Page 43

“I’ll go with you!” Lucy said to Charles. He smiled at her, softening. Grayson gave her a vexed glance.

“We don’t need anything,” Grayson said, voice hard. The wind howled. “I already bought what we need for dinner.”

“Great!” she said, amping up her chipper tone to piss him off. “What are we having?”

Lucy often had dinner with Charles at his place, but after he’d been injured, they hadn’t gathered for a meal together. Since he was doing a bit better today, it was the perfect opportunity to slide back into their weekly tradition.

“Oh, yes, Lucy-Lu, please join us!” Charles said. “We’ll meet you at the house. Let’s get out of this cold!”

“Perfect!” She grinned at Grayson. He scowled.

She went to her car and drove to Charles’s place, which was a lovely three-bedroom home just big enough to be spacious yet cozy. There were large windows, which went well with the coastal decor, everything in clean, cool shades of white, gray, and blue.

She arrived at the same time as Grayson and Charles, entering through the front door right after them. Charles went ahead, walking carefully with his cane, while Lucy hung up her coat in the foyer and took off her shoes. Grayson came over, expression annoyed.

“One shouldn’t impose,” he said, eyes sharp.

“I wholeheartedly agree,” she replied. He made an outraged face.

“This is my house,” he hissed.

“Children,” Charles called from the entryway of the kitchen, giving them a pointed look. Lucy brushed past Grayson, skipping over in her stocking-clad feet to the kitchen.

“So what are we having?” she asked, leaning her elbows on the island.

With a storm cloud over his head, Grayson entered. “Stuffed shells,” he said, voice flat.

Lucy squealed. “Ooh, yum.”

“What can I do?” Charles asked cheerily.

“Don’t worry,” Grayson said. “I’ve got it.”

“Oh.” Charles’s expression was downcast. He and Sophie used to do housework together, working as a team, and he had loved it. Grayson was robbing him of that.

“Let’s go sit,” Lucy said, trying to distract Charles. “Do you want a blanket? It’s chilly!”

Holding Charles’s free hand, she walked with him to the living room, helping him sit on the couch before spreading a knit blanket over his lap.

“Should we play cards?” Lucy asked. Charles smiled fondly, nodding. She brought a little table over and set it in front of him, then sat down on the floor on the other side. Charles snapped his fingers and a deck of cards appeared, shuffling itself.

They played while Grayson cooked in the kitchen, the pair of them chatting and laughing while Grayson remained utterly silent. At least dinner smelled divine—and it tasted just as good.

They sat down together at the table, eating ricotta-and-beef-stuffed shells paired with garlic bread and a kale salad. After dinner—since she was feeling magnanimous—she used magic to clean all the dishes.

Not that her good deed did anything to improve Grayson’s mood. He had sulked throughout dinner and even afterward, hardly saying a word. Charles noticed, of course, and it upset him, which only made Lucy all the more talkative and cheery, hoping to keep Charles distracted until, finally, he yawned.

“Well, I think I’m going to call it a night,” Charles said. “Good night, darling.”

“Good night,” she said, kissing his cheek. “See you tomorrow.”

Charles went to his bedroom on the ground floor, leaving Lucy and Grayson in the kitchen. He was standing in front of the sink, staring out the window at the backyard, his shoulders stiff.

Lucy shook her head, leaving to get her coat and shoes.

A moment later, she heard Grayson stalking after her. He was silent as she walked to the front door, but he trailed her as if he wanted to say something. His jaw was set, his mouth a hard slash. She waited, but he said nothing.

“Well,” she said, putting on her coat and shoes. “Thanks for dinner.”