Page 62 of Craving Francesca

“Not surprisin’,” I murmured.

“I’m going to turn this off if it’s cool with you. I just requested a movie night because I knew she’d fall asleep anyway.”

“Go ahead,” I replied quietly.

Lou rose to her feet and circled the couch so she could grab the remote Frankie had set on the arm of it. “If you want to just lay her out, she can sleep out here tonight.”

“I’ll carry her into her room.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure her bedroom door’s open.”

Carefully inching away from Frankie, I kept one hand on her as I rose to my feet so she wouldn’t fall over. Sliding an arm under her legs and the other behind her back, I lifted her from the couch. Because that shit never happens like in the movies, she woke up instantly.

“What are you doing?” she asked groggily, whipping her arms around my neck and hanging on for dear life.

“Movie’s over, baby. I’m bringin’ you to bed.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” she muttered, laying her head down.

She’d already slid her shoes off at some point, so I laid her directly on the sheets and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders as she curled into a ball on her side. She was going to roast in those sweatpants and hoodie, but I figured that was a problem for later.

“Gray?” she called, grabbing my hand as I straightened.

“What’s up?”

“Thank you for today. You’re the best.”

I brushed her hair back from her face. “Get some sleep.”

Her hand loosened on mine, and I set it gently back on the bed and left the room. Lou was waiting for me in the kitchen, the lights back on.

“Thank you for taking care of her today,” she said. “No matter what she says, that was still a medical procedure that she did alone and without anyone knowing. I know she’s independent to a fault, and she wants everyone to believe that she’s hard as nails, but…it could’ve gone really bad if she hadn’t had anyone to talk to.”

I nodded, not sure what to say. If I saidyou’re welcome, it would seem like I’d done it for Lou—which I hadn’t. If I tried to downplay it, she’d argue. I’d seen her do it enough times with other people.

“I’m gonna head out.”

“I’ll see you later,” Lou said, grabbing a couple of cups off the counter and setting them in the sink.

“Lock the door behind me.”

“I will.”

I left the house and brought my truck back to my place. It probably would’ve been smarter to just drive my ma’s SUV to work in the morning and then ride home, but it always made me feel twitchy when my bike wasn’t easily accessible. I filled up my mom’s rig and brought it out to the clubhouse and was surprised to see that there were a few people hanging around.

It was still early, so I went inside to check it out.

“Grandson,” my Grandpa Dragon greeted from the bar. He was my dad’s dad, and more than one person had told me that I looked just like him. I figured I’d be lucky if I still looked the way he did by the time I was his age.

“What are you old timers doing out?” I joked as I headed toward them.

“Your grandmothers and Aunt Callie went out to dinner without us,” my Grandpa Casper answered, leaning his elbows against the opposite side of the bar. “So, we all ended up here.”

“Why didn’t you guys go to dinner yourselves?” I asked, settling onto a barstool.

“Fuck that,” Grandpa Dragon replied. “We ordered shit and had it delivered.”

“Amateur,” Uncle Grease huffed, gesturing at me.

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