This is not good for my ovaries.Abort. Abort!
“Hi, sweet girl,” I coo. I side shuffle, leaning back on my heels and hike a thumb over my shoulder. “Right, well, I’m just gonna go.”
Grayson steps forward. “I thought you needed food?”
I throw my hands up. “Turns out, there’s a Pringle can in the back of my pantry I just remembered, so I should be set for the week.” The joke doesn’t land.
Grayson's face hardens, clearly not happy with my response. Before he can speak on the matter, Nova’s face lights up. “Oh, we have food! Uncle Gway was cooking us dinner, and he made this many.” She stretches her arms out obnoxiously wide. “You can eat dinner with us, can’t she?” She flies out the door like a squirrel, latching to my chest. I hug her tight before she goes tumbling to the ground. “PLEASE!” she yells in my ear, and there goes my hearing.
My face twists in a half smile, halfI have no idea what to say back to that or how to get myself out of this situation. “Maybe another time, sweetie. I’m sure your uncle was looking forward to spending the evening with you.”
Her face scrunches. “More is better. Why would we want two friends to play with when we can have three? It’s basic math, silly.” She smirks at her own words, and it’s pretty damn cute. Those puppy dog eyes find Grayson, and then she’s screaming and tugging on his shirt. “Please, Uncle Gway. You don’t mind, right?”
Her lip quivers, and he’s done for. “There’s plenty of food, but it’s up to Maisie.”
“Oh, I couldn’t impose. I can walk to the store, honestly. I could use some steps after sitting on my ass all day.”
“Swear jar!” Nova yells, throwing her hands over her mouth with a cheeky smile.
Right. Little ears. I’m still getting used to that. Just another thing to add to my list of fuckups this week. At this rate, something’s bound to go right. Right? Balance in the world and all that jazz.
“Get in the damn house, Maisie,” Grayson grumbles, motioning me in with his arm.
“Swear jar!” Nova yells, her eyes wide. This time, it gets a laugh out of me.
“Shoot, sorry, kid. At this rate, you’re going to take all my retirement money.” Nova points to his pocket, where I assume his wallet is, and smacks her hand.
He pulls out a few bills and hands them to a smiling Nova. He pins me with a glare, leaving no room for argument. “Over my dead body will you be walking in the cold dark to the store.” He sighs, trying to tame his temper. “Please, Maisie, will you join us for dinner?” His fist flexes at his side.
He doesn’t particularly seem happy about it, but I also feel like he would throw me over his shoulder if I attempted to flee. And men say women are the complicated breed.
“I guess I could stay for a quick bite.” I squeeze by him in the narrow doorway. Something smells amazing in the kitchen. I take a deep inhale and sigh at the comfort.
Nova flies by me, her little feet running a million miles an hour. “Last one in the kitchen’s a rotten egg!” she screams, giggling to herself.
Grayson saddles up to my side, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s sort of her thing at the moment. Last week, it wasall aboard the smelly trainevery time I was around her in my workclothes.” He sighs, but there’s a prideful smile on his face. “You get used to it. C'mon, I’ll show you around.”
Grayson takes the lead, veering left into the kitchen. It’s an open concept cabin on the bottom floor, a loft hanging over the kitchen and stopping when it gets to the sunken living room. It’s oddly modern for a cabin.
“Did you pay someone to do this?” I say before thinking better of it.
“To build my house?” He tilts his head.
I twirl my finger in the air, looking around at his gorgeous house. “All of it. It’s stunning in here.” Is that a blush that tinges his cheeks?
“I built and decorated it myself. Well, Laine helped. She has a great eye for stuff like this. We’ve always dreamed of a place like this when we were little. It felt right having her be part of the process.” He clears his throat, giving his back to me as he messes with something on the stovetop.
I twiddle my thumbs, unsure what to do with myself. That is, until Nova grabs my hand, pulling me down a hallway. “You have to see my room,” she squeals.
It’s impossible to keep up with her fast feet. She’s like a duck waddling down the hardwood floor, faster than any five year old should be. “You have your own room here?”
She throws open the first door we approach, bright pink stickers plastered to the outside. “Yup!” she says proudly, leading me in. “Uncle Gway said I could decorate it however I wanted.”
She abandons me at the door to jump onto her bed. It’s quite big for a little girl, a king maybe. It’s pretty funny watching her climb up onto it. She starts jumping like it’s a trampoline. She somehow avoids the dozens of stuffed animals stacked on top. All unicorns, Mr. Sparkles Sugarplum Pinky Glitter Bum being front and center.
“Come on, Waisie,” she shrieks mid-jump.
I approach the large bed, acting like a wall just in case she falls. “Oh no, I think I would break your bed, sweetie.”
