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“That’s one of my major regrets about being in the Navy. That I didn’t spend as much time with her as I could have. I always thought there would be a later, you know?”

I squeezed his hand, and he tangled his fingers with mine. “I know.”

He waited a beat, then gave me a small smile. I asked him if he was done with his food. He nodded.

I got up and picked up the plates. “Can you open the door?” I indicated the sliding glass door with my chin.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m on clean-up duty. Isn’t that how we roll?”

Graham huffed out a deep breath. “You got me there, Doll. But I’m going to help.”

“I like that idea. Then we can spend time in the close confines of your kitchen.”

“Oh, you want to get close to me, do you?”

“Maybe a little,” I murmured, biting my lip.

He opened the deck door, allowing me room to slip by. I went into the kitchen and turned on the water so I could start rinsing plates.

“Stop for a moment, will you?” Graham put his hand over mine.

I stopped and looked up at him. His eyes were warm and gentle. “You know we’re not doing anything more than relaxing in my armchair and binging whatever show you want to watch, don’t you?” he asked.

“But—”

“No buts. I want to do this right. Take things slow. We’re still in the get-to-know-you stage, and I want to snuggle.”

I giggled. “You’re so full of shit.”

He cupped my cheek with one hand and pulled me close with the other. “I’m not. This is too important. You’re too important to rush.”

A relieved breath whooshed out of my mouth, and he grinned. The bastard realized he was handling me exactly right.

“Now, leave the dishes in the sink, and follow me to the living room.”

“We at least need to soak them.”

He shook his head and grasped my hand, tangling our fingers together. I soon found myself on his lap as he sat back in his favorite piece of furniture.

Okay, his only piece of furniture.

He handed me the remote. “You decide.”

“You must really like me if you’re giving me the remote,” I teased.

“Glad you’re catching on, Doll.”

Chapter Nine

Roxie had shut down the clinic early for the party at Evie’s house, and she had hired two of the techs from a nearby tech shop in Gatlinburg to watch over my charges for the afternoon and evening shifts. There was no way I was getting out of going. Plus, I was Miss Laverne’s ride. There were going to be a couple of Magills sprinkled in with a shit-ton of Averys. Hell, it sounded like the entire town of Jasper Creek was going to be there.

“I still don’t understand why you’re insisting on wearing that shirt and shorts. The bathing suit you showed me was a knockout,” Miss Laverne said for the twenty-seventh time.

I grinned over at her. “I told you. I didn’t want to outshine you in your pretty dress.”

“You’ve been spending too much time with your young man if you can come up with such pretty lies. Now, Trenda told me to park close to the house; she’d make sure there was space for your car.”