures. I can send you the link, and if your editor likes Jen’s work and wants to meet with her, maybe he can pretend he came across her work through the blog.” Cash offered a sheepish shrug. “That way Jen will feel like she did it on her own, you know?”
Jane stared at him, slack-jawed.
“What?” he mumbled.
“You’re sleeping with her,” she accused.
“No,” he said in a half-ass denial. “We’re friends, that’s all.”
“Bullshit.” Jane grinned. “You’re sleeping together. And not only that, but you care about her, don’t you?”
Continuing to deny it was fruitless. Jane would see right through it, anyway.
“Yeah, I care about her,” he admitted.
“A lot.”
“A lot,” he conceded.
“Oh, Hot Stuff, you’ve really gone and done it now.”
Cash arched a brow. Hot Stuff?
As if reading his mind, the redhead waved a hand. “Yeah, that’s what all the wives and girlfriends call you. Deal with it. Anyway, you know Carson will kick your ass, right?”
“I know.” He let out a breath. “I tried to keep my hands off her, but she was determined to seduce me.”
Jane laughed. “How long did you manage to hold out for?”
“Two days.”
“That’s actually pretty impressive, considering that…well, that you’re a man.” She paused. “What about Jen? Does she feel the same way?”
Discomfort rippled through him. “She insists we’re only having a fling.”
“Becker insisted the same thing when we first got together. Don’t worry, they always come to their senses eventually.”
He had to smile. “That’s reassuring.”
“She’d be crazy not to want something more. You’re a great guy, Hot Stuff. A real catch. She’ll figure it out sooner or later.”
“I hope so,” he murmured.
Jane stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek with a loud smack. “She will. Now, will you be a doll and carry these cases upstairs for me?”
“Sure thing.”
Jane’s sandals clicked on the wooden stairs as she hurried away. Cash bent down and picked up the cases, easily carting all three up the stairs. He was two steps from the kitchen when a familiar voice caught his attention.
“Can we please just talk about this?”
Carson.
He followed the voice to a closed door off to the left. The hall bathroom, he guessed, and when a female voice joined Carson’s, Cash realized the lieutenant wasn’t alone.
“For God’s sake, we’re at Sadie’s birthday party. We can talk about this later.”
Holly.
Cash breathed a sigh of relief. Okay, well at least Carson was in that bathroom with his wife, and not some member of the catering staff.
He felt guilty for even considering the latter as a legitimate possibility, but the memory of Carson with another woman refused to leave his brain. Unfortunately, the identity of the woman remained a mystery since Carson was yet again avoiding Jen’s phone calls.
“You can’t tell me seeing Penny and Sadie and Lucas doesn’t make you want the same thing for us.”
“What I want is to fix this rift between us. A baby isn’t the solution, Carson.”
“It’ll bring us closer together, you know it will. And I’m ready for this.” He sounded desperate now. “Besides, it’ll be nice for our kid to be around other kids his age. He’ll have an instant playmate in Penny and—”
Holly cut in angrily. “You want to knock me up so that Garrett and Shelby’s daughter has someone to play with?”
Cash stifled a sigh. Carson was really digging himself into a hole. Who knew the lieutenant was so dense?
“That’s not the only reason. I’m getting older, babe. I just turned thirty-four. I don’t want to be an old dad.”
“Then you shouldn’t have married a woman who’s five years younger than you! You should’ve married one whose biological clock lines up with yours!”
Cash’s sigh spilled free. Edging away from the doorway, he readjusted his grip on the beer cases. He felt like a shit for eavesdropping, especially now that the argument had treaded into TMI territory.