The eggs on toast I made for dinner were as unexciting as they sounded. They were also a quick meal that required little cleanup, so it was a fair trade.
My eyes kept flitting to the photograph Grayson had given me. I hated that Wynona had planted doubts in my heart about us.
My phone rang as I was pulling the oversized T-shirt I slept in over my head. I scrambled to yank it down and then dove for my phone that was sitting out on the kitchen table.
“Hey,” I greeted Grayson.
“You sound breathless. Dare I ask what you were doing?”
I laughed, getting under the covers. “I was trying to get to my phone before I missed your call.”
“I’m sorry I’m always calling so late. But I can’t seem to go to bed without hearing your voice.”
I sank farther into my mattress, letting his words wrap me in their warm comfort. “I sleep better when I speak to you. Doesn’t beat having you next to me, but I’ll take what I can get.”
“You sure you can’t come back here?” His voice was low and seductive, and I nearly told him I’d be on a plane the next day. But not only did I have to get back into the swing of things with the bakery, I also had to meet the investor.
“I’ll try to get away soon.”
“Good. Now tell me I can call you again tomorrow and I’ll let you get some sleep.”
“You can always call me.”
“Good night, Ray.”
My heart fluttered at his use of my nickname. He used to call me Ray all the time, and I felt like I was getting parts of the old Grayson back.
I hated this part of our calls. Hated having to say good-bye to him. “Night, honey.”
We hung up, and I put my phone on my nightstand before slapping my hands over my face, wondering how much longer I could survive only hearing his voice.
Sixteen
“This room is amazing,” Willa exclaimed before running to the bed and jumping on it, landing on her front and burying her face in the covers. “You’re definitely my favorite auntie.” The pillows she was now buried under muffled her voice.
I put down my suitcase and handbag. “I’m your only auntie.”
Her head reemerged, and she sat up. “Semantics.”
“I don’t think you’re using that word correctly. Because you could literally not interpret what you said any differently. You don’t have another aunt.”
She stuck her tongue out at me and skipped to the bathroom. “I have to come back with Jameson. He’s not big on staying in hotels, but I bet if I told him the things he can do to me in that shower, like—”
I rushed over and held my hand over her mouth. My ears were still recovering from the last time I wasn’t fast enough to stop the flow of her words. “Okay, why don’t we get ready for our meeting and head out?”
Willa freed herself, pouting. “You never let me finish my sentences.”
I raised a brow at her, and she responded with a huff. “I was only going to tell you we’d be—”
My hand went back over her mouth. “Can I take it off again?”
She nodded, and I cautiously removed said hand. “And here I was going to thank you for organizing a trip instead of just driving to Denver for the meeting.”
If I was honest, I needed the distraction with a desperation that scared me. I was one loose screw away from driving back to LA.
“I’m glad you had time to come along. We haven’t done a girls’ trip in ages.”
One of us usually had to stay behind at the bakery, but Cal, one of my staff members, had been working at the bakery long enough to be okay to handle things for a day or two. And if things went pear-shaped, we could always beg Kinsley to drop in.
