Page 52 of Doughn't Let Me Go

“Good morning,” I finally manage to say. “How’d you sleep last night? Was your bed comfortable?”

“I’m sorry, did you just ask me ifthatbed was comfortable?”

“Yes?”

“You’re going to be lucky if I ever leave. It was the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on in my entire life.”

“Excluding mine, right?”

It slips out before I can stop it.

“Sorry,” I grimace. “That wasn’t very professional.”

She doesn’t say anything, just lifts her perfectly manicured brows and takes a sip of her coffee.

“What’s on your agenda today?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation into safer territory.

“Well, actually, I was wondering if I could take Kyrie down to the beach if it’s not too crowded.”

I smile. She remembered Kyrie’s offhanded comment yesterday at breakfast about not having yet made it down to the beach because I’ve spent all my time working and trying to get the house unpacked.

The day always gets away from me when I’m swamped with work, and it’s always too late to head down there.

“I think she’d love that.”

“Yeah?” Her face lights up. “Good. What are you doing today?”

“Well, I’m still a week behind on work, so I’ll be attached to my computer all day upstairs in my office. I was hoping to make another dent in these boxes, but the company isn’t going to run itself.”

“Do you have help back in California?”

I nod. “I do, but I’m a bit of a control freak and probably take on more than I can actually handle—not that I’d admit that to any of my employees.”

“Technically, I’m one of your employees.”

I laugh lightly. “True. Think you can refrain from spreading that around, then?”

She mimes zipping her lips.

“I was also going to go to the grocery store today. Is there anything specific you’d like me to get for you?”

You.“No. I can’t think of anything.”

She stares through me, like she can see my thoughts.

“But I do think you’d do well to stock up on cheese. Kyrie is a little addicted to it.”

“Cheese—got it. Anything else?”

“Probably celery too. And those little wedges of Swiss cheese.”

A look of confusion crosses her face. “For you or Kyrie?”

“Kyrie. The kid has the weirdest taste in food. She dips her chips in peanut butter and puts jelly on her celery sticks.”

“Where do the cheese wedges come in?”

“Those she eats with cherry tomatoes.” I laugh at the expression on her face. “Can’t say she doesn’t know what she likes. She’s an adventurous eater, but she also likes certain combinations of things. Just wait until she asks you to make her a sandwich. You’ll vomit in your mouth a little.”

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