Page 60 of Falling for You
A smile spreads across my face. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“I’d do anything to make it better, Sunshine. Anything.”
I slide off, following him downstairs and out the front door without looking at anything related to Olivia.
He parks the truck in the back, by the door at his office instead of going in through the front.
Before he opens the door, he stops and turns to face me. “Do you want to eat in the dining room, or in my office?”
“Um. Both? Can we get the quiet corner booth by the hallway?”
“I’ll check.” He uses his key to unlock the side door and we slip in, down the darkened hallway toward the action.
I stop by his office door when he continues on and pokes his head around the corner. He turns to nod to me that it’s open and I follow him.
“Stay here. I’ll go grab Clark and tell him two of anything.” He kisses the top of my head before leaving.
I slide all the way into the corner, hiding myself from the world, but still wanting to feel like a part of it.
I need the background noises of happy conversations to keep me from spiraling in my own head.
How did I let this happen again? How did I not see the warning signs? I should have known what the Ryans were planning. I can’t blame them. I’d do it to get Olivia back, honestly.
Do I even have a right to want her back? She’s not mine. I’m the nanny. I’m nothing to her, but she’s everything to me.
“Get out of your head, Sunshine.” Rome slides into the booth across the table from me.
“I’m sorry.” I shake my head, bringing me back to the here and now. “What is Clark making?”
He smiles, “He said we need true comfort food, so bacon cheeseburgers with caramelized onions, garlic mayo, and of course fries.”
Ugh. My mouth is already watering, and my stomach grumbles at the thought of Clark’s cheeseburgers. They are hands down the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. He manages to char the edges just right while keeping the beef juicy, and just… perfect.
“What the heck are you doing here? I thought you were off because…” Jasmine approaches our table and looks around to see who else can hear us. “You know.”
My stomach grumbles again. “I was hungry. But we didn’t have the energy to cook.”
Her look changes to one of pity. “I’m so sorry, Emma. I can’t imagine someone taking my baby boy. You come here for whatever meal you want and I’ll make sure you have the quiet booth and access to Clark. In fact, I’m marking this booth as permanently full until you’re ready for me to release it.” She gives me a sad smile, and I appreciate the thought.
“Thanks, Jasmine.”
“Y’all want some drinks while you wait for Clark?”
“I’ll take a Coke,” I answer her.
“Give me an IPA? Dealer’s choice,” Rome orders.
She walks away, leaving us back to our sad conversation.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Not here. I don’t want to have another breakdown in public.”
He nods, understanding my plea. I’m not the emotional sibling. That’s Coop. He’s the one with all the feelings. One good commercial and he’s in tears.
Jasmine returns with our drinks. “Clark is coming with your food, guys. Let me know what else you need. I won’t bug you, so just flag me down.”
She deserves a raise.
True to her word, Clark is in fact right behind her with two plates.
