Page 111 of Say You Remember Me
Grant’s eyes widened, and he pointed to the barn. “Are there real horses in there?”
“There sure are.” Ian’s dad chuckled. “In fact, we have one that’s just the right size for an eight-year-old to ride. If it’s okay with your mom, maybe you could ride her sometime.”
“Really?” Grant’s voice rose with excitement, his whole face lighting up.
I hesitated, glancing at Ian, unsure of how to respond.
Ian grinned and stepped in smoothly. “I’d be happy to give him a few lessons if you like. Only if it’s okay with you, of course.”
Overwhelmed by their generosity, I managed a shaky smile. “Th-that would be amazing. But we definitely don’t want to put anyone out just because we’ll be living here.”
“Oh, we’d love it." Ian’s mom straightened; her expression filled with kindness. “With all our kids grown and out of the house, we could use someone young to help liven things up again.”
“Th-thank you.” I nodded, swallowing hard. “That’s so generous.”
“Well—” Ian’s dad gave Grant a little wink before tipping his head toward the barn. “—we’d better check on that mare before she wonders where we are.”
We exchanged goodbyes, and Ian’s parents continued toward the stables while we headed back toward his house.
Grant skipped ahead a few steps. Seeming to notice my son’s enthusiasm, Ian glanced at me, his lips curving into a gentle smile. “I think Grant’s already in love with this place.”
“I think you’re right.” I looked at my son, his joy practically radiating from him, and couldn’t help but smile back. “I think I might be, too.”
Might even be a little in love with the man who showed it to me, too.
40
MADDIE
The golden glowof the porch lights illuminated the sleek lines of Ian’s home as Grant ran ahead of us, his energy seemingly endless. I trailed behind with Ian, still buzzing over the idea that I was going to be living in that cottage soon.
It was already fully furnished, so if I really wanted to, I could probably just drive my Subaru right over there tonight and live out of my suitcase for another day.
Eek!This was so surreal. Like, what even was my life right now? It was like I’d hit the jackpot and was just staying on a winning streak.
“Have you guys eaten recently?” Ian asked when we got back to his house. “Any dinner plans?”
“Not yet,” I admitted, ruffling Grant’s hair as he started to tug at his shoes by the door like he was readying for round two with the cat and the laser. “We were probably just going to grab some leftovers at Sloan’s house.”
“Well, I haven’t eaten yet, either,” Ian said, his lips curving into an easy smile. “I was planning to grab something from this Mexican place downtown, but I’d love some company…”
I hesitated. He’d already done so much for us today—showing me the house, offering to teach Grant to ride horses. Saying yes felt indulgent.
But before I could politely decline, Ian raised his eyebrows and added, “You’d actually be doing me a favor. The last time I grabbed takeout there, the owner looked like she felt really sorry for me ordering for one.”
“Okay, fine.” I laughed despite myself, shaking my head. “Mexican food sounds pretty good.”
“Perfect,” Ian said, his grin widening. “And if you’re in the mood for Italian instead, they’ve got you covered, too.”
I frowned, confused. “Mexican and Italian?”
He winked as he grabbed his keys. “You’ll see what I mean when we get there.”
“It’s one of a kind, isn’t it?” Ian said, his half-smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he caught my amused expression the moment we stepped inside the restaurant.
He’d told me that they served both Mexican and Italian food, but I had not been prepared for the unique experience that was The Italian Amigos. There were traditional Mexican decorations hung alongside Italian frescoes. But the real pièce de résistance was the pair ofDavidstatues—one wore a sombrero and Italian flag swim trunks, while the other was draped in a vibrant fiesta serape with a pizza balanced on the slingshot in his left hand.
“I love it!” I chuckled, unable to stop the soft laugh that escaped me as I checked out the black mustache perched above the upper lip of one of theDavidstatues.
