Page 18 of Unravel You

“He can swim the length of the pool without breathing. He’s the next Michael Phelps. I’m sure.”

“No, don’t hold your breath under water. That can’t be good.” I jumped to my feet when Max slid off Derek and came at me for a hug.

“He’s fine.”

“Where did you go today, Mom? I came home. And you werenothere.”

Max’s tone of voice was eerily similar to Mom’s when I was in high school. I felt as if I’d just stayed up all night partying with my friends. I cleared my throat and opted for the truth. “I had lunch with Derek.”

“Okay. How come I wasn’t invited?”

“You were in school.”

“Oh yeah.” He reached for the plate of cookies.

It was almost dinnertime, but I let him take a couple. If he was feeling left out because of an extra-long lunch break, he wasn’t going to like us being gone for a whole thirty days. There it was again—the pang in my stomach.

“Did you see my message? You didn’t say anything.” Derek placed his hand on my back.

“I did.”

“And?”

“Were you expecting a reply? I guess I didn’t catch the question.” Edgy is how I felt now. Maybe it was for the best that we were leaving in the morning. The wait would have been killer.

“Do you want to go upstairs and talk?”

“No more talking. No more wiles,” I said under my breath.

“Okay.” Derek stepped back and grabbed a cookie. “Max, let’s show Mom how fast you can swim.”

“Yeah.” Max bolted out the door with Derek on his heels.

“Dirt. Now.” I turned to Em.

“I’m sorry. I have nothing. But dinner’s ready. Maybe an alfresco meal might help you sort things out.”

“Yeah. How can I help?” I wasn’t hungry. I just needed something to do, and since I didn’t have my computer, I had to settle for household chores.

“Go. I’ll set things up. Look at them.” She beamed at the scene over by the pool. “They’re great together.”

“I know.”

She pushed me out of the kitchen. I crossed the living room, where the scent of freshly baked cookies lingered. Did all mansions smell like this? The polished cement floors and the massive stone and very old-looking fireplace anchoring the room didn’t exactly scream homey. But the plush furnishings, Derek’s books, and all the little details that made us, us gave this place the feel of a real home.

Max’s giggles filtered through the open french doors that led onto the patio. I followed the sound to find him on the pool deck, rolling away from Derek’s tickling fingers. Yeah, they were great together. If Lilly was determined to do anything for Derek, so was I.

I removed my boots and socks before dropping them by the door on my way to the garden. The plush grass was soft under my feet as I strolled to the pool deck to Derek’s waiting arms.

“Don’t be mad at me.” He brushed my cheek with the back of his fingers.

“I’m not mad. Just nervous. It’s all so sudden. I’ll pack later tonight.”

“Thank you.” He kissed the top of my head. “We leave at six in the morning. That way, we can get there at a decent hour.”

“Okay.” I left him to meet Em and the cart filled with food she’d dragged onto the patio.

She didn’t complain when I grabbed the napkins off her and started setting the table. Probably because I did it exactly the way I’d seen her do many times.

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