Page 95 of With a Grain of Salt

"They came up to me at the diner. It's not like I went looking for them."

"I didn't think you did."

"I didn't go knock on their door and give them the riot act," I continue, needing her to know I didn't go out of my way to talk about her behind her back, although she knows I did that with Barrett.

"Walker, I know," she says, glancing over her shoulder.

"What else did you talk about at Nora and Leo's?"

I swear I will go over there and have a word with that hateful woman if she was able to convince Claire to stop seeing me.

"Not much else. I told them I'd be happy to bring Larkin by to visit when they wanted to see her. I'm dropping her off on Saturday, and then they invited me to Christmas dinner. Did I tell you that Nora invited me into the house for the first time in literally years?"

"I thought it was weird she met you on the front porch the other day," I mutter.

"She's never been impressed with me."

"She didn't try to convince you to stop dating me?"

She spins around to face me. "You're still stuck on this idea that we're dating."

"Together," I clarify. "We're together, Claire. As in you're mine and I'm yours."

I can't tell if I hate or love the way her nose scrunches up as she looks at me.

"What if I don't want to be yours?"

All I can do is shrug. "Too damn bad."

"You know that's like a form of harassment."

It only takes two steps in her tiny kitchen until I'm standing right in front of her. When I lower my head, she lifts up to meet my mouth, and that's what I call progress. The kiss isn't passionate or filled with desire. It's simple and perfect and more of a promise. I take a step back, knowing there's nothing I can do to further my mouth on hers with Larkin playing in the other room.

"You know," I say, looking over her shoulder at the pan of mac and cheese. "I heard about all the snacks single mothers have when you get up the next day."

"First off, you're not staying the night. Secondly, single mothers? I thought we were together. Are you saying now I'm single?"

She squeals in delight when I grab her by the waist and pull her against me.

"If I have my way about it, you'll never be single again."

I feel like a man who has struck gold with her laughter in my ears, her warmth against my body, and my arms around her.

"Did you know I have a three-bedroom house?"

"I didn't," she says as she pulls back to stir the mac and cheese.

"That means a room for us, one for Larkin, and then another for a nursery."

"Pump the brakes," she says, but there's a hint of laughter in her tone telling me she isn't completely opposed to the idea. “It's a little too early to talk about moving in together, and it's much too early to talk about having a child together."

"I'm in my thirties," I argue. "I don't want to have to get a day pass from the nursing home to watch my kids graduate."

"Don't be silly," she says without missing a beat. "I'm sure graduation will be streamed live. You can watch it from your room."

Chapter 40

Claire

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