Page 78 of Stay

Her head falls back as she laughs. “I get out way more than you do,” she says, taking her bowl to the sink and washing it. “Peg and Helen keep me busy, and—” she pauses, her eyes flying to mine.

“What is it?” I ask.

She’s quiet for a second and then shakes her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t sound like nothing,” I say.

She laughs. “Nah. Sometimes I think this old woman’s imagination is getting carried away.”

“Well, tell me and I’ll let you know.”

She dries the dish and puts it back in the cabinet. “I promised that boy a book and then it’s bedtime.”

She taps the counter and walks back to the couch, cuddling next to Owen and looking at the book he’s reading. He hands it to her and she starts reading it aloud.

What is she not telling me?

For a second, my mind flies to the worst-case scenario. Is she sick? Was she trying to tell me she’s not well? No, she was talking about being busy and getting out more than me. That can’t be it.

I listen to her reading for a few minutes and she eventually looks up. “I can hear you thinking from over here, Sutton Henry,” she says. “I’m sorry I did that. I hate it when people start to say something and then don’t.” She laughs and the knot in my chest loosens.

“You’d tell me if it was anything of concern, right?”

“You have my word,” she says.

The tension in my shoulders lessens somewhat and I glance at Felicity, who’s watching us with amusement.

“What?”

“You guys are so cute,” she says, low enough that only I can hear. “I love how close the two of you are, how you communicate. I love my grandparents, but I don’t feel like I know them very well. Not like the two of you. Were you close with your grandpa too?”

“Very.” I nod. “But it was different. He was gruff and didn’t dive as much into feelings…he could when he wanted to, but it wasn’t as constant like it’s always been with Grinny. But the man could get downright flowery when it came to her. He worshipped the ground she walked on and demanded that everyone treat her with that same respect…which was easy to do. It was important to him that I was a man of character.” I lean my elbow on the island and think about that.

What would he say about what I’m doing with my son’s nanny?

I clear my throat and wipe my hands on the napkin. I don’t want to think about what he’d say. I have a feeling I know and I’m enjoying it too much to stop, so why go there?

“Where are you right now?” Felicity asks.

I look over at her and smile. “I’m right here, enjoying this dinner with you.”

She smiles back at me. “I’m glad.”

“Hey…why did you stop eating dinner with us?”

She looks down, her lips puckering. When she looks up again, her expression is sheepish. “The truth?” She checks to make sure Grinny and Owen are engrossed in their book.

“Always.”

“I didn’t think I could hide my attraction to you if I kept hanging around here with you guys. I was trying to keep it professional.”

“Are you saying you’ve wanted to rip my clothes off for a while now?” I whisper.

“Sutton!” She looks over my shoulder again and relaxes. “Yes,” she says, smirking.

“For how long?” My voice is low and raspy and her tongue dips out to lick her lips, which makes me even harder.

“Since the day I met you...and it’s only gotten worse since I’ve gotten to know you.” She sighs.

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