Hailey awokewith a crick in her neck and the realization that she’d been sleeping with her head on Peter’s shoulder. She looked up to find him studying her.
He smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” She scooted over to protect him from her probable morning breath. “I won’t ask how well you slept, but did you rest at all?” He couldn’t have been very comfortable sitting upright and not able to move without waking her.
“I caught a few winks.”
She ran her hand through her hair, hoping she didn’t look like a total mess but knowing she probably did. “I’m surprised I fell asleep at all.”
“I’m sure you needed it.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Hopefully, the couple of hours she’d dozed would be enough to get her through the day. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she’d guess it was about seven, based on the sounds and smells coming from the kitchen. Mom was up and preparing breakfast already, which meant Dad was probably outside feeding the chickens they’d started raising last year.
Her cheeks flushed. Had her parents seen them in here? Sheshook off her embarrassment. She was over thirty years old, not a teenager. And she and Peter hadn’t done anything inappropriate. Besides, her dad had probably gone out the back door. She was certain she’d have heard if anyone had come through here and gone out the front.
“I should probably go check on Jenna.” And brush her teeth and change into some fresh clothes.
He waved her on. “Don’t worry about me.”
“You will stay for breakfast, won’t you?”
“If you don’t mind having me.” His grin was contagious.
“I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”
“Then, of course.”
Neither of them brought up the fact that they still needed to come up with a solution to her problem. Today was Friday. Mr. Luque had said he wanted her decision by Monday. That wasn’t much time, and he’d probably planned it that way.
After peeking in on Jenna, who was still asleep, she took the opportunity to grab a quick shower. Feeling much better, she returned to the room she was sharing with her daughter and found Jenna just beginning to stir.
A few minutes later, the two of them and Maggie were on the way to the kitchen. Voices carried down the hallway. Her mom’s. Peter’s. Then she heard her dad’s deep laugh. All three of them were in there, and it sounded like they were enjoying each other’s company.
The first thing Hailey noticed upon entering was that, like yesterday, Peter was making himself useful by setting the table. He must have said something funny because Mom was still laughing as she pulled a sheet of cinnamon rolls from the oven. Dad had a twinkle in his eye when he turned to greet Hailey and Jenna.
Jenna’s face broke into a wide grin when she spotted everyone. To Hailey’s surprise, she ran to Peter first.
Peter set down the handful of silverware he’d been distributingand welcomed her hug. Once she released him, he signed,Good morning,princess.
Jenna gave him a cheesy grin, then ran to her grandpa for his morning hug.
“My, my, someone has a new favorite.” Mom smiled and gave Hailey a sly wink.
She returned the smile, but as she filled cups of coffee for each of the adults, she couldn’t help the niggling fear that Jenna might be getting too attached too quickly. Hailey hadn’t dated since losing Wesley—hadn’t even thought seriously about whether she would. There simply hadn’t been that much time since her husband had died. She was still grieving.
Peter was the first man she’d had even the slightest interest in. She couldn’t deny she liked him, but she also knew her first responsibility was to her daughter. What if he didn’t return her interest, or they dated but things didn’t work out? If she did date again, whether Peter or someone else, she’d need to be very careful. Risking heartbreak for herself was one thing, but subjecting her daughter to it was a very different story.
“Your parents have invited me to hang around today, just to help keep an extra eye on things. Is that all right? Miguel headed out about twenty minutes ago.”
Reality crashed in again at Peter’s words. Dating or any sort of relationship should be the last thing on her mind right now. If she didn’t figure a way out of the predicament she was in, she wasn’t sure any of them would survive long enough to risk a broken heart.
“Of course. And you’d be welcome to catch a nap before work. I know you’ve got to be tired still.”
He gave her a lazy smile as he plunked the last set of silverware beside a plate. “I’ve been through a lot more sleepless nights than that. But, yes, I’ll grab a nap if I need one. For now, I’m good with a hot cuppa.” He gestured to the cluster of steaming mugs she still held. “One of those is for me, I hope.”
She grinned. “Well, it’s certainly not for Jenna.”
“That’s a relief.” He stepped close to take one off her hands. As he did, he murmured, “I didn’t tell your parents about the new development. Just let them know I came over because I’m still worried about you, which I am.”
