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Slade shrugs, downplaying his involvement. “I gave her a job.”
And a nurse. And a home. And a purpose.
“So, your problems are solved?” I ask.
Today he’s got everything under control. He’s back to being perfect Slade.
“Yep. Joss’s father will fill in for Tina, and I’ve already hired the new maid.”
“That’s right. You’re looking at her.” I flash him a cheeky smile.
“Hmmm,” he rubs his chin. “The new maid is really cute. She could prove to be a distraction. How will I get anything done around here? I’ll be rubber-necking every time she walks by.”
I place my hands on my hips. “Should I call HR? I feel like my boss is a little inappropriate.” Ugh. I. Am. So. Bad. At. Flirting.
He goes along with it, though. “Is that going to be a problem? Because, heads up, I plan to be inappropriate rather frequently.”
I forget to breathe. “Wait. Sexual harassment is no joke. Um, how did we get into this conversation?” Because of me. That’s how.
He cringes. “I don’t know. Just going with the flow.”
“Can we forget I ever said that,” I plead.
“Forgotten. We were going down a weird rabbit-hole anyway. Seriously though, how am I going to get anything done with you here?” he questions with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“We’ll work together. We’ll do everything together.”
“I like that idea,” he mumbles, as his lips hover over mine. “We’ll do absolutelyeverythingtogether. If I need a root canal, you’ll grab an ice skate, perform Castaway dental care on yourself, and we’ll go to the dentist appointment side by side. If you’re throwing up, I’ll down some ipecac and pray to the porcelain god with you. We’ll be like Jack and Rose; if you jump, I jump. If we’re floating in a freezing ocean, we’ll figure out how we can both fit on top of the debris. None of thatI’ll never let goand then letting go junk. It’ll be great. Love this togetherness stuff. Pinky promise?”
I continue kissing him even though I can’t keep a straight face. “Hard pass.” His humor is warped. Yet I fall for it. Every time.
“What? You slay me. I…” Slade’s phone rings and when he sees who’s calling, a frown creases his face. Humor gone in an instant. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
“Mom? How are you feeling? Is everything okay? Do you need me to come over?”
I hide a smile. He smothers his mom with love. It’s one of the things I adore about him.
“Okay. I can be there in thirty minutes.”
He hangs up. “Mom wants to see me. She says it’s important. That it can’t wait.”
“Is she okay?” Worry travels down my spine.
“She says she’s fine, but she needs to talk to me. She said I should bring you with me for moral support. Do you want to come?”
“Me?” Why me?
Slade’s face turns red, something I’ve never seen before. “She can’t help herself. She’s a matchmaker at heart. In her mind, she has us married and producing grandchildren already. She’s really excited about it.”
Hmm. Our imaginations have a lot in common. I think I love Lauren.
Slade gives me an out. “If you’re uncomfortable, don’t worry about it.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll come with you. I’d love to.” I was just surprised his mom wanted me there.
“Thanks, Marin.” He runs his hand through his hair a few times, clearly a nervous habit. “I hope it’s not bad news.”
“Me too.” If his mom thinks he needs me there for moral support, I fear her news can only be bad. I’ll be there for him as much as possible.
