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“My priorities are not torn,” I growled. “I’d never do anything to knowingly endanger Tess, you know that, but my job has risks.”
“It isn’t just about your job though,” she said. “It’s about Grace, and you’re not rational where she’s concerned.”
I ran my hand over my hair and blew out a frustrated breath, knowing I needed to take a few seconds or I’d say something I regretted. “If there’s any sign of physical danger, I’ll bring her to you.”
She nodded curtly. “Thanks.”
“See you next week, if not sooner.”
She said goodbye, but I was already getting the hell out of there. I knew Maddy had a point and was only concerned for Tess’s welfare, but I didn’t like the implication that I didn’t care as much as she did.
Tess sat in the passenger’s seat, her feet propped on the dash and a book balanced on her knees. I forced myself to calm my breathing and smile at her as I dropped into the driver’s seat.
“I hope you don’t mind, Grace is staying with us this week.” I watched closely for her reaction. Unlike Maddy, I didn’t think she’d be bothered, but if she got wind of the fact my relationship with Grace was changing, she might have something to say about it. She loved Grace, but it was impossible to know how she’d react to a change in the status quo.
“Okay.” She sounded unconcerned. “All week?”
“We’re not sure yet. We’re sorting out some stuff for her, so it will depend on when her problems are fixed.”
She looked up from her book and frowned at me. “What kind of problems?”
“The type you don’t need to worry about.”
She huffed but turned her attention back to her book.
When we arrived home, Duke bounded out to greet us. Tess cuddled him with a level of enthusiasm she hadn’t shown me, but I could hardly complain. The dog was much cuter than I was. We found Grace in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled amazing.
“What are you making?” I asked.
“Fish kofta with rice and flatbread. One of Desdemona’s recipes.” She glanced over and, catching sight of Tess, smiled. “Hey, you.”
“Hi, Grace.” Tess went to the stovetop and peered into the pot Grace was cooking the kofta in. “Is that for dinner?”
“It is. If you’re willing to give it a try.”
Tess nodded. “Yes, please.”
“It’ll be ready in ten minutes,” Grace added, directing the comment to me. “I’ll dish up if you want to get changed. Since it can be a messy meal, I thought we’d eat at the table instead of on the sofa.”
“Sounds great.” I was just grateful not to have to come up with anything for dinner myself. My creativity was limited and my recipe repertoire small. “Thanks so much for cooking. It smells delicious.”
She smiled, and her eyes softened in a way they never used to. It felt intimate, as if she was sending a special message just for me. “Let’s hope you enjoy it.”
I went to my bedroom and changed from work clothes into a pair of worn jeans and a T-shirt. When I returned to the living area, Tess was already seated at the dinner table, still reading, and Grace was serving portions of kofta and rice onto plates.
“What can I do to help?” I asked.
She gestured along the kitchen counter. “Can you dish up the flatbreads and move them to the table, please?”
“Absolutely.” I did as she asked, pausing to appreciate the scent of freshly baked bread. Was there anything better? Once I’d done that, I poured a glass of water for Tess, a wine for Grace, and cracked the top off a beer for myself. Grace carried the plates to the table, and we all sat. I looked meaningfully at Tess and cleared my throat. Without taking her eyes from the page until the last possible second, she inserted a bookmark and closed it.
“Tell me about your weekend,” I said to Tess. “Steve mentioned that you went shopping with your mum.”
“We did.” Tess’s face scrunched with concentration, and she began cutting into a kofta. “We went to Queenstown and got new leggings and shirts and a new pair of shoes for school, then we went to a bookstore, and Mum let me choose three books.” Her tone was reverent. I grinned. It was cute how much she loved bookstores. She could never come out without at least one purchase.
“What else did you do?” Grace asked.
“We went up the gondola and came down the luge.” Tess stuffed her mouth full and swallowed before continuing. “I didn’t want to do the luge at first. I thought it looked dangerous, and I was scared I might get hurt, but Mum showed me how to control the speed, and it ended up being fine.”
