“No, sadly, that’s long gone.” He smiled. “I bought out half of Walmart today. There’s not a baby product in production that we don’t now have at least one of.”
She chuckled. He was adorable in a way she’d never witnessed before. “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. I think it’s fantastic. I really do. You probably won’t need me for a while, though, huh?”
He looked up. “Why do you think that?”
“Won’t this put the writing on hold?”
“No. It can’t. I have a deadline. I wrote today. Not as much as I normally would have, but I did what I could. If anything, it’s focused me more on getting things done.”
“Okay, great. Do you want to talk about today’s work, then?”
“Yeah, I’d love to. Let me grab a pen and notebook.” While he did that, he asked. “Do you want to stay for pizza?”
“I can’t. I already promised Frankie and Willa I’d be home for dinner. Thank you for the invite, though.”
“You’re welcome.” He sat back down, pen poised.
“So. Tell me about the book. What happened to Charlie Nightingale today?”
For the next twenty minutes, he told her what he’d written, where he saw it going, and what he wanted to happen. She gave him feedback and a couple of ideas for potential developments that could come out of things already planted in the story.
They talked and laughed, and he was more animated than she’d ever seen him. It was great.
Then the doorbell rang.
Mitch jumped up. “Pizza.”
Harper stood. “My cue to head out.”
“Walk with me.” He was already digging into his pocket for cash. “I hope things go really great for you tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep you posted.”
She waved to Kyle, who was walking back and forth with Ruthie. He nodded in reply.
Mitch got the door. The pizza guy was standing there, insulated bag at the ready.
She smiled at Mitch and grabbed her umbrella. “Talk to you soon.”
“You, too.”
She slipped past the delivery man and headed across the path to her own house. Mitch as a grandfather was pretty interesting. He certainly seemed excited about it.
There was no way this wasn’t going to change his life. For the better, obviously. But what did it mean for their working relationship now that Kyle was in the picture once again? Would Mitch still need her input? Would he still want to talk every day after work?
She wasn’t sure. And as much as she wanted to make a decision about staying here or returning to California, she just couldn’t. Not yet.
Not until she knew what her job status was with Mitch.
Chapter Thirty-One
Staring at the clock wasn’t going to get Beryl here any quicker. Joyce understood that. But staring at the clock seemed to be all she was capable of doing. Any minute now, her sister would be arriving, and the waiting was making her barmy. Already, she’d mistaken the pizza man’s car for the limo delivering Beryl.
Alimo. Mitch had lost his mind ordering a car like that. Joyce could only smile. Beryl getting picked up at the airport by a chauffeur bearing a placard with her name on it was something she’d talk about for the rest of her life. Joyce knew her sister well enough to know that was a guaranteed fact.
She stood at the back windows, looking over at the main house, the water a beautiful backdrop even with the last of the rain. It was so good to have Kyle home. She hoped everything was going all right with Ruthie. Such a sweet child. Joyce hadn’t said anything to Mitch or Kyle, but the baby looked a touch underweight to her.
She wasn’t an expert. Beryl was the one who’d had a child. Not her. Although Joyce had looked after them often enough until she’d come to the States. Still, she’d see what Beryl thought.
