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“All right,” he says, accepting the change in plans and stepping away to open the dishwasher, “let’s get this done then so I can take you home.”
I set the rinsed plate back in the sink and throw myself into his arms, “Thank you,” I mumble against his neck, squeezing him around his narrow waist even though I’m sure I’m leaving wet hand prints on his shirt.
“For what, babe?” he asks, tilting his head to the side quizzically when I step back to the sink and resume my task.
“Just for being you,” I answer. I was supposed to spend the night with him tonight, and I know what that meant. How many guys would just accept that with good humor? Not very many I don’t think. It’s just one more way that Blake shows me the kind of man he is.
The kind that I want by my side forever.
I know that Blake is as tired as I am, but he’s still refusing to let me go home alone. Xavier gave me another day off since I stayed so late helping. I tried to tell him that it was mostly time spent hanging out watching TV, but he insisted, and I decided to give in gracefully. I mean, who doesn’t like to get paid to spend time with their friends and get an extra day off?
Blake said that he’s taking tomorrow off too, so we can spend the day together, which sounds just about perfect to me. I’ve already decided to ask him to stay the night, so while he calls for a car, I send a text to Mama letting her know. I’m not sure how she is going to feel about it. She and dad didn’t raise us to have sleepovers with random men. Nothing about Blake is random though, and for once in my life it doesn’t matter to me if she objects. There is no way that I’m going to send him back to his small suite alone. After everything that has happened today, I am going to spend the night in his arms, even though I know that with my family in the house we can’t have a repeat of earlier. I’m also going to make him the best breakfast when we wake up in the morning.
My phone chirps with Mama’s reply just as Blake puts his back in his pocket. I’m a little surprised that she’s still awake. I half hoped that she would see it in the morning when it was too late for her to object. The whole, it’s better to ask for forgiveness thing…
That’s fine, mija. See you soon.
“Everything okay?” Blake asks, sitting on the bench just outside the casino doors and wrapping his arm around me.
“Mm hmm,” I mumble, snuggling closer to him. I’m totally shocked that Mama didn’t object even a little, but I’m glad. I’m not going to tell Blake, just surprise him when we get there.
Rides come quickly here. There is always a car close by, so it’s only a couple minutes before we are ensconced in the dark back seat of an Uber. The drive doesn’t take long and before I know it, he’s rousing me out of the doze I fell into tucked snugly against him. The car stops in my driveway and he gets out helping me to my feet and thanking the driver for the ride. Clasping our hands together we walk past the black SUV parked in the driveway behind our old car and up the steps into the house.
The light in the living room is muted, coming from just the reading lamp standing in the corner. Mama is sitting on the sofa with a man I haven’t seen before. He’s about her age, I t
hink, with dark blonde hair that is sprinkled with silver at the temples and smile lines around his eyes. He’s almost as built as Blake, but not quite. This must be the man Blake asked to make sure my family stayed safe tonight. There are cups of coffee on the table in front of them and they seem to be chatting happily.
When we walk in the man rises to his feet and Mama does too.
“Blake,” he greets him before looking at me with a friendly grin. “You must be Elinor.”
“Ellie.” I correct. Mama calls me Elinor because it was her grandmother’s name. I don’t like it from anyone but her, and now Blake. I shiver thinking about the rough way he whispers it in my ear.
“John, everything quiet here?” Blake asks stepping forward and shaking hands with him. The man, John, nods his head.
“Yeah, Lizzie finally got tired of waiting for you two and went to bed, so Bea and I were having some coffee and a chat,” he looks at Mama with a smile and the one she gives him back is bright enough to light up the whole room. A bloom of color spreads across her cheeks when she notices me staring at her in amazement.
“John,” she says, “Thank you so much for helping me with Auggie today.” I feel bad, knowing how hard it is to take care of a toddler when Lizzie isn’t in the mood to help.
Blake’s phone rings before anyone can say anything and he steps away, putting it to his ear with a gruff hello.
“Anytime, Bea,” John says fondly, stepping close and taking her hand between both of his.
Pump the breaks! What is going on here? My eyes bounce between my mom and this man and over to Blake. All questions about Mama and John flee my mind when I take in the rigid set of his shoulders and angry line of his mouth.
“Yeah, I’ll take care of it. Be there soon.” He hangs up and lifts his apology filled eyes to mine.
“I’m sorry, angel. I have to go now.” To John he says, “Can you stay a while longer? Make sure they stay safe?”
John nods, his eyes immediately going back to Mama. I shake my head, more than a little off kilter from the sudden change in plans, and cross to Blake.
“I was going to ask you to stay the night,” I whisper, quiet enough that only he can hear me even though Mama already knows. I don’t mean to pout, but I can’t deny that my voice is petulant when I ask, “You really have to go?”
His eyes flash with a hunger that he forcibly restrains, his hand closing around mine and tugging me until we are alone in the kitchen. Again. Seems to be our thing today.
“The only thing I want to do right now is carry you down the hall and climb into bed and hold you against me for the rest of the night.” He groans into my hair, holding me close. “But I have to go, Ells. Dominic is in the casino. There’s no telling what he's got up his sleeve and since I know the new security system the best...”
Knowing that, there’s no way that I can ask him to stay. His skills are needed, and he’s not the type of man to leave his friends to deal with this situation without him; and I’m not the kind of woman who would ever expect him to.
