“I’m aware.”
He poured coffee for me anyway.
After we ate, he drove me to Long Creek. He didn’t ask this time whether he should come inside. He simply parked in the same spot as last time, laptop already open as I gathered my crutches.
“I’ll be here,” he said.
He looked up at me. The look lingered a second longer than necessary.
Inside, I made my way to my father’s room. He was having a good day. He remembered my name without hesitation.
We talked about nothing important, which meant it was everything.
When I stopped by the billing office on my way out, my stomach tightened the way it always did. I handed over the envelope.
The woman behind the desk typed, clicked, and nodded.
“It looks like you are almost caught up. We will start the move-up next month,” she said pleasantly.
The words felt like oxygen.
“Thank you,” I said, and meant it.
As long as I could get back to cooking regularly. As long as the basement project continued. As long as the knee kept improving. As long as nothing else unraveled, I might just be able to manage.
Outside, the sun felt less oppressive than it had in weeks. Raphael closed his laptop when he saw me coming. “Well?” he asked as I settled into the seat.
“He was having a good day,” I said.
His shoulders eased almost imperceptibly. “Good, I’m glad.”
We drove in comfortable silence. I rested my head back against the seat and let the moment stretch. The kiss from lastnight lingered in my mind like a low, steady hum. It hadn’t been frantic or impulsive. It had been . . . intentional.
And that scared me more than anything else. I had feelings for my boss. My fake husband. The man who color-coded my physical therapy schedule and had not let me lift a finger since it had happened. This was not smart.
And yet, when I looked over at him, at the set of his jaw, the calm control, the way his hand rested steady on the steering wheel, I didn’t feel reckless. I felt hopeful, which might have been worse. Because hope meant I had something to lose.
When we got back on the property, the sun was shining, but it was still a relatively cool day. My leg was feeling a bit better, and I kind of wanted to explore the grounds. I’d only ever seen the inside of the estate.
“I think I might take a little walk around the estate.”
The immediate V that appeared between his brows was equal parts typical and surprisingly endearing now. When did that happen?
“I have a call I can’t miss in twenty minutes. If you can wait, I can take you then.”
“Raphael, I’m perfectly capable of walking around your yard myself.”
“The ground is uneven. You haven’t walked that far without crutches?—”
“Look,” I pointed to the gardener’s truck. “Victor is here somewhere. If I fall, I will scream, and he will come get me.”
The panicked look that flitted across his face was amusing.
“If you fall, you will call me right away.”
“Yes, I will. But it's a nice day. I don’t want to spend it wasting away on the couch.”
He rubbed his hand over his beard like he was thinking it over. He thought he could tell me no, that’s cute.
