I threw my arms around his shoulders and put my head back on his. “I shouldn’t be so upset about leavingyou.”
“It’s okay to be upset. I am,” hesaid.
I kissed his cheek. “I know.” I stood and put my empty wine glass in the sink. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” He didn’t reply. He just watched me walk out of the kitchen. I could feel his eyes on myback.
* * *
The glass of wine,something I rarely drank, relaxed me, and I slept soundly. Waking refreshed and rested was a novel experience, and I likedit.
I rolled over in bed and stretched languorously. The comforter had kept me toasty warm. With a smile on my face, I strolled into the kitchen. I’d made three wonderful friends, I’d decided to settle near my brothers, and I was safe. Life was wonderfulagain.
Griffin stood at the stove, cooking. “Hungry?” heasked.
“Starving,” I replied. I sat at the table between Chandler and Ellion. They had full plates offood.
A plate was immediately set in front of me. “I thought you might be,” Griffinsaid.
I dug in with gusto, the guys had started already. Once my hunger was tamed, I looked at Griffin. “I do have onequestion.”
“Shoot,” hesaid.
“I thought at first the reason you didn’t want me in that particular guest room was because maybe it was Andee’s or something. But I found a nursery—I didn’t go in, don’t worry—but that made me wonder what was so upsetting about having methere?”
He shifted in his seat. Ellion and Chandler swung their gazes between each other, and me andGriffin.
He cleared his throat before replying. “That was Andee’sroom.”
“Oh, I assumed the nursery was the baby’s room.” I regretted starting the conversation. It was going into uncomfortableterritory.
“We were preparing to move Andee to her own room. Amanda waspregnant.”
If a gnat farted we would’ve heard it. Everyone went silent. It obviously meant a lot to all three of them that he was able to reveal that precious information tome.
“I’mso—”
“Don’t. It’s over. I’ll always love them. Always. But they’re gone, and I don’t need your pity.” He turned his attention back to hisplate.
I mouthed over his head at Chandler and Ellion, “Oh my God. I didn’t know.” My eyes were about to bug out of my head. I’d thought maybe it had been Amanda’s, not for his sweetgirl.
The rest of breakfast was solemn. I ate as quickly as I could and beat it after a half-hearted offer to help with the dishes. Chandler caught up to me in thelibrary.
He peeked in the door. “Hey, you need to get online and book a flight. We’ll be able to get you outtoday.”
I looked up from petting Shakespeare, surprised. “Already?”
“They don’t mess around. They get people out and about as soon as possible.” He left, but then poked his head in again. “The sheriff’s office will be here soon to get Hunter. We can take you to the airport whenever you’reready.”
As he pulled back out of the room, his lips moved. I was almost positive he said, “Or not atall.”
Shakespeare looked up at me with a growl, and I realized I was petting him with a little too much vigor. I stopped, and he ran off, twitching his tail atme.
I stared at the door, reluctant to get up from the comfortable chair and go to the computer lab. Shakespeare watched me from a bottomshelf.
“Now that it’s right down to it,” I said, “I don’t want togo.”
Whatever I wanted, I had absolutely no reason to stay. I got up with a sigh and went to book myflight.
* * *
