Page 33 of Screwed
As angry as he’d been with Beau, the two of them were a good business combination, with Beau’s big-picture thinking and business connections, and Cash’s take-charge nature and attention to detail. They couldn’t throw that kind of money out the window, not to mention the livelihoods of the people who worked for them. And Cash couldn’t throw away the opportunity to help his family. To make his mother’s life easier and repay her for everything she’d sacrificed for him.
Damn, he shouldn’t be thinking about that stuff when he had to go play nice with Beau and the Sutherland people at the country club. But pulling into the parking lot, the very one he’d been at Friday night with Callie, only made his stomach ache even worse.
Somehow he managed to keep a smile on his face and greet Beau, Aaron, and Jed with appropriate words. Focusing on hitting the ball and some business discussion took his mind off Callie. At least for a while.
“We pride ourselves on finding unique, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to our clients’ requirements,” Beau told Aaron. “One of our biggest advantages is that we give our employees an exceptional toolbox for professional success—technology, training, and resources.”
“That’s true,” Cash added. “You probably heard that we were awarded the Engineering Excellence Gold Medal in Industrial and Manufacturing Facilities by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas for our fractionation project.”
“I did hear that,” Aaron said. “Congratulations. That’s impressive.”
Around the ninth hole, Cash looked over at Beau putting, completely oblivious to what had happened between him and Callie. Apparently Beau had never felt this intense, gnawing guilt, even when he’d cheated on his wife. In Beau’s mind, he’d done nothing wrong.
So Cash tried to talk himself into that mindset. He reallyhaddone nothing wrong. Callie and Beau were divorced. That meant they each could fuck whoever they wanted.
That line of thought was all a complete waste of time when he and Beau ended up in one of the golf carts together, heading back to the clubhouse at the end of the afternoon, and Beau said, “I heard Callie’s friends threw her a divorce party.”
Cash’s insides seized up. “Yeah.”
“That’s bullshit.”
He bit the inside of his mouth. “Well, youaredivorced.”
“Fuck. You go to the party?”
“Kristy invited me. I was only there for a few minutes.” How much should he say? Beau could easily know what had happened. “Callie was a little drunk by the time I got there so I drove her home.”
“You never told me that.”
Cash shrugged and steered the cart around a curve. “She was embarrassed. And it was no big deal.”
“I can’t believe she was celebrating our divorce.” Beau’s jaw hardened. “I can’t believe she won’t talk to me, either.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
Beau sighed. “Her parents aren’t happy with the divorce.I’mnot happy with the divorce. I still don’t get it.”
Oh fuck. He was not trying to say he wanted to get back together with her, was he?Fuck me sideways with a chainsaw.
Cash gritted his teeth. “You cheated on her, remember?”
Yeah, they’d had this discussion before. Only then, he hadn’t had a guilty conscience that made every muscle in his body tense to the point of pain.
“Yeah, I remember.”
Cash pulled up and stopped the cart, ready for one of the club’s attendants to take it. He had no idea what to say or where Beau was going with this, but what he did know was he didn’t want to talk about Callie. Not to Beau.
“Our divorce sure as hell better not have any impact on our getting this project,” Beau added. “We can’t afford to lose this job.”
Cash tensed. Was that what Beau was worried about? Losing the job because he wasn’t part of the Sutherland family anymore? Shit. That was fucked up.
“Aaron and Jed don’t seem to hold any ill will because of the divorce.”
“Yeah, the Sutherlands still like me.” Beau’s cocky grin held a hint of worry. “And I keep in touch with Joshua.”
Cash nodded.
“I won’t let my relationship with her family die,” Beau continued confidently. “They’re too important to let go of.”
