“Good job. Keep practicing until it feels natural to do it that way.”
She pulls her workbook back in front of her and goes to work and for some reason, I get choked up. It was nothing, really, just a simple instruction but it just sucker punched me thathenever, not once leaned over his daughter and helped her with anything. I have to turn away from Easton’s probing look so I focus on heating and melting the butter to baste the steaks with and let the room fill with silence.
“When can I go back to school?”
Her simple question has my eyes flying her way and dread filling my core.
“Umm…”
“Next week.” Easton and I say at the same time.
I send him a pointed, panicked look and then tell Chloe, “You can be done, baby. Run your book back to our room and wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon.”
She flips the book closed with a grin and then latches on to Easton’s arm to help lower herself down from the tall chair. Kanga jumps up from where he had been laying and chases after her out of the room.
“Mr…Easton, I, um, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep Chloe here with me. I think homeschooling might be a good path for us.”
I can’t meet his eyes, afraid of the judgment I’ll see there when I hear him sigh so I slide the steaks into the sizzling butter bath in the pan.
“You’re afraid he will find her.”
It’s a statement, not a question so I don’t answer him. The steaks are searing so after a quick baste of butter, I turn to the split baguette resting in foil and brush melted garlic butter on the inside of it and then wrap it up and slide it into the oven. When I turn back to flip the steaks, I make brief eye contact with his penetrating gaze and then look down at the pan.
“It’s just safer for both of us if she stays here with me,” I whisper.
Ryker comes in from the garage right then and joins us.
“What’s up?” He asks as he slides behind me and gets a beer from the fridge. When neither of us answers him, he growls, “East?”
I’m busy spooning butter over the steaks so I don’t look up.
“We were just talking about Chloe starting school next week. Avery thinks it’s safer for her to stay here and homeschool.”
I can feel that they’re both looking at me and I keep my head down to try and avoid any more discussion but if I sear the steaks any longer they will be overcooked. I look up to shut the flame off, cover the pan with the lid, and then slide it into the second heated oven to finish cooking.
“I need to finish setting the table,” I tell them and then practically run to the dining room. The table is already set perfectly for three but I needed a minute to hopefully end the conversation.
I lean against the wall and hear East tell Ryker, “Let’s go dig Zack out of his cave. He’s been coding the MacMillan project so he probably doesn’t even know what day it is.”
Ryker grunts and I hear their footsteps leave the kitchen so I heave in a deep breath and go back to plate all the food. I take out serving dishes and a tray for the steaks and then start pulling everything out of the oven and start transferring it. I keep one steak, one potato, and a serving of vegetables back for Chloe and me and then start carrying everything into the dining room. I’ve just set the bread basket on the table when the guys come in.
“Oh my God! Is that steak? Damn, Avery! You’re seriously an angel brought to earth,” Zack gushes as he pulls out a chair and takes his seat.
Easton frowns at the table. “It’s only set for three. Did you already eat? I came home early so it wouldn’t be too late for Chloe.”
I blink in surprise hearing that but then shake my head. “Oh! Well, I…we, were going to take ours to the rooms to eat.”
Easton spins on his heel and leaves the room causing me to chase after him. When he picks up the two plates I had made up for Chloe and me and turns to take them to the dining room I blurt out, “I’m sorry! I didn’t think…I…I’m your housekeeper! Why would you want us to eat with you all?”
His steps falter briefly and then he’s shaking his head and moving again.
“Because I prefer it that way,” is all the answer I get from him as Chloe comes running in after us and climbs up into a chair beside Ryker, immediately launching into the details of what she learned this afternoon and how Easton showed her how to fix those tricky h’s.
Easton sets our plates down leaving me no choice but to take a seat beside Zack. My stomach is rolling at being here with them when I reach for Chloe’s plate to cut up her half of the steak but she hands her fork and knife to Ryker and tilts her head at her plate.
“I’m sorry, I can…”
His grunt cuts me off and then he’s cutting her meat up into tiny bite-sized pieces. Zack passes the bread basket under my nose forcing me to take it from his hands. I manage a strained smile at him and then take a piece of bread for my plate and pass the basket across to Chloe. She almost sticks her whole face into it as she takes a deep exaggerated sniff. Her shoulders come up and her cheeks turn pink from the warm steam coming off of them.
