Page 37 of The Holy Grail
“Good enough to do it again?” he wanted to know.
“Absolutely.”
Malcom pulled her in close. “That’s what I was hoping to hear.”
“Not so shy now, are you?” she teased, barely getting the words out before he claimed her lips again.
“It comes and goes.”
“Hmm, well I can’t wait to see if it comes and goes when we’re in bed.”
His eyes widened a little at her blunt statement, and any and all comebacks fled, leaving him speechless and feeling like she was playing in the MLB and he was still in Little League.
She chuckled. “And just like that, the shyness is back.”
Chapter 10
Richard and Edie
“Hey, Freckles,” Richard Shaw greeted Jules as he accepted her FaceTime call.
“Hey, Dad,” she replied back.
He looked slightly flustered, making her immediately suspicious that she’d interrupted something. It was basically confirmed when Richard said, “Your mom is around here somewhere … hang on.”
A moment later, Edie appeared onscreen, smoothing her hair a little. “Hi, honey.”
“Hi, Mom. I can call back if you two are in the middle of something …”
“It’s nothing we can’t get back to later,” Edie said with an assuring smile.
Jules wasn’t surprised. Her parents always seemed to drop what they were doing to talk, as if they were afraid it would be the last time they’d have a conversation with their daughter and didn’t want to miss it.
“So, what’s going on?” Richard asked.
“I just wanted to let you know how my first date with Malcom went.”
Edie perked up at that. “You went on a date?”
Jules took a few minutes to update them on what had been happening since their last conversation, starting with the flowers she’d sent Malcom. When she got to the part where she’d almost been stood up at dinner, Richard’s eyes narrowed with fatherly anger.
“Take it easy, Dad,” Jules admonished. “Don’t polish your Louisville Slugger just yet.”
She then went on to tell them about the end of the dinner date and her talk with Malcom. “He really did like the flowers, by the way.”
Richard immediately took credit for the idea to send them, at which point Edie chimed in. “It was obviously thechoiceof flowers that made the difference.”
When Jules told them about the evening at Malcom’s house, they peppered her with questions.
“He cooks?” Edie looked both impressed and intrigued.
“He does. Like restaurant-quality food.”
“I cook, too,” Richard broke in.
“No, yougrill,” Edie corrected him. “Big difference.”
“He even makes great salads,” Jules added.
