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He could’ve stayed there all night, holding her, but a familiar sound ribboned through the air from an upstairs window, flattening Lilah’s features. They both recognized Sofie’s fussing. When her sniffles turned to cries, Lilah sat up straight.
“I should go check on her,” she said, dropping her hands from Trace’s neck.
“Of course.” He pulled her close one more time and held her there for a second before setting her back on the ground.
Lilah’s hand found his wrist. Then his fingers. She gave him a gentle squeeze. “Good night, Trace.” Lilah backed up, their hands slowly unfurling.
When they were no longer touching, Trace gave her a tender smile. “Good night, Lilah.”
He watched her slip away, into the house, unable to wipe the grin from his face.
There was no going back. Not for his heart. Not after tonight.
Chapter Eleven
Lilahhesitatedasecondbefore opening the door, but she couldn’t put this off any longer. And she didn’t want to. After kissing Trace last night, there had been no more doubt in her heart that she wanted more. She wanted to explore a deeper connection with him. She’d be a fool to continue keeping him at a distance. Eventually, he’d fall away . . . or fall in love with someone else. Either would break her heart.
But she couldn’t tell Trace her true feelings without Gayle and Randall’s blessing.
They weren’t just her children’s grandparents. Lilah was closer to them than her own parents. Losing their love would shred her into pieces. She wouldn’t chance it.
“Hey there, sweetie,” Gayle greeted, as Lilah entered the kitchen. She’d just pulled a silicone popsicle mold from the freezer.
“Hey, Momma.” Lilah inhaled the familiar floral scent of her in-law’s home, thanks to Gayle’s love of potpourri.
“You came at the perfect time. Would you like a strawberry popsicle or some lemonade?” Gayle closed the freezer and set the mold on the counter. Little flat sticks poked out of the top of each section.
“Lemonade sounds great. Thank you.” Lilah wasn’t sure her stomach would accept anything right now. She’d been a bundle of nerves all day, thinking about this conversation. “Are the kids outside?”
“Yes, Randall’s in the backyard with them. We set up a sprinkler, and the kids are having the time of their lives with it.”
“Oh, good.” Lilah opened a cupboard and took out a glass. “Would you like some too?”
“That’d be great. Better pour one for Randall too.” Gayle handed Lilah a pitcher filled with ice, lemon slices, and her homemade lemonade.
Lilah filled each glass while mentally preparing herself for the words she’d ground over. She’d been going over them in her head all morning. Lilah set the pitcher back on the counter and looked up, taking a deep breath. Gayle was wiggling a homemade popsicle loose from the mold, but she stopped when she caught Lilah’s gaze.
“Honey, is everything all right?” Gayle wiped her hands on the front of her flowered apron and moved toward Lilah.
Lilah paused, considering what she was about to say to the woman who had accepted Lilah from the first day Henry had introduced them. Gayle had been a beacon of light in her life, a role model.
Would today change that?
“I think I’m ready . . . to start dating again,” Lilah whispered past the stone in her throat. Now that she’d gotten the words out, the stone dropped to her belly.
Gayle set her hand on the edge of the counter like she was steadying herself. Lilah immediately wanted to take the words back, save them for another time. But before she could gather her next thought or say anything, Gayle reached back and untied her apron strings. She pulled off her apron and hung it next to the stove. “Come,” she said. “Sit with me, sweetie.”
Lilah followed Gayle to the kitchen table and took a seat next to her. She placed her hands on the table, trying to squelch the uncertainty expanding in her chest.
Gayle placed both of her hands over Lilah’s, draping them like a blanket. She looked Lilah straight in the eye. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I want to know that this decision is okay with you and Randall.” Lilah needed Gayle to tell her it was okay to move on. She wanted reassurance that she wasn’t doing something wrong. That she wasn’t disrespecting the vow she’d made to Henry and to her family.
“Lilah, you don’t need our approval. This is a decision you have to make for yourself.” Gayle tightened her hold on Lilah’s hands, forcing Lilah to acknowledge what she’d known deep down. The decision was hers. But she was scared to make it.
The creases that fanned out from Gayle’s eyes softened. “But if you want my advice, I’d be happy to give it to you.”
Lilah absorbed the warmth of Gayle’s grip. She had given Lilah so much advice over the years—easing her through bumps in her marriage and with raising her kids. It was one of the reasons Lilah held her mother-in-law in such high regards. She was honest, but kind. Sometimes her advice stung, but it always pushed her in the right direction. Nerves bundled in her belly as she hoped for the same now. “Yes, I’d like that.”
