She set two savory pastries on a side plate and got out a cherry soda. “There you go, dear.”
Snapping my mouth shut, I accepted the plate and soda. “Thanks, Marcy. And thanks for taking care of Wilbur.”
“I like the grouchy cat,” she said with a laugh and went back to her dough. “He likes me because I feed him.”
I walked out in a daze and headed for my room, my mind still on what she’d revealed about Jack. My stomach knotted. How was I ever going to speak to him when I hardly saw him?
Jack hadn’t just stayed out of my bed for the past two nights, he’d worked late, too. I’d seen him briefly in the mornings when he stopped in to say goodbye since he left early for work. I missed him. Badly.
Sighing, I dropped my backpack on the chair and glanced around the silent room. Wilbur was nowhere to be found. Man, I hoped he wasn’t out hunting for another lovely present for me.
I practically inhaled the two meat pastries and gulped down half the soda. My hunger pangs settled. I straightened my white cotton top with the navy embroidered neckline over my skirt and headed for the second floor. I knocked and entered the spacious bedroom. Nigel and Cliff were watching TV in the living area, with scenic windows overlooking the deep-blue waters of the ocean.
Speck, Nigel’s little terrier, who’d followed Marcy around when Nigel was in the hospital, now lay in his round bed. He bounded over and sniffed my sandal-covered feet. I rubbed his back, glad Wilbur, who currently basked in the sunshine streaming into the room, didn’t chase him away. Wils’ pale green eyes flickered my way then shut again. Apparently, I wasn’t interesting enough for him to scratch these days.
Cliff nodded and pushed to his feet. “I’ll be in my room,” he told me.
“Okay, thanks.”
He walked out, and the door shut softly behind him. I sat in the armchair next to Nigel. Despite his happy smile, his skin still bore a pallid tinge. He appeared tired.
“Nigel, why don’t you rest for a while? I’ll read to you.”
“Pfft.” He waved away my suggestion, shifting in his chair. “I’m fine. Tell me what that old coot had to say.”
Before I could regale him with details about my visit with Chuck, the door opened, and Jack strolled inside.
My breath caught, so sure I was dreaming. I longed to jump up and go to him. I’d missed him. But I kept my butt in place and reminded my horny self that I was working right now, even if it didn’t feel like work.
I bit my lip, furtively eyeing him.
Jack appeared like a pinup come to life in his custom-tailored navy suit, paired with a white shirt, the color offset with a navy silk tie sporting slanted maroon stripes. He cast me a quick once-over, making my crazy heart pound even harder, before he glanced at his grandfather.
“You’re early,” Nigel said.
“Had a meeting in town,” he murmured, crouching to pet Speck, who loped over to him with a little yap. “Thought I’d pop in and see how you’re doing.”
Nigel arched an eyebrow.
Jack frowned. “What?”
Nigel snorted then glanced at me. “You don’t know how happy this makes me, about you and Jack.”
My heart jumped. Oh crap, he knew. Of course, he does, doofus. He’s not blind. I bit my lip, not sure what to say.
A smile tugging his mouth, Jack rose to his feet. “Pops, you’re going to scare Ray into taking off,” he teased, looking straight at me with those intense eyes. “I had to use my many wiles to get her to stay here. Besides,shewanted to keep all this undercover between us until she told you.”
My mouth dropped open and I glared at him. The fink.
He smirked, seeming quite happy about parking all the blame on me. His cell rang. Still smiling, he retrieved the phone from his pants’ pocket and sighed. “Work. I have to take this.”
He opened the sliding door, stepped out onto the balcony patio, and shut it behind him. His cell pressed to his ear, he stared out at the seascape as he spoke.
“I’ve not seen Jack like this,” Nigel said softly, drawing my attention back. “He’s happy.”
My heart bumped hard.He makes me happy, too.
“I’m sorry we kept it quiet—”
