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Me: Contributing to pets in need is never a waste of money. As for my leaving the house, it’s better if I stay here too, in case I draw unwanted attention. I’d feel terrible, and this is no trouble at all. Gigi has most people who come to the house sign an NDA. It’s protocol for all outsiders.
Riley: Okay. I guess I can help you then.
A huge smile spreads across my face.
Me: It’ll be fun. I’ll text you the details as soon as I have them. But you can always back out. No pressure. It’s your call. Okay?
Riley: Thank you. I’m sure it’ll be fine.
Excitement like I haven’t felt in a while rushes through me. I’m going to adopt a pet. I have something to look forward to. This is a good thing.
For the first time in weeks, I drift to sleep with kittens and a sexy surfer on my mind instead of turmoil and heartache.
* * *
I sit at the breakfast table in the kitchen, eating steel-cut oatmeal with pecans, cinnamon, strawberries, and bananas. I already ate the two slices of turkey bacon Inez made for me. The combination of healthy carbs, fiber, and protein is the perfect meal for my condition.
Inez is not only an excellent cook, but she was a nurse when she lived in Guatemala before moving here. Her passion is in the kitchen, though. Everyone who has had the pleasure of enjoying her food is thankful for that.
She might be feisty, but she cares and knows how to ensure my glucose levels don’t crash from a sugar-infused breakfast.
“How are the oats?” Inez asks from the kitchen island where she fills a tray with tea, yogurt, and fruit.
“As delicious as I remember,” I reply with a smile.
“Good.” She beams and sets the tray on a cart. “I’m bringing this to your grandmother. Eat up.”
I nod as she opens the door and pushes the cart into the room that leads to the elevator.
Gigi prefers to eat breakfast in her suite on her balcony, while watching the ocean in the distance. She follows breakfast with yoga, enjoying the breeze and sounds of nature. The morning ritual started after Mom moved us to Connecticut, but had I still lived here, I’m sure Gigi would have taught me all about it.
I focus on the garden outside and a yellow butterfly flitting about the flowers.
“Morning.” Riley’s voice sounds from behind me.
My head snaps in his direction. “You’re here.”
“You sound surprised.” He brushes his damp bangs away from his face.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d see you until later—or at all. You know? In case you changed your mind about the kittens.”
His answer is a sexy smirk. He yawns and stretches his arms over his head, his gaze on the view outside while mine lingers on his body, where the hem of his shirt is lifted, revealing a couple of inches of tanned abs.
Wow. Mornings look good on him.
Before he catches me gawking, I use my spoon to point to a covered plate on the island.
“That’s for you. Inez wanted me to tell you in case you came to eat before she returned.”
He shakes his head. “I wish she’d let me cook my own food.”
“Never going to happen. Inez runs this kitchen, and every item and appliance in it.”
Riley carries the plate to the table and sits beside me. “When I first told her I could cook for myself, I got a lecture in Spanish—which I understood, to her surprise.”
“You speak Spanish?”
He nods and lifts the lid from his plate, revealing what looks like Inez’s famous Guatemalan omelet, minus the beans and plantains. It smells heavenly.
