The sound of the front door unlocking pulls me from my thoughts, making me slam my notebook shut as fast as I can and going to the stove to check the soup.
“Fuck. What a day.” Henley’s voice carries to the kitchen, and I fight the goosebumps that travel down my arms from the sound of it while also wondering what happened to make him say that. Henley appears in the kitchen a few seconds later, leaning down to greet Remy. “Hey, baby bear. How’s it going?”
My heart melts every time he uses the nickname I gave his daughter. Part of me wonders if he even realizes he’s saying it.
“She’s been so much happier today. I think the antibiotics have done their job and our happy little girl is back,” I tell him.
“Glad to hear it.” He comes up behind me, pressing his chest into my back as he opens the cabinet above me and takes out a cup. My breath stalls as he does, but he’s gone as quickly as he came. “What did you make for dinner tonight?”
“Um…my mom’s chicken and wild rice soup.”
“It smells incredible. I’ve only had a sandwich today, so I’m starving.”
“Busy day?”
He pushes a hand through his hair and that’s when I take a moment to finally assess his appearance. His shirt has streaks of dirt on it, his boots are covered in mud, and the lines around his eyes look deeper, like he’s severely lacking energy. The sudden urge to sit down and have him lay his head in my lap as he tells me all about it comes over me.
“Well, one of the pipes burst that leads to our main restrooms, so Warren and I had to find the leak, go to the hardware store, and replace it. This meant that customers had to use the employee restrooms all day. Then a kid broke his arm on the obstacle course, which made his parents threaten to sueme…”
“Can they do that?”
“No, because all parents and adults sign a release form before they get on the course or slopes.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “And then there was just a bunch of little shit that piled on top of that. Let’s just say I’m happy to be home with my girls.”
My girls.
God, hearing him say that shouldn’t make my heart flutter like it does.
“Well, would you like a beer with dinner to help wind down?”
He shakes his head, holding up his water glass. “I decided to stop drinking for a while.”
“Oh.” I wonder what led to that decision, but this is Henley we’re talking about, so it doesn’t surprise me that he offers no further explanation. And I’ve certainly learned not to ask. “Well, wash up and let’s eat. I’m hungry, too.”
After I dish out two large bowls and fill the bread basket with fresh biscuits, we sit at the table to eat. Henley’s quiet for a beat before he speaks again. “So… I wanted to ask you something,” he starts.
“Okay…”
“The boys and I are going to Charlotte next weekend to watch Fletcher play. Laney and Dilynne will be there too,” he explains, squirming in his chair a bit before clearing his throat. “And, uh…I was wondering if…”
I can’t tell if he’s nervous or anxious about what he needs to ask me. “You okay over there?” I tease him, to which his response is a glare followed by a quirk of his lips.
“Yeah, I just… Well, Dilynne said I should get a break from Remy and…” He moves his spoon around his bowl, but doesn’t take a bite.
“You need me to watch her?” I finish for him. “I’d be more than happy to. That is what you pay me for, remember?”
“Fuck,” he grumbles, dropping his spoon from his hand and adjusting himself in his chair. “No, I don’t want you to watch her, El.” His eyes finally meet mine. “I was wondering if you’d like to come with us.”
“So I can watch Remy? Sure.”
He licks his lips, diverting his gaze for a moment before returning his eyes to me. “Carol and Nick are going to watch her.”
It takes me a moment to figure out what he’s implying. “You—you want me to go with you to the gamewithoutRemy?”
“If you want to,” he says, but there’s something about the look in his eyes that has me spiraling.
“Doyouwant me to?”
His eyes become darker somehow, laser-focused on me when he finally says, “Yeah. I do.”
