Page 39 of Someone to Watch Over Me

I didn’t realize I was doing that until he drew my attention to it.

“Nothing has to change, but I feel better that you know how much I care about you.”

“I care about you. Just as much. When I saw you on the floor that night…” I shake my head.

He winces.

“I was so scared I’d lost you before I ever got the chance to tell you how much you mean to me.”

“I knew.”

“How did you know?”

His smile makes his tired eyes twinkle. “Guys know these things.”

I give him a skeptical look. “Guys do, huh?”

“Yep.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “Seriously, though, sometimes you look at me as if there’s something else you want to say, but you always think better of it.”

Wow, and not only is he observant, but he’s also insightful. “You’re not wrong.”

“I hope you know you can say whatever you want to me, and I’ll always be glad to hear what’s on your mind.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I am.”

“The mind of a grieving widow isn’t always a fun place to hang out.”

“I’m interested in anything you want to talk about, even the hard stuff.”

“You’ve got enough on your plate right now without taking on my grief, too.”

“I’d like to think I took on your grief months ago. I’m well aware that Jim and the grief over his illness and death are part of who you are now, and I thought I just told you how much I like who you are.”

“You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Have I scared the crap out of you? Are you already thinking about how fast you can move out of here?”

I love that he makes me laugh. It’s been such a long time since I laughed as much as I do with him. “The only thing that scared the crap out of me was when you were unresponsive. Don’t do that again.”

“I won’t.”

“How do you feel about salad with grilled chicken for dinner?”

“That sounds good. And healthy.”

“We’re all about healthy around here.”

“That’s right.”

“You’ve got to let go of my hand so I can get it.”

“What if I don’t wanna let go? It took me a long, long time to be able to hold your hand.”

“What if I let you hold it again later?”

“Is that a promise?”

---