Page 38 of One Quick Obsession

“Is there a reason you were drinking so much?” I held up my hand. “Not judging. Just wondering.”

She stared into her water and pressed her lips together. “Just everything all at once. My dad, Ronin, trying to increase revenue at the resort, you, and my mom having a panic attack.”

There was so much in that statement, I didn’t know where to begin, so I did the one thing I wasn’t good at.

I just spoke.

“You’re doing fantastic at the resort. I’ve already told you that, and the family believes the same. If you weren’t, you know Aston, Flynn, and James would say something about it. Hell, Blakely’s job is to cut pieces that aren’t pulling their weight. And to push money into places that help others. It doesn’t matter that you guys are friendly, she’d can you if you weren’t doing the job.”

“That makes me feel better.”

I shrug. “I’m not in the family business, but I get the family business, if that makes sense.”

“What would you do with the Cage Enterprises if you had a choice?”

I shuddered. “Me in a suit, having to work around people all day? No thank you.”

“I don’t know, you would look quite nice in a suit.”

“You like the way that I look?” I teased, my voice low.

“You already know that, or I wouldn’t be here.”

“So you just like me for my looks.” I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but it was fun. Different.

“Your personality is a little gruff, so it has to be.”

“Touché.”

“I like wearing a suit and working at the resort. It is customer service, but it’s also a strategic business. It gives me so many things to do.”

“And all the better for me because that means I don’t have to have any part of it. Unless it’s coming to annoy you.”

“So you do come into the resort to annoy me?”

I shrugged and changed the subject. “Is your mom okay?”

She sat in silence for a moment, and I wondered if I had said something wrong. The waitress bought our meals, and I waved her off when she asked if we needed anything else and then nudged Scarlett’s plate to her.

“Don’t answer if you don’t want to. Eat your fries before they go cold.”

She dipped a fry in ranch and took a bite, moaning.

“That is so good.”

“Right? But you’re going to need to stop moaning. Just saying.”

A pretty blush slid over her cheeks, and she finished the fry. “My mom is an agoraphobe. We’ve been careful about the word, but her therapist is using it now. So is she. We’re trying to figure out what we can do to help her, but it’s out of my control, and I hate when things are out of my control.”

“There’s nothing I can do to help with that, or anything to say to make it better. But if you need me, you let me know. Okay? Even if I’m being an asshole, I’m not going to let your mom feel like she’s alone.” Scarlett’s eyes filled with tears, and I cursed under my breath. “I’m sorry. I’m pushy, ignore me.”

“You’re only pushy when it comes to putting me where you think I should be, but you stand back and watch every other time. I didn’t realize you were so nice.” She said nice like it was a bad thing, and frankly it was in this case.

“I’m not nice. I’m just a Cage. And not my dad.”

“That reminds me, what are you doing with the Ackerson place again?”

I sighed and dug into my lunch as I told her my plans. My family didn’t even know my full plans, but now that Scarlett did, it was like a weight off my shoulders.