“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She clears her throat, watching me as I move. “Seriously though, Henley. I can’t thank you enough for the past few days.”
I turn and meet her eyes. “There’s no need to thank me, El. I did what you would have done for me.”
Her smile is small, but it’s there. “Still, I’ve never had anyone take care of me like that.”
“That’s a damn shame because that’s what you deserve.”
And I’d do it a thousand times over, I think, feeling my heart slam against my chest as the reality races through me.
This woman has completely flipped my life upside down in three months, but I can’t even be mad about it anymore. Instead, all I want to do is make her tea, ask her questions, and stroke her hair when she’s sick.
Suddenly those wedding vows about taking care of each other in sickness and in health are starting to make a lot more fucking sense.
“Speaking of what you deserve,” I say, preparing what I want to say next. “Once the concert is over, I’d like to take you on a proper date.”
Her eyebrows lift. “What?”
“It dawned on me last week that we haven’t done that. Between Remy and the trip to Charlotte…things sort of escalated and we haven’t even had our first date. I want to show you how grateful I am for you.”
She purses her lips. “You show me every day, Henley.”
“Well, this is something I also want to do.”
The smile she flashes me this time makes me feel like I’m ten feet tall. “All right. I would love to go on a date with you.”
“Good. Now, you focus on getting better, and I’ll focus on giving you a night you won’t forget.”
If only I knew that a few nights from now would be a moment that would be burned into my memory for the rest of my life, and not in a good way.
Chapter 19
Henley
Meeting the Parents & Harsh Truths
“Sorry, Mom. I was sicker than a dog and have other things going on right now.” Elodie’s voice rings out from the kitchen as I enter the house. It’s Friday night and the first day I’ve been back at work all week. Elodie was finally feeling like herself, so I left feeling confident that she could survive the day with Remy so I could get caught up with my business.
Unfortunately, it sounds like she’s getting an earful from her mom right now.
“I just don’t understand why you couldn’t answer the phone,” her mother says. As I round the corner, I see Elodie staring down at her phone propped up on the kitchen counter as she sways side to side with Remy on her hip. Her eyes lift to meet mine, rolling before she mouths “hello” to me.
“I literally didn’t get out of bed for three days, Mom.”
“Who was taking care of the baby then?”
“That would be me,” I say, stepping into the camera’s view, waving at the woman on the screen who looks just like an older version of the woman standing next to me. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Olsen. I’m Henley Clark.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh, uh…hello there.”
“Elodie had the flu. I can attest to that myself.”
“See?” Elodie says. “I wasn’t ignoring you.”
“Well, still. You could have answered my texts.”
“I would have but I don’t have an answer for you about Thanksgiving. I just need to get through tomorrow, then I’ll be able to think.”
