Page 59 of Wishing for Love

Crystal had snuck down to his room on Friday night once he was in bed. It was the first time they’d been able to not worry about Elsie seeing them.

She climbed into his bed, and they fooled around for an hour or so, talking, laughing, having sex, then cuddling.

Nothing he’d ever done with another woman in his life. He wanted more of it too.

Then she’d gotten up and returned to her room. He didn’t want her to but didn’t want to take the risk that Elsie might come looking for him either.

Saturday, Crystal was nowhere around. He was sure she was in her suite and had left for a bit and then came back. He didn’t reach out to her via text and she didn’t either.

They were going to have to figure this out.

The last thing he wanted to worry about was that she thought this was nothing more than some action in the sheets.

But then he started to wonder if that was allshewanted.

Both times now, she’d made the move.

Damn, could he be that blind?

He got up to get a glass of whiskey and heard the door from the garage open and close.

He didn’t know if Crystal was coming or going, but she came in carrying a few bags.

“Hi,” he said. “Out shopping?”

“After Christmas sales,” she said. “I got some gift cards and thought I’d see if I could find any good deals. Then I bought some snacks for upstairs too.”

“You can get whatever you want down here to eat,” he said.

“I do,” she said. “When I’m working. But I’m not going to come down on the weekends to get some ice cream when I can keep it in my freezer.”

“What kind of ice cream?” he asked. “Elsie finished ours off.”

She smiled. “You should have said something. I’ll pick up some at the store when I get groceries this week. Just put it on the list. Or you can text me.”

“I’d like to text you more than grocery lists,” he said quietly leaning into her. His head was turned to see Elsie not paying attention.

“Any time you want, go ahead,” she whispered back.

“What are you doing for the rest of the day?”

“Putting my stuff away and trying to find something to watch on TV.”

“You can come down and watch TV with us,” he said.

“I think that might seem odd,” she said.

He sighed. “Most likely. But she’s five. She doesn’t understand much.”

“She needs time with her Uncle Nix.”

“Maybe he wants some time with you. Maybe he is trying to navigate this as much as you are.”

“Oh,” she said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because it’s not always easy to admit I don’t know what is going on around me.”

“I think you’ve got a good handle on things,” she said.

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