Page 37 of Hold You Close
I learned heartache.
“I’ll think about it,” I tell him as I look away.
“You okay?” he asks.
I turn back, my mask back in place. “I’m fine. You should get going.”
We walk down the hall to where Ruby is still working on her dinner, and he kisses the top of her head. “Be a good girl for Aunt London. I’ll see you in the morning, preferably after six if you can manage that.”
Ruby smiles at him. “Bye, Uncle Ian!”
My heart sputters at the fact that she just talked to him. Please let this mean this beautiful little girl is going to heal a little.
His eyes go wide and he smiles. “Bye, Ruby. I love you.”
“Lub you!”
He gathers her in his arms, and I watch with my hand on my chest. She clings to him as I watch the emotions play across his face.
Ian walks to me with a huge grin. “She talked.”
“I know.”
“To me,” he says, looking over at her. “Two weeks and the kid finally talked.”
“Well,” I say with a little smugness. “She never stopped talking to me.”
Ian laughs a real, effortless laugh and it makes me smile. It’s the man I fell for all those years ago. When he wasn’t trying to be a dick all the time.
“You’re just special, Lon.”
“Yeah, don’t forget it.” I tap his chest.
His eyes meet mine and the carefree joking we had a moment ago vanishes. There’s heat in his gaze and my pulse roars in my ears. “I never forgot, I just couldn’t tell you the truth.”
Every breath I take makes my chest tight. “What’s the truth?”
“That he likes you!” Morgan yells from the living room and we both take a step back.
“You have horrible timing!” Ian points to the twelve-year-old that seems hell-bent on driving her uncle to drink.
“I always knew I liked that kid.”
He raises one brow and lifts his lip in a smirk. “Yeah, what’s not to love?” he says loud enough so she’ll hear.
“I’m your favorite, just admit it.”
Ian and I laugh at Morgan and then he looks at his watch. “I have to go.”
“We’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you need me.”
I nod. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He leans in close, touches my cheek, and his voice is a barely a whisper. “Sleep on the left side of the bed, and don’t wait up.”
I slap his hand away. “Very funny. I’ll be on the couch when you get home, thank you very much.”
