Holding my goddaughter, I rock her while saying, “It’s okay, sweetheart.” My eyes meet Nova’s as she rushes around the island to pat Lainey’s back. “I think you and Lainey should go out this afternoon. It will do you good to get out of the house a bit.”
“I don’t want to go out,” Lainey whimpers between sobs. “I want to stay at home with you and Nova.”
“Okay,” I agree. When she calms down, I tilt my head to see her face. “Better?”
She nods, then asks, “Can I invite Porsha over?”
“Of course.” I look at Nova. “Can you call Charlotte and see if it’s okay if Porsha comes to visit?”
Nova nods. “I’ll call her right now.”
When she heads to the stairs to get her phone, which is probably in her bedroom, I turn my attention back to Lainey and say, “Go change out of your pajamas.”
“Okay.” She climbs off my lap, and I end up staring at the slice of toast on my plate while I think about Lainey’s and Nova’s reactions to the rumors that we’re in a relationship.
I’m not sure how Lainey would feel about me dating Nova. Fuck, I’m not even sure how Nova would feel. No one has ever confused me as much as she does. Does she hate the idea of dating me, or was she scared I’d be upset about it?
I let out a sigh while I pick up the toast and bite into it.
Besides everything else we’re dealing with, Nova’s still recovering from her abusive ex. I just need to be patient.
When Nova returns to the kitchen, I watch as she checks the list of phone numbers before programming one into her phone and pressing dial. A moment later, she says, “Hi, is this Charlotte?” She glances nervously at me, then continues, “I’m Nova Allen, Lainey’s godmother. Lainey would like to know whether Porsha can come over this afternoon. Maybe she can spend the night, and the girls can have a sleepover?” She listens for a while, and her features grow sad, then she murmurs, “Thank you. I’ll tell Easton. See you at two.” She ends the call, then says, “Charlotte gives her condolences and said she’ll drop Porsha off.”
I nod and gesture at her toast. “Come eat.”
When Nova takes her seat across from me, I say, “With everything that’s happened, we haven’t spoken much about you. How are you holding up after ...” I try to search for the right words but end up muttering, “breaking things off with the abusive bastard?”
She looks startled by the question, but it’s quickly followed by her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. “I’m good. There hasn’t been much time to think about that part of my life. I’m only seeing the therapist because I made a promise to Rachel.”
“Have you heard from the asshole since you left Verona?”
She nods, and I’m just about to get angry when she says, “There were only a few messages, and he called once, but after that, I haven’t heard from him again.”
“Good,” I mutter. “If he contacts you, let me know.” She nods again, just holding the toast in her hand, which has me reminding her, “Eat, Nova.”
We finish our breakfast in silence, and when I get up to collect the plates, I say, “Even though Frances doesn’t need much supervision, will you deal with her? Rachel always took care of the staff.”
“Sure.”
“Just tell her what to make for lunch and dinner, and if we run out of anything, let her know so she can go shopping,” I mention.
“And the groundkeepers?” she asks.
“They’ll ask if they need anything.”
“Okay.”
Remembering Nova’s truck that’s been standing at the side of the house, I ask, “How do you feel about selling your truck?”
She thinks for a moment. “I haven’t used it since I’ve been here, but I’ll need it soon.” Her teeth tug at her bottom lip. “I haven’t started it in a while. That’s going to be a problem.”
“Why would you need it?” I ask. “You have access to Izak and the SUVs.”
An awkward expression tightens her features. “As much as I like staying here, we both know at some point I’ll have to get my own place.”
Not liking where this conversation is heading, a frown forms on my forehead, and I set the plates down again. “There’s no reason for you to get your own place.”
She glances down at the marble top and starts to wipe invisible dust from the surface. “One day, you might meet someone and decide to get married, and she won’t like having me around.”
