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One of the dining room doors slams open. “Daddy!” Grace shrieks.
The swinging door is on its way back when Z slams his palm against it, stopping it from hitting Grace on the nose.
Rock slaps my shoulder. “You need anything—time off or whatever, reach out to me.”
I thought we already covered that, Prez?
“I’m good,” I assure him.
It’s not until I’m back on the road heading to work that the reasonwhyRock kept asking me how I was doing worms its way into my brain. And why parts of our conversation felt so stilted. His hesitation.
This is the first year since Debbie died that Ihaven’tgone on my solo road trip. Usually my grief and guilt overwhelm me until I have no choice but to escape to the peace of the open road. I was planning this year’s trip the day I ran into Emily in the cemetery.
Then I somehow just forgot all about it? How?
No, I didn’t forget. The urge to run seemed todisappear.
Because I’ve been focused on getting to know Emily better.
And I don’t know how to feel about that.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Emily
After Dex leaves,I pick up my phone and call Serena.
“Ah, I was wondering if I’d hear from you this morning,” she answers. “I thought you might call as soon as Dex left for church.”
“How’d you know he—oh right. Is Gray at the same meeting now?”
“Yup. Tell me about your date. Did he stay over?”
“He may have.”
She laughs softly.
I can’t hold this in any longer. “Serena, you don’t understand. I’ve never been with someone who’s so…attentiveto my needs.”
“You mean focused on giving you lots of orgasms?”
“Okay, I was trying to be polite. But yeah.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all. He’s so patient, too.” I grin at the wall like an idiot.
“Mmm, nice combo.”
“Enough about me,” I say. “How areyoufeeling?”
“Honestly? Kind of shitty. I want this little goblin out of me. But I’m scared of labor. And terrified about actually taking care of him when we bring him home.”
My heart twists. Serena has major life changes ahead of her and here I am giving her my orgasm stats.
“Aw, honey, you’re going to be such a good mom,” I assure her. “I know you are. Gray seems like he’s looking forward to being a dad.”
“He really is. You want to talk about patient? He’s been…God, Emily. The more mommy blogs I’ve been checking out, the more I realize not all fathers-to-be are this supportive.”
