The Problem with Fire - M.E. Clayton Page 0,2

hurting, and going through all the other stages of divorce, I had found that the one thing I had resented the most was how Thomas hadn’t given us a chance at all. Instead of coming to me when he had first started feeling the signs of unhappiness, he had sat on his feelings until he had no longer felt anything for me. That was the crap that pissed me off. Not because I was still pining over him, but because he had ruined my daughter’s chance at having a happy family, and all because he hadn’t wanted to bother with trying to fix what had been going wrong.

The dick.

And this past year had been all about being happy. Other than Leta still being pissed at her father and being just a moody fifteen-year-old girl, life was pretty good. I had a great job, a nice house in a nice neighborhood, a healthy moody daughter, and a best friend I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

So, penis hasn’t been a priority these past few years, what with me trying to get my life back together. And on the weeks Leta was with Thomas, I worked that frustration out by going through batteries by the dozens. I was fairly certain me and my vibrator were a large part of what was destroying the planet’s environment, even if I did try to buy recycled double-As.

And even though Thomas had broken my heart, he hadn’t turned me into a man hater. He had turned me into a Thomas hater, but I hadn’t fallen into that trap of believing that all men were awful. I didn’t think all men were awful. I had just fallen into a nice, quiet, safe existence, and I wasn’t exactly eager to cause any waves after the tsunami Thomas had already put me through.

However, my need for a peaceful, uncomplicated life hadn’t made me blind, deaf, or dumb. And every time I saw Sayer Hayes coming or going from his home, my lady parts tingled. He was truly a magnificent male specimen, and he was just another reason for me to believe in God, because…

Oh. My. God.

My phone rang, blessedly snapping me out of my inappropriate thoughts about my young neighbor. “Hey.”

“We’re planning a camping trip for the week after next, when Leta goes back to stay with Thom-ass. Do you want to come with us?” Karma asked, no greeting necessary.

I let out a soft laugh. “One of these days, you’re going to accidentally call Thomas that in front of Leta,” I said, instead of answering her about the camping trip. “Then what?”

“She’ll probably get to calling him that all the time,” she replied.

“Exactly my point, Karm,” I said.

“So, do you want to go camping or not?”

“I appreciate the offer, but Sarah’s on vacation that week, so me and Kevin are dividing her inspections to help out,” I told her.

“Maybe you can talk to Thom-ass and Leta can come with us,” she suggested. “We’ll be gone Friday through Sunday, but it’s during his Friday through Sunday.”

Thomas and I had shared custody where we traded Leta off every Friday. Whoever had Leta would drop her off at school on Friday mornings, and the other parent would pick her up from school Friday afternoon. We’d been doing this for three years, and I still wasn’t used to it. I didn’t like having my child away from me for an entire week, even if she was already fifteen and called me during her weeks away.

“I’ll let her know she was invited,” I replied. “She can ask him.” Leta and Karma’s daughter, Jennifer, were close and often did things together. Karma and her husband, Vernon, had two kids, Jennifer being their youngest and an older son, Tennison, who was a freshman at USC. Apart from her parents giving her a stripper name, Karma’s life was pretty perfect.

“Sweet,” she squealed like a teenager.

“Alright, I have to go,” I told her. “I want to catch up on some paperwork before Leta comes home tomorrow.” As always, Leta needed special…uh, handling whenever she came home from staying with Thomas.

“Okay,” Karma replied. “I’ll talk to you later.” I was about to hang up when she said, “Oh, but before I go, how’s the hunky fireman these days?”

I hung up on her.

Dropping my head back in a rather dramatic fashion, I knew I was going to have to get back out there one day soon. But it wouldn’t be with a guy damn near five years my senior,