***
“Not that I don’t love a sexy chick leaping into my arms and all that, but what’s going on?”
He closed the door, shutting out the dismal downpour.
Drea’s face was pale.Cujo walked them over to the sofa and sat down with her across his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs.She smiled at him, but her eyes showed an ocean of sadness.
“Nothing.I’m just glad you’re here.”Drea leaned in and kissed him.
He let her, enjoying the way her plump lips met his, the way her tongue slipped into his mouth driving him all kinds of crazy.He’d opened the shop, and it had been a long tiring day, but when it came down to a toss-up of the gym or Drea, he’d wanted to get his cardio in a far more pleasurable way.Until he’d seen the lost look in her eyes and felt the desperation in her actions.
Her hands slid into his hair, but he grabbed them, placing them between their chests.
“As distracting as your kisses are, I’m calling bullshit, Shortcake.”
Drea sighed and made a move to get off his lap, but he tightened his hands around her wrists gently.
“I’m okay.Seriously.It’s been an odd day.And I just woke up.”
Cujo pursed his lips.“Not buying it, kiddo.Talk to me.”
“Gah,” she huffed.“What do you want me to say?You want to hear why today sucked?”She finally met his gaze.“That it was strange being alone?”
“That’s exactly what I want you to say.”He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.“Why was it strange?”
Drea sat back on his thighs, increasing the distance between them physically.With a huff, she tugged her hands from his.As much as he wanted to pull her back to him, he let her go through the internal struggle of accepting help.
“I didn’t know what to do,” she muttered, without looking up.
“Do about what?”
“My days off were filled with stuff for mom, or the house.Picking up prescriptions, doctor’s appointments, cleaning, and laundry.Working all day at José’s and all night at the hotel, there was no time to pick up the slack, it was the only time I could get things done.”
“And now you don’t have that anymore, you were a bit lost?”He couldn’t imagine what that must feel like.
He’d always had Connor, Devon, and his dad to back him up.When he and Trent were starting Second Circle, Devon would bring him lunch.When he was ill, his family had a schedule for who would take him for chemo.When his mom and dad split, Trent’s parents invited him to stay weekends.He’d never had to handle anything alone.
“I just didn’t know what to do.You know Harper loves kickboxing, Trent likes fixing up cars, and you like paddleboarding.I haven’t done anything like that.I realized I don’t even know what I enjoy doing anymore.”
Well that was an easy problem to fix.“So make a list of things you might wanna try, and speed-date them.”
Drea laughed as he intended.“Speed-date them?”
“Yeah.Each day off, pick a new activity on the list and go try it for the day, see if you like it.If not, you don’t go back.If you do, keep it on the list until you have gone through everything.Most places do intro sessions that are free.”
“Free is my favorite word right now,” Drea said.Color was coming back into her cheeks and this time her smile brightened her entire face.
“I guess you haven’t had much time for friends either, right?”
“Not really.I mean I see Harper regularly.And I spent time with Aunt Celine and Milo.And there’s you.”She looked up at him through long dark lashes.
Yeah, she had him.It was a given.Even if it sucked to share what little time she had available right now, she needed girlfriends.
“So why not invite one of them along with you, kill two birds with one stone.”
Drea scrunched her nose up.He’d never noticed her do that before.It was endearing.
“I don’t know, Brody, it seems a bit—”
