My heart flips watching him. He’s instantly in get-it-done mode, and I wonder if he ever gets tired of being so capable and on top of things.
“Davis, yeah, good to talk to you, too, man. I need an appointment this week.” His gaze tracks up to mine as he listens to whatever his brother-in-law is saying, nodding as he stands tall and still.
It strikes me that even in the way he talks on the phone, he’s sturdy. He’s one of the oaks in his back yard, rooteddeep and weathering any storm. Me? I pace when I encounter any conversation that lasts longer than a few seconds.
He catches my gaze and tilts his phone away from his face. “Wednesday or Thursday around lunchtime work?”
I decide Thursday would be best and mouth the words. A few more seconds pass as he wraps up the call, and then he’s giving me a sharp nod, case closed.
“Thursday it is.” His gaze sweeps over me, observation with a tinge of concern. “Will you come in for a bit? Join us for dinner?”
“No, thank you. I have an early shift tomorrow. But thank you, truly.” I step closer and reach for his hand, taking it in both of mine.
He moves farther into my space, sliding his free hand to my lower back. “What else can I do?”
My stomach backflips and a laugh trips out of me from sheer nervous energy escaping. “You’ve already helped. And Thursday will do even more.”
I want to hug him, but the girls are inside and I need time to sort through my thoughts on all of this. So I squeeze his hand and step back, instantly missing the warmth of his skin and the press of his palm into my back.
“Anything comes up, just text. We’re in for the night.”
His piercing eyes study me, and I could swear he wants to say more, but he swallows.
I am so close to embarrassing myself by asking for a hug, but I triumph over that neediness and give him a soft smile. “Thank you, Grant.”
We linger for a few more seconds, then he dips his chin. “Night, Sam.”
I’m stupidly reluctant to walk away from him,especially considering he asked me to join them. But that’d be intruding, and I should think through how all of this is affecting me.
Except… I’m fine.
I want a hug from Grant because I want to be near him, and I like him. I want things between us to feel settled, and they aren’t. But I’m not cowering in my little apartment, fearful of Andrew. I’m frustrated he’s reaching out, but we have a plan. In a matter of days, I’ll talk to a lawyer and figure out what recourse, if any, I have.
So why am I about to sequester myself away from the Ryans when all I want is to be near them?
I stop walking a few feet from the door to the garage. I tell myself if he’s already inside, I’ll go home and look forward to the next time I see him. I’ll snuggle my cat and watch a movie before bed, or maybe research library science master’s programs and add to my list of YA books I need to read through.
But if he’s still there…
When I turn back, he’s there. Standing right where I left him, looking at me.
“Maybe I could come over for a while?” I phrase it like a question because I’m not certain the offer’s still on the table, but his mouth kicks up into a soft smile.
“Girls’ll be thrilled.”
So we walk up the porch steps together, my heart pattering wildly with a hundred thoughts. It’s progress for me—I’m not shriveling up at the reminder that my ex is still out there feeling entitled to me. I’m not hiding away from my feelings, nor am I incapacitated by them.
And I’m letting myself have something I want—time with Grant, and the girls for that matter. A few moments ofbelonging instead of locking myself away like I need to be punished for my bad choices in the past.
When the kids squeal and jump up and down when Grant says I’ll be joining them for dinner, my heart bursts.
I may not have everything figured out, but if this is the reward fortrying, it’s even better than I could’ve imagined.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Grant
Two days after a perfect night with my girls and Sam, I’m pacing outside the station. Mac claimed he’d call me at eleven and here I am at five past the hour, and no call.
