“Mom!” Mase yells from down the hallway. “There’s a shirt from the Red Sox, and it’s signed. And a baseball from the Yankees! Jacob is gonna flip!”
My mouth drops open as I whirl around to face Grafton. “What have you done?”
His grin is crooked. “Gone completely overboard. And I have no regrets about it.”
I don’t knowwhat kind of superhero assistant Grafton has, but she manages to get an air mattress and all the bedding I need delivered to the house within an hour.
Grafton’s the one who goes to the door, tipping the delivery driver before he comes back in, but I frown when I see two boxes at his feet.
“What…?”
His blue eyes are hot enough to melt ice as he locks them on me. “I’m not leaving you and the kids to spend the night here by yourselves, especially when Knox hasn’t organized the new security system yet.”
I open my mouth to argue, but it takes less than a second before I’m snapping it closed, a slow, creeping realization warming my blood.I want him to stay.It’s not about feeling unsafe, but just about not wanting him to leave yet.
My cheeks warm as the epiphany settles into my chest, my gaze dipping away from his. I know how he feels. He’sbeen really clear about that. But I’m not ready for him to know how far I’m actually leaning toward him.
It’s too soon.The words are a low chant in my mind, reminding me of the mess I’m still entangled in. But another side of me is desperate to take something just for me.
We set the beds up together; one in the primary suite, and the other in the living room, and then it’s an easy decision to get pizza delivered—especially considering the lack of anything in the kitchen. Luckily, there is a rug in the trunk of my car, and we set up an impromptu picnic in the middle of the living room.
It doesn’t take long for the kids to warm up to Grafton. Mase is already comfortable with him, sold on ice cream and the way Grafton talks to him like he’s an adult. And now Ginny is spinning wild tales to him, her eyes sparking with excitement whenever she makes him laugh. I think a lot of it comes down to him giving them his complete, undivided attention, listening avidly before asking questions. He doesn’t try to control the conversation, and he has infinite patience when it takes Ginny several tries to get one sentence out in her rush.
Grafton told me he never reached the point of having children with anyone, but he would make a good father.
Mase is even more amazed as he watches him put away almost two pizzas, compared to just the half that Mase proudly demolished.
“How can you eat so much?” my son demands, eyeing him suspiciously, like he might be playing a trick and hiding the pizza somewhere other than his stomach.
“I’m a big boy,” he says wryly, and Mase’s gaze turns critical.
“You are,” he agrees carefully, shooting me a sly look. “Did you happen to eat vegetables growing up?”
I bite the inside of my cheek to hide my grin, even as Grafton says seriously, “I did. A lot of broccoli.”
Mase’s nose scrunches up comically before he grumbles, “Figures.”
Once the pizza has been eaten, the kids tromp back upstairs to explore their bedrooms. I sit back against the wall, and Grafton settles beside me, leaving only an inch of space between us.
“Knox got back to me,” he starts quietly. I tuck my legs into my chest, resting my cheek on my knees, watching him. “I called him on the way here and asked him to look into your sister and mother.”
My eyebrows lift. “That was quick.”
His cheek twitches. “I said the same, and his words were, ‘They’re basic bitches.’” He pauses a beat. “You don’t mind that I asked him to do it?”
I shake my head. “No. I know you’re looking out for me.” My eyes go to the doorway before I correct, “Looking out forus.” His eyes soften as I lean over, nudging my shoulder into his side.
“Caroline was taking monthly payments off Christopher?—”
“We knew that.”
“Right. But she was also transferring a percentage to your mother each month.”
I close my eyes, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, wishing I were more surprised. “My father had life insurance,” I whisper after a long minute. “He left her money when he died.”
Grafton wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling meinto his side. The touch is friendly, comforting. And even though my heart skips a beat, I appreciate it.
“According to the file Knox sent me, she’s got a gambling problem.” My eyes flare with shock, but he quickly adds, “Not casinos or anything like that. But the apps you can get on your phone. She’s burned through everything she had from your father, and she’s struggling to cover her bills.”
