Page 46 of Mad Love

“Would you be okay if we move his room upstairs? You could move up there too. Or if you really prefer downstairs, we can keep it as it is. I just…I want you to sleep well, and I thought it’d be fun to have a real bedroom set up for him.”

She sags against the back of the chair and then throws her napkin at me. “I thought you were going to ask me to leave.”

I frown. “Wasn’t it just yesterday that I told you how much I want you to stay? Are you getting more comfortable? I know it’s been an adjustment.”

She takes a bite and finishes it before she speaks. “When I first got here I didn’t think I’d ever be comfortable here, but you’ve made it easy to adjust. And you need to get some sleep too. Have you even slept in a bed since we got here?”

I slowly shake my head.

“If you prefer being upstairs, let’s move his room up there. How would you feel about me staying up there too? I’d like to be more helpful than I’ve been.”

“You’re being plenty helpful,” I tell her. “I’ve loved having that time with him. It hasn’t been a hardship.” I smile down athim and his hand slaps onto mine as he waves his arms. “I like how bright it is upstairs and the view of the mountains out the windows is a little better from up there. And of course, you can move up there too.”

“I don’t want to invade on your space.”

“Do you hear us? If we get any more polite, halos will appear out of thin air.”

A shocked laugh bursts out of her.

“Or tiny horns,” she sasses.

I grin. “That’s more like it.”

She rolls her eyes but is still laughing, and two pink splotches appear on her cheeks. “Okay, I’ll move my things upstairs, but on one condition.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I’ll start taking half of the night shift.”

I make a face. “The thing about that is when my season starts back up, I’ll need to take you up on that more often. But for now, I have the time, and I like that I’m getting to know my son and that you’re catching up on sleep.”

She finishes another bite and pushes her plate away, studying me carefully.

“I actually believe you when you say that,” she says.

My head tilts. “I’d hope so.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you’re not angrier…or more bitter. You could hate me, but I don’t think you do.”

“Of course I don’t. Would you stop saying that? Have you ever really thought I hated you?”

“At first I did. I just thought you were good at hiding it.”

“And now?”

“I think you’re genuine and when you say something, you mean it.”

I swallow hard and nod. “Thank you. I try to only say what I mean.”

“I need to get back to work soon. My boss has been amazing, but I’d totally deserve it if she fired me.”

“Unless you love the job, you wouldn’t have to go back…” I cringe slightly, not knowing how she’ll take this. “Please only hear this how I intend it. In several months, we’ll have to find help with Caleb. I don’t want you to feel pressured to do more than you want to do…or to talk you into anything, but if you wanted to take care of him full-time, I could compensate you for it. If we don’t do that, we should consider looking into people now so that he’s covered in a few months.”

“I already feel like I’m freeloading off of you,” she says, shaking her head.

“You’re not. I don’t feel that way at all. I wanted you here, remember?”

“I’d take care of him because I want to, not for money.”

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