Page 18 of Wishing for Love

“I can’t wait to hear about them,” she said.

“I’ll let you finish. Come down and join us when you’re ready for dinner. My mother stocked us up with groceries when she was here. I’ll make sure you’ve got a credit card too so you can pick up things for Elsie.”

“Oh,” she said. “Do you want me to grocery shop too? I can do that when she’s in school. I can do anything you need meto do in the house. I’m not sure I’m going to like just sitting around.”

“I’m not paying you to be a maid,” he said. He didn’t want to insult her. “But I wouldn’t mind some errands being run.”

“Perfect,” she said. “That will help if I’m making dinner each night.”

“You don’t need to do it nightly. Just if I’m running late.”

“Nonsense,” she said. “I can do it if I’m just sitting around waiting for you to come home.”

He wasn’t about to argue with her on this. They’d work it out if it got to be too much.

“Uncle Nix, you’re missing the best part.”

Crystal grinned. “She seems pretty comfortable. I like the shortened version of your name. Or does everyone call you that?”

“Only her,” he said. “She couldn’t say Phoenix when she was little and it stuck.” More like Maryn made it stick and now it was their bond.

Crystal looked at her watch. “I’ll be down in an hour. I’m not sure how much more I can do. My bedroom is set up and that was the most important thing for me. Tomorrow I’ll run to the store and get some food to keep here and coffee and stuff.”

He nodded. “If you don’t get a chance, just help yourself to whatever you want downstairs. I’m sure my mother bought way too much and I don’t want it to go to waste either.”

She smiled and went into the bathroom to finish unpacking and he returned to whatever Disney princess movie he was watching.

Oh, how times had changed and he hoped Maryn was getting a good giggle out of that.

7

A THEME OF SORTS

Crystal was exhausted and starving. She’d gone through three bottles of water, but that was the extent of what she had upstairs.

She offered to cook because her other option was to grocery shop tonight or pick up fast food. She didn’t want to leave the house another time.

When she made her way down the stairs she saw Elsie dancing with some of the characters to the movie they were watching. “Uncle Nix, spin me.”

Ahhh, her heart just melted.

She saw Phoenix stand up and hold his hand out. Elsie grabbed it and twirled.

When Elsie was done, she yelled, “Crystal. You’re down here.”

Phoenix turned quickly, his face a little pink, but she applauded. “Very pretty dance skills.”

“I want to take lessons,” Elsie said.

“You do?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Elsie just shrugged. “Mom knew.”

Phoenix squatted down. “I want you to tell me things you told your mom,” he said. “I won’t know any other way.”

“But you always used to know what I was doing before.”

He let out a sigh. Elsie hadn’t realized that a five-year-old wouldn’t figure out how things were shared. “Your mom always told me,” he said.

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