I almost choked on a laugh. “Am I speaking with the same Javier Valdez that hired me?”
“Do not push it.”
I snorted a laugh as he battled a smile.
“I just ... realize how much freer she is when she is with you,” he said. “You were right. Sheisadventurous, and one day she will have to explore this world without me. Better that I let her do some exploring now before she starts sneaking out of her bedroom window.”
“You know, I don’t put that one past her. She’ll be sneaking out of her window by the age of seven to catch fireflies or something.”
“Oh, man. Do not say that. It makes me sad to know she will not always be this innocent.” He put on a smile, revealing a beautiful set of pearly-white teeth, but there was also a whisper of sorrow. “So ... you really love cooking?”
“I do.” I shrugged one shoulder. “I was going to make ravioli tonight.”
“I bet that would have been delicious.”
“Yeah, but I’ll just make it another time.”
“Who taught you how to cook?”
“My mom did.” I twirled a loc around my finger. “She’s always been good at it. She gives something a try for the first time and perfects it. She taught me how to bake my first cake and has saved a lot of her recipes for me.”
“Your first cake? What flavor was it?”
“It was a pound cake.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “And when will you make one for me?”
“Whenever you want it,” I said, biting a smile.
He smirked. “Surprise me.”
I grinned, and I really wished I would stop acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. “Okay, GG. I’ve got you.”
“So it is you telling Aleesa to call me that,” he said with a snap of his fingers.
I giggled. “Guilty.”
“What does it even mean?” he asked with a partial smile.
“Grumpy Giant.”
“Grumpy Giant?Seriously?” His eyebrows dipped as he shook his head. “You are telling my daughter that I am a grumpy giant?”
“Of course not.” I laughed. “She doesn’t know thetruemeaning of it. She just likes saying the letterGtwice. And for some reason when I say it, it makes her giggle. You have to admit you can be grumpy, though.”
“I am not.”
“You are. But it’s okay. You’reourgrumpy giant.”
A boyish smile swept across his face as he lowered his gaze. That had seemed to warm him up inside. My goodness. How had I not realized before how adorable he could be?
I ran my fingers through the water, loving the feel of it flowing between the gaps. The act relaxed me as I drew in a breath and then exhaled.
“So ... listen. About earlier ...” I blew a heavy breath, ready to just bite the bullet already. Because I knew that was the main reason he had come out here. He wanted to talk about Luther. “This isn’t something I like to talk about, because I want to put it behind me, but I’ll tell you because I don’t want you thinking you’re the problem.”
“Okay,” he said as more of a question than a statement. He straightened his back, with his eyes trained on me. I couldn’t keep looking at him, so I inspected my cuticles.
“I was in a relationship with Luther for three years, and it wasn’t a healthy one. I lived with him for one year, and that one year was all it took to realize he wasn’t the person for me.”
