Page 36 of Losing his Daddy

Again, I did as he asked. It was impossible not to when he was taking such good care of me. He watched me take the first bite, and only after I approved with a fierce head nod did he dig into his own food.

We ate together in silence. It wasn’t an uncomfortable one though. More like we were enjoying the simple pleasures of life, a breakfast with someone you enjoyed spending time with.

Some might have said it was the newness of things that made us work together. With time, one of us would likely annoy the other in some way. All relationships had their moments — whether romantic or not. My own brother could become a nuisance if I allowed his antics to bother me.

Gerald had his demons. I knew there would be things that created tension between us eventually. Things other than one of us winding up half naked. That had already proved to be a problem.

“That was delicious,” I told him once I finished.

“Thank you.” He tilted his head my way.

I wiped my mouth, then continued, “I’m usually up around this time in the morning to eat and have my coffee. I’m not picky about what you make. As for lunch, I tend to eat takeout at the office. Dinner is either takeout, or in the past the chef made something. How would you feel comfortable moving forward?”

He turned to face me head on. Our knees brushed as he shifted, and a current of need roared through me from that single point. I fought to bury my reaction beneath my focus on his response.

“I’d like to be able to work on a variety of dinners. As I said before, I have several recipes. Lunch is up to you. I can coordinate having something delivered to you at your convenience. Or I can deliver meals to you during your lunch hour. I’m open to what works best.”

“You’d deliver them?” I questioned, unsure if I heard him correctly.

“Yes, I could. Some of the recipes are for large quantities, as they were needed that way for the ranch staff. Most will translate to smaller portions, but some won’t. There will be times I haveextras you could use for lunch. I could bring them to you, so you don’t have to cook. Or if you’re wanting takeout, I could go pick it up and deliver. That’s what a personal assistant would do, right?”

“It is.”

“Then it’s part of my role too. We could make a weekly plan if you like. Maybe later this evening. Today needs to be settled first though. Did you have any idea what you wanted today? Takeout would be best for lunch. I’ve already settled on what dinner will be.”

The confidence with which he spoke was astonishing. It was like giving him the list of tasks changed him. I remember he was the same way the day before when handling the move. Part of me thought that was purely for show. Like he knew Danielle was listening and watching everything, so he was turned up to a hundred.

But of course, that’s just who he is. Could he be any more perfect a fit for this role?

“Let’s do Costello’s for lunch. It’s Italian. I tend to get the chicken parm, but I’m open to whatever they have as the special of the day. Nothing they make tastes bad. You should get yourself something too. That way, you have an idea of what you like for the nights we grab it for dinner.”

He frowned. “Oh, I figured I’d make myself something then.”

I froze. He couldn’t be insinuating what I thought.

“Why would you do that? Do you assume you’re not going to eat what I eat?”

Avoiding my gaze, he shrugged. “I’m used to a life where everyone ate together. I didn’t want to assume that was how you’d want it to be given there are only two of us.”

“That doesn’t matter. It would be more troublesome if I was eating a full meal, and you only had a sandwich or something,” I said, bewildered by his train of thought.

“Then we’ll eat the same. I’ll go over their menu to pick something before lunch. When is that anyway?”

“It varies. Today I’ll aim for noon. I’ll text you the address to the office and to Costello’s. Did you have any other questions for me?”

He shook his head. “That’s it. You go get ready. I need to clean this up, then I’m going to tackle the last of the boxes that didn’t get unpacked and work on my room.”

I didn’t have anything to say about that, so I took off to get ready. I’d only thrown on pajama pants and a t-shirt when I realized the time earlier. But now it was time to put on my work clothes.

Routine had me grabbing a suit, tie, and the shoes I needed without really paying attention. My mind was too wrapped around the idea Gerald had about him eating separately from me. He was treating his role as if he were subservient to me, which, to be fair, it technically was. Still, I didn’t want him to assume that stance. He needed to know I wouldn’t think less of him in any way.

If anything, Gerald was saving me a ton of time. I thought firing everyone meant my life would be a disaster. Instead, I feel like I’m thriving for the first time ever. I’m not worried about any of the engagement drama or whether Danielle will have signed us up to attend an event I didn’t want to attend. I’m not avoiding my own home by working late or simply going through the motions.

It’s invigorating.

By the time I’m done getting ready, Gerald has managed to clean up the kitchen. He unpacked a box of books onto one of the built-in shelves in the living room. I watched him turn my way, which is how I didn’t miss the look of appreciation he gave my outfit. He covered the expression quickly when he noticed how closely I observed him.

“I’ll see you at lunch,” I asked to confirm.

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