Page 33 of Dear Henry, Love Edith
Edith grabbed her bag that must have fallen onto the ground during their kiss. She hiked it onto her shoulder. “Right now all that matters is I find Henry and tell him I’m moving out.”
“You sure? That seems—”Rather reasonable considering the sixty-year age gap between us has been removed, so we probably shouldn’t continue living together since all I can think about is kissing you, and oh yeah, I’m Henry, by the way—“rash. Maybe you should think it over.”
“What’s to think over? Henry doesn’t need this sort of drama.Idon’t need this sort of drama. I’ll find somewhere else to stay until Steve leaves town. Kat’s house has got to be almost ready. Do you know Kat?”
“Everybody knows Kat.”
“Right. Small town. Keep forgetting.” Edith started to march past.
“Hey, look,” Henry said, latching on to her elbow and spinning her back to face him. “I can guarantee Henry doesn’t want you to leave.”Ever. Definitely not today.
“Really?”
“Of course. That’s why he called me this morning.” Henry could see his lies snowballing in front of him. But it was worth it, right? To protect her from Steve? He’d do a little soul-searching later on whether that was his real motivation. “Henry cares about you, Edith. I know he does. Why do you think he came up with this whole idea of me pretending to be your boyfriend?”
“He did?”
“After Steve came to his house, he was really worried about you.”
Edith groaned and started pacing again. “I never should have let Steve think I had a boyfriend. And why on earth did I say Henry’s name? This is such a mess. I just didn’t know what else to say when Steve wouldn’t leave last night.”
“What do you mean he wouldn’t leave last night?” His protective instinct roared to life, suggesting his real motivationwasto protect Edith from Steve. Which meant she should definitely stay in his house until Steve left town. Which meant he should definitely wait to tell her he was Henry. Right?
“Don’t worry. Steve left once I threatened him with babies. But how long can I continue to do that?”
“Threaten him with babies?”
“He’s going to figure out the truth eventually. I don’t have a boyfriend. The house is full of plants.Ugh.Why can’t I just get on a plane today and fly to South Africa and neverreturn? Is that too much to ask?” Edith continued rambling and pacing.
Henry palmed his stomach. The thought of Edith never returning hurt worse than a kick to the gut. And felt way too familiar. He should tell her the truth. Now. Before she pulled a Maggie on him and left him in the dust.
“It isn’t Paul, is it?” Edith had stopped pacing and was staring at him.
Henry shook his head. “You’ve lost me. Who’s Paul?”
“I never knew your name when we met before, so I just always called you Paul in my head. Well, Paul Hubba-Hubba Newman if you want to be exact,” she murmured before clearing her throat. “So what’s your real name? I assume Hobbes is your last name?”
“It is.” A glimmer of hope lit inside Henry’s chest as a slow smile tilted his lips. So he was the blue-eyed man that had reminded her of Paul Newman, was he?Hubba-hubba.He’d spent all this time thinking about his infatuation with her, but he’d neglected one major thing. This woman was wildly attracted to him. She’d said as much in her letters. More than that, she was—how did she put it?—“half in love”with him.
“Why are you looking at me like that? What are you doing?” She eyed him warily as he slowly approached her. “Are you going to tell me your name? You’re making me nervous.”
He was makinghernervous? If she only knew.
He forced as much calm into his voice as he could and willed his hand not to shake while he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I thought you already knew. My name is Henry.”
Her forehead wrinkled with confusion. “I don’t... I don’t understand.”
“Until Steve catches a one-way ticket out of here, I plan on being the new love of your life. And let’s just say for now, the new love of your life goes by the name Henry Hobbes.”
The first time Edith woke up, she wondered if it had all been a dream. But the way her lips still tingled, no way the kiss she and Henry shared by the shrubs had been a dream.
Henry.
It was weird calling him that. But he was right. Why take the chance of calling him the wrong name when he was supposed to be playing the part of Henry? Boyfriend Henry. Not old Henry, who was the real Henry.
The whole thing left her brain muddled. Or maybe it was her sleep schedule that had muddled her brain. She rolled over and drifted back to sleep.
The second time she woke up, it was because she heard the sink running downstairs. Why did she hear the sink running? She bolted upright. What time was it? Was someone in the house?
