“How much more do you have to pack?” I asked.
“I’m at the point where I’m tossing clothes into trash bags because I. Am. Tired.” She blew out a breath.
I pouted. “It’s going to be awfully quiet around here after you guys leave.”
“Please, we’ve been crowding you in your space. I’m sure you’ll be happy to have your living room back and a quiet apartment when you come home after a long day at work.”
“Don’t be too sure. I kind of liked being handed a glass of wine when I walked in the door and having a hot meal waiting for me.”
We both laughed and then slowly sobered. I’d miss them, but I was glad she and her husband had reconciled, and he promised to be more present and considerate of her feelings moving forward.
“I better go before I’m late.” I sprayed perfume on my wrists and neck, the latter reminding me of how Marcus’s lips had caressed my sensitive skin. My inner thighs tingled from the memory.
I grabbed my purse. “Bye,” I said as I headed to the front door.
“Have fun!” Leanne said.
“Bye, Aunt Julia!” the girls hollered.
The drive to Marcus’s condo didn’t take long. When I arrived, he opened the door with a smile and gave me a hug. I pressed myself against him, enjoying the warmth of his embrace and his clean, masculine smell.
“Where’s Noah?” I asked as I stepped inside. He had a nice open floor plan, with modern furniture and windows that provided an impressive view of the Houston skyline. The place was clean and organized, but I saw evidence of a child in the home. Noah’s backpack was on a stand near the door, his drawings were mounted on the front of the refrigerator withmagnets, and a pile of toys was stuffed into a corner of the living room.
“I told him you were coming, but he already fell asleep,” Marcus said, pointing.
Sure enough, Noah was curled up under a blanket on the sofa.
“How’s he been doing?” I whispered, placing my purse on a table beside the sofa.
“According to the therapist, he’s going to be fine. She said I’m doing all the right things to reassure him.”
I was really impressed by Marcus’s dedication. He seemed like the typical bachelor, but rather than having his life upended by the responsibility of taking care of a child, somehow he had managed to pivot and embrace his role as a surrogate parent.
“I ordered the pizza about thirty minutes ago, so it should be here soon. I’ll put him to bed, and we can have a drink while we wait. Wine good?”
“Wine or a beer or juice or whatever you have is fine by me.”
“You drink beer?” he asked, sounding surprised.
“Oh yeah. I’m a Full Moon girlie. I love everything the Johnson family put out, including the specialty flavors around different holidays.”
“See, I knew I liked you. That’s my favorite brand too. I have a couple of bottles of their lager in the refrigerator. Help yourself while I put him to bed.”
As he carefully picked up Noah, I went into the kitchen and helped myself to one of his bottled brews. Tilting back my head, I took a big sip and examined the pictures on the door of the stainless steel refrigerator.
“Those top two he made in school, and the other four hedrew here. I let him decide which ones he thinks are the best, and we put those on the refrigerator.”
“He has real talent. I can actually see that’s a goat, and those are sheep and ducks. When my goddaughter Paige draws a picture, I can’t decipher what she drew. I always feel like I’m looking at hieroglyphics.”
“Not hieroglyphics,” Marcus said with a laugh.
“I’m afraid so.”
We both fell silent.
“I can’t believe you’re actually here in my house. You look amazing. I like your hair like that.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling a little bashful.
