“Oh, uh, no. We were just making coffee,” I say as I quickly start grabbing a mug for Bray. I fill it and push it toward him.
He takes it, raises it at us, and then says, “I gotta go shower. I’ll see you later on.”
“Mom, Mr. Al let me eat pastry for breakfast. We watched this old cartoon. Then we played this board game, and then he said we should come over here,” Ava rattles on as she practically jumps from one foot to the other.
I give Al a pointed look, and he smiles sheepishly. “I should get going. I’ll see you later tonight?”
I nod. Since it’s a small wedding, everyone is invited to the dinner after the rehearsal.
With a wave, he leaves us.
“Mom?” Ava says as Bray comes back down fully dressed.
“Yes, Peanut?”
“Can we go look for the key to that secret door?” she asks as she twirls in a circle.
Bray gives me a look, and I mouth, “Sugar.”
He nods and picks Ava up to spin her around more. She giggles.
“Let’s go look for it while your mom showers,” he suggests, winking at me as he walks out carrying Ava. “Come find us when you’re dressed,” he calls out as the door shuts.
I slouch against the counter. Holy fuck! What just happened there? Was I imagining that, or did we almost kiss?
Taking my coffee, I head to the bathroom and shower. All I can think about is the way Bray’s hands felt on my face and the way his eyes searched mine. I liked it…a lot. And that scares me.
I dress and head out to find Bray and Ava. It doesn’t take me long to see that Ava is checking under every flowerpot on the patio.
I look at Bray, and he shrugs.
“What are you doing?” I ask Ava.
“Looking for the key,” she says as she lifts another pot.
“Why here?” I inquire as I lean against a stone wall.
“Mr. Al keeps the key to the greenhouse under a flowerpot, and I see that all the time in movies,” she says. I watch as she sticks out her tongue in concentration.
“Oh,” I manage as I fight a laugh. I look at Bray. “Why is Unca Bray not helping?” I tease. Bray gives me a look, and my lips twitch with a grin.
“Unca Bray says I should look because he’s old and can’t see,” Ava says without stopping.
“Oh, he’s old, huh?” I reply. Then I remembered how he looked in the kitchen a few hours ago. His erection was projecting proudly from his body. His muscles rippled as he moved. He’s sexy as fuck and looks amazing. He’s the furthest thing from old. My cheeks heat a little, and I walk over to Ava to distract myself, but I feel Bray’s stare follow me.
“Takes one to know one,” he whispers in my ear, having snuck up on me.
I jump, and he wraps an arm around my waist to keep me from falling over.
“I’m not old,” I grumble as I stand and step out of his embrace. Although I feel old every day. While all my friends were enjoying their late-twenties, I was having a baby and being a mom. And I love being a mom, but I also miss feeling like myself, the old Carly. I’m more than a mom. There are so many different parts of me. But lately, I feel like people only see me as a mom.
“What’s wrong?” Bray asks as he pushes some hair off my cheek.
“Nothing. Just…tired. Shall we go check in the kitchen and get some lunch? Mommy didn’t get much for breakfast, and she’s hungry,” I say to Ava.
“OK,” she says cheerfully as she skips ahead of us.
“You sure?” Bray asks as his hand wraps around my wrist, stopping me so that I’m forced to look up at him.
