Page 112 of Say You Remember Me
“Just wait till you taste the food,” Ian replied.
We followed the hostess to a booth at the back of the restaurant and Grant scrambled eagerly onto the seat beside me, his little hands immediately grabbing the menu. His wide eyes darted across the pages like he was preparing to make the most important culinary decision of his young life. I bit back a grin, watching his enthusiasm as he frowned in concentration, clearly debating his options.
We placed our orders—fettuccine Alfredo for Grant, fajitas for Ian and me—and as we settled into the soft hum of the restaurant’s atmosphere, I felt an unexpected calm wash over me. It was easy being here. Comfortable.
“Excuse me for a minute,” I said to Ian and Grant after the waitress brought us our waters, sliding out of the booth to find the restroom.
When I returned, the sight before me stopped me in my tracks.
Ian and Grant were leaning over the table, their heads close together, a small deck of cards spread out between them. Grant’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes lit with excitement as he clutched his hand of cards like they held the key to his next great victory. Ian’s brow furrowed in mock concentration, his lips quirking into a smirk that told me he was enjoying himself just as much as Grant was.
“Do you just always carry a pack of cards with you?” I asked as I slid back into the booth, my voice teasing.
“Not exactly.” Ian glanced up at me, his smile bashful. “I may have grabbed it from my game closet before we left. It’s something my dad used to do when he first started dating my mom.”
I stared at him, my chest tightening. It was such a simple gesture, and yet it carried so much weight.
Jaxon had always handed Grant his phone during moments like this, which I understood. Parenting was hard, andsometimes you just needed a break. But Ian… Ian had taken the time to think ahead about what might make a little boy smile.
To make him feel seen.
And watching the way Grant lit up under his attention made me feel like my heart might burst.
“You’re so good at this game!” Ian said, his voice tinged with exaggerated surprise as Grant laid down a card triumphantly.
Grant giggled, his entire face glowing with pride. “I told you I’m good at Uno!”
“You did,” Ian said with a wink, ruffling Grant’s hair before drawing another card. “But I didn’t realize you were this good. I’m going to have to step up my game if I want to keep up.”
I smiled, unable to stop the warmth blooming in my chest as I studied Ian. The way his shoulders filled out his shirt, the way his arms flexed subtly as he shuffled the cards. The way his hands moved with steady precision, deft and strong, yet somehow gentle when he dealt the cards to Grant.
And his laugh—deep, rich, and so unguarded—it tugged at something deep inside me.
Was it strange to be so drawn to a man’s laugh?
Maybe.
But there it was, settling into my chest like a melody I didn’t want to stop listening to.
The game ended, and Ian gathered the cards. “All right, Grant,” he said with a playful grin. “Do you think we should let your mom play a round of Uno with us?”
“I guess.” Grant glanced at me, his face scrunching up in exaggerated skepticism. “But she’s really bad at it. She always loses.”
Ian chuckled, his deep brown eyes flicking to mine, warm and teasing. “Well, maybe this time will be different.”
And as he handed me the cards, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment, I couldn’t help but hope that he was talking about more than just the game.
41
IAN
“Thanks for taking us to dinner,”Maddie said when we drove back toward my house in the Range Rover I kept on hand for when I needed to transport more than one person. “I had a really good time. Pretty sure Grant even liked it more than McDonald’s.”
“Now that is a big compliment,” I said, remembering back to what she’d said about McDonald’s being their typical go-to place for eating out. “I’ll have to tell Rosa that The Italian Amigos has a couple new fans.”
“They totally do,” she said. But then, a sudden shyness filled her expression as she added, “But as nice as it was there, I think my favorite part was seeing how much fun Grant had with you.”
Really?
