Page 44 of Run with Me

Mary was trying to be sincere, which I appreciated, but talking about the life I couldn’t return to was making me nauseous. Or maybe that was the pregnancy?

“It’s an adjustment, but I didn’t have much choice. I’m not strong likeyou.”

“Oh, I know, honey. Don’t worry. We’ll get you through this. Now what…. Ahhh!”

Her sudden scream made me jump up. I followed where she was pointing with her finger to the wall behind me. “Spider! Killit!”

From her screams, I was expecting a tarantula, which I’d seen plenty times before, so I took care to move slowly. Instead, I found a pin-sized tiny spider making its way up the wall. I grabbed a magazine off the table and smackedit.

“You killed it.” Mary breathed out with relief.

“Was I not supposedto?”

“Of course you were. I just can’t believe you didthat.”

By then, Jack was standing by Mary and shaking his head. He passed her a glass of water as she explained that a ginormous spider had been trying to bite her. I couldn’t help but chuckle on the inside, wondering how she would have handled a tarantula. My guess was, not verywell.

The back of my neck warmed, and I turned around just in time to catch Xavier looking at me. He wasn’t exactly hiding it, so it wasn’t a real catch, but once I saw him, I couldn’t tear my gaze away. Jack was right: there was something about Xavier’s gorgeous eyes that captivated people. But for me, it was more than his eyes. It was his entire presence.

We finally sat down at the table, and the food was brought out by the cooks. They retreated back into the kitchen, and Mary passed me a bowl of garden salad to start with. Then came the bruschetta, minestrone soup, pasta, and more dessert than a stomach could handle. By the end of the afternoon, I was so stuffed that I could feel the skin on my tummy stretch.

“I don’t think I can move,” Isaid.

Beside me, Xavier remarked in a low tone, “Then I’ll carryyou.”

My cheeks heated. “I think I can still manage.”

“Just offering.” He winked.

“So, Anna. What’s the plan for Monday?” Mary asked.

“I was hoping to ask you where one would go around here to find ajob.”

“Well, what are your qualifications?”

Jack poured another glass of bourbon and passed it to Xavier, who took a healthy sip and winked at me again.

“I’m very organized. I had a job as a secretary at the parish office intown.”

“So you have people skills as well,” Xavier added, as if he were filling in an application form, ensuring that Mary heardme.

“And I’m very good with kids. I can pretty much do anything withkids.”

“I’m nervous about ours. I mean, how do you know when to feed it or what to feed it? What if it won’t stop crying?”

“Oh, don’t worry. Those things come naturally.”

“You talk like you’ve been through this before.”

I held my breath, and then steadily let go. This wasn’t the right time to talk about Mikey. I hadn’t even had a chance to grieve properly and I didn’t want to share him just yet with people who didn’t know me thatwell.

“A lot of my friends have kids. I just wasn’t ready before.”

“Well, it sure sounds like you’re ready now.” Mary then turned to Jack. “I think she’ll do justfine.”

He gave her a questioning look. She rolled her eyes, probably annoyed that he couldn’t read her mind, explaining, “I need someone to help me shop, decorate the nursery, and get everything ready for the baby. And then I’ll need a nanny aswell.”

“Of course, dear.”

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