AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I selected a few types of cheese from the refrigerator and began to pull the slices apart.
“My mother always made me this when I was sick. You’d think the woman believed dairy would cure anything.” I swallowed. “It’s a bit funny because my older sister is lactose intolerant.”
Brady smiled but didn’t raise his eyes from his task. “That is pretty funny. Is that Ashlyn’s mother, then? Nora?”
“Yes. I’m the late-in-life child. But lucky for me, I got a bonus sister in Ashlyn too.”
Brady’s chocolate-brown eyes found mine. “I have two sisters too. Both are younger.”
“Ah, the big brother. That vibe suits you.”
“I’ll tell them you think that. They don’t miss a single opportunity to give me shit on being a bit overprotective.” Brady shrugged. “They are pretty great though. I have a niece too.” Brady’s knife paused midair. “Her birthday is this weekend.”
I reached across to grab the buttered slices for the next sandwich. “Oh, big deal for sure. Did you get her anything?’
“Not yet.” He sent me a playful smile. “It’s going to have to be good. I haven’t been home to visit her much lately.”
“They aren’t local?” The sizzling butter made my smile, the smell reminding me of home. The memory of my mom and Nora all crowded around my parents’ kitchen while Ashlyn and I split a sandwich.
“Just down in Oakland. It’s not a bad drive. I’ve just been tied up.”
“With work?”
“Work and life and this rather spectacular blonde who keeps me on my toes.”
I nonchalantly flipped the sandwich, eyes focused on the task, but inside a swarm of butterflies took flight in my belly. “Oh yeah? What if she’s kind of a mess right now?”
Brady’s hand cupped my jaw, turning my face to his. I tried to duck away, but he was insistent, that gentle pressure holding me there as he met my gaze boldly. “Didn’t you just hear me? I like it messy.”
Sweet, surprising laughter suddenly gripped me. Hard enough that I needed to lean into Brady, my arms dropping to wrap around my waist as I laughed and laughed. Perhaps it was because it’d been so wrapped up in the confusion, in the news, or perhaps my emotions were so damaged that it was all I had left. Hysteria, bright and tempting, called to me from outside of my consciousness.
And then his hands, so incredibly strong and sure, slipped into my hair, where he held me against him. Brady held me there, pressing my face into the hollow of his shoulder until finally the laughter too receded. Leaving a strange sort of hollowed peace that settled deep within me.
“Thanks,” I murmured against his shoulder. “I guess I needed that.”
“I meant it,” Brady said as I pulled away to put a sandwich on each plate. Wordlessly, I pressed one into his grip. His hand snapped out and gripped my wrist, tugging me closer so he could press a soft, hot kiss to my forehead. The gesture was intimate and sent heat shooting through my veins.
Just as soon as he’d done that, he pulled away. “Why don’t we curl up on the couch while we eat? I sat in a chair all morning.”
“Fine with me,” I replied, clambering over the thick cushions so that I could settle next to Brady.
I self-consciously fluffed the pillows behind me. “Family rules; guests get to pick the movie.”
“Really?” Brady grabbed the remote from me, our hands brushing. “This is officially my favorite place to be a guest, then.”
“Oh yeah? It was that easy?”
“The grilled cheese didn’t hurt either.” Brady took a quick bite then sighed, his eyes rolling back in his head. “That is divine.”
“Dairy cures everything.”
Brady chuckled, shifting so that his arm was around my body. The steady warmth there was enough to make my scrambled nerves take notice and relax. After he’d scrolled around for a moment, he chose a classic from the eighties.
“Good choice,” I said softly, crunching on the crust of my sandwich.
“I think so too,” he said, looking at me meaningfully.
I blushed. “Stop. I can’t eat with you looking at me like that.”
