Page 98 of Fierce-Ivan

Cade shuddered. “Then you need to deal with Alex.”

“Your poor wife. She’s a saint to put up with you.”

“You picked her for me. I thank you all the time.”

“That’s right,” she said. “Don’t you forget it either. I found her. I know what I’m doing. I don’t need you cock blocking me with Kendra.”

Cade almost fell out of his chair when she’d said that. Which she knew would happen and that was why she did. “Mom! Come on now. That’s horrible.”

“If I were a guy saying that it’d be appropriate.”

“But you’re not a guy and you’re mymother.”

“That’s right. So show some respect.”

“Oh,” Cade said. “We all respect you and you know it. Cut it out. You’re just mad you aren’t getting anywhere with Kendra and Ivan.”

She turned and shut the door. “What is going on with them? You see Kendra all the time.”

“I have no clue,” he said. “You know what I do. You probably know more than me. It’s not like I talk to her about her personal life.”

Which she knew but figured maybe Cade heard things and he’d always been the one that ran his mouth and let things slip.

“Don’t you hear things though?”

“No,” he said. “I don’t hang out with the women here. And even if I did, they aren’t going to talk to me about their lives. It’s not professional either. You know that.”

She frowned. “If Ella was here she’d know more, but I’m not getting much out of her.”

“Ella doesn’t need to come back just so you can get a leg up on Ivan’s dating life.”

She waved her hand. “I know that.”

“You know, for someone so smart, I can’t believe you don’t realize that Kendra is just playing with you.”

“I know that,” she said. She actually didn’t but wasn’t about to admit that to Cade. “I had her playing right into my hand.”

“No, you didn’t. You’re desperate. That is why you are asking her things directly. That’s not you. You’re sneaky, but you aren’t getting anywhere. Desperation isn’t a pretty color on you.”

“Neither is puke,” she said. “That brown chunky kind that you get after you’ve had corn or nuts and been in the car for thirty minutes.”

She watched as Cade started to cough and pale. “You suck,” he said, reaching for his water to drink some.

“Remember that. A witchy move or not, I’ll always get the upper hand with you over anyone else. Talk about easy.”

She walked out laughing and went downstairs to see if she could get information out of Margo.

She moved to the kitchen. “Hi, Margo, how are you doing?”

“I’m doing well, Jolene. How are you?”

“I’m doing great. I was visiting with Kendra and Cade.”

“And you struck out with information, didn’t you?” Margo asked.

Her shoulders dropped. “You talk with Kendra, right?”

“I do. But not often. When we are here we are working. Not a lot of time to talk about our personal lives. And even if we did, you don’t think I’m going to share, do you?”