Not Quite Over You
Page 43
He and Melissa got fresh litter in the box and water in the bowl, then let out Mr. Whiskers. The rabbit hopped out, then looked around, as if judging his new surroundings. After a couple of seconds of sniffing and whisker twitching, he hopped into his old hutch and began burrowing in the hay.
“I think he’s happy to be home,” Drew said. “Please tell Emily that her rabbit missed her every day.”
Melissa smiled. “I will.” Her gaze turned speculative. “Why aren’t you married?”
He held up both hands. “Gee, look at the time.”
She laughed. “Sorry. That was too blunt, huh? I just mean, you’re a really good guy and you took in our rabbit. Who does that?”
“He’s not a lot of a work and he’s a good listener. I didn’t mind.”
“Still. You helped out so much. What if we’d given him away to someone who didn’t want to give him back, and then we’d found out he wasn’t the problem? Emily would have been devastated.”
“She’s a sweet girl. I’m glad I could help.”
“You saved us. Thanks, Drew.” She walked him to the front door. “And you should think about the marriage thing. You’d be a good dad.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He walked back to the truck, Melissa’s comment about getting married stuck in his head.
He’d always assumed that was going to happen. That he would be a husband and a father—he’d actually expected it to have happened by now. Only it hadn’t. There’d been the near-disastrous engagement to Ashley Lauren, but nothing since. No serious relationships, no falling in love. He hadn’t even missed being involved until he’d noticed Silver again.
Funny how his plan to get back into her life by buying into her business had turned into something else entirely. They were together—sexually and in the business. They had a kid together. He’d gone from zero to sixty faster than he would have thought possible, and oddly enough, it all felt right. He wasn’t sure it was forever or just for now, but whatever it was, she was someone he wanted to be around.
He drove back to her place and walked inside the retail space to give her back her truck keys.
“How was the reunion?” she asked.
“He seemed happy to be home. Emily doesn’t know yet. She’s going to find out after school. I suspect she’ll be one excited girl.”
Silver stared at him without speaking.
“What?” he asked, pulling her close and kissing her.
“It was really nice of you to take in her rabbit.”
“It was nothing. He’s an easy pet. I was happy to help.”
“You’re a good guy.”
“Thanks.”
She was so beautiful. Every now and then he was caught off guard by the perfect shape of her face or the way her long hair moved. She was smart and sexy and determined. He wanted to go back in time and beat some sense into his eighteen-year-old self. He should never have let her get away.
She took a step back. “Stop it. Whatever you’re thinking, stop it.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“I can guess. You have that ‘I made a mistake’ look. Drew, we’ve been over this. We were kids. We made the right decision. There’s no way we could have been half as good at parenting Autumn as Leigh and Paul were. Besides, even if we made the wrong decision, which we didn’t, it’s done. There’s no going back. We just have to keep moving forward.”
“That sounds very sensible.”
“It is.”
“I’d like Autumn to meet Grandpa Frank.”
“I think that’s a great idea. What about your mother?”
He grimaced. “Let’s stick with Grandpa Frank for now. I’ll tell my mom about her, but I have a feeling Autumn is not part of her master plan.”
“Probably not.” She moved toward him. “Do you have to rush right back to work or do you have a few minutes?”
“I can stick around for a bit. Did you have something you wanted to talk about?”
She smiled. “Not really. The new sofas are all unwrapped and in place. I thought maybe we could take one of them for a test drive.”
Blood heated instantly. He went from conversational to horny in a single heartbeat. “I’m in. Let me lock the door and I’ll meet you back here.”
“I’ll be the one who’s naked.”
He leaned in and kissed her. “I’ve always liked that about you.”
* * *
“I FINISHED ALL my schoolwork,” Autumn said as they drove to Wynn’s house. “It’s not hard at all. There aren’t any distractions. I could probably work a little harder and do more than a day’s work at a time, and then take Friday off. We could go visit Millie and her friends. I’ve never hung out with giraffes before yesterday. It was the best. So, no school Friday?”
“That’s one thought. Or you could do what you’re supposed to do and stop bugging me.”
Autumn laughed. “Okay, but I have to try.”
“Apparently.”
Silver had to admit, it was a really good day. The sun was out, the temperature warm, she’d had hot monkey sex with Drew and now she was going to spend the rest of the afternoon with Autumn. Well, technically Autumn would be riding bikes with Hunter, but Silver would be nearby and able to watch them, so that would be fun, too.
This was good, she thought. All of it. The business, Autumn, Drew, although she knew she had to be careful about him. She didn’t want to confuse fun with falling for him.
She pulled into Wynn’s driveway. Autumn scrambled out of the truck just as Hunter flew out the front door. They met on the lawn and did some elaborate handshake they’d worked out while in line at Disneyland, then lifted Autumn’s borrowed bike from the back of the truck.
Before Silver had made it to the front door, they had their helmets on and were heading down the street.
“Stay in touch,” she yelled after them.
They both waved.
Wynn greeted her and invited her in. “I told Hunter he had to check with me every thirty minutes and they had to be home for good by four-thirty. You’re always welcome to stay for a visit or you can come get her then.”
“I’ll stay for a bit, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t.”
Silver sat at the kitchen table. Wynn pulled out cans of diet soda for them and took the chair across from her.
“How’s the visiting going?” Wynn asked.
“We’re having a lot of fun. Poor Carol. I begged her to meet us at the animal preserve yesterday so Autumn could see Millie and her friends up close.”
“Carol loves showing off her animals.”
“She does.”
“How’s Drew settling into short-term fatherhood?”
“Easily. I’m surprised. Sometimes he’s nervous, but he’s done so well with her. They get along. They talk about stuff. It’s good.”
Wynn’s expression was knowing.
“What?” Silver demanded. “Don’t read more into the situation than there is. We’re dealing with what could be a very awkward situation. Nothing more.”
“You sure that’s all it is? You did once love him.”
“I also once thought a PB&J sandwich was the best food in the world. Tastes change.”
“I think he’s happy to be home,” Drew said. “Please tell Emily that her rabbit missed her every day.”
Melissa smiled. “I will.” Her gaze turned speculative. “Why aren’t you married?”
He held up both hands. “Gee, look at the time.”
She laughed. “Sorry. That was too blunt, huh? I just mean, you’re a really good guy and you took in our rabbit. Who does that?”
“He’s not a lot of a work and he’s a good listener. I didn’t mind.”
“Still. You helped out so much. What if we’d given him away to someone who didn’t want to give him back, and then we’d found out he wasn’t the problem? Emily would have been devastated.”
“She’s a sweet girl. I’m glad I could help.”
“You saved us. Thanks, Drew.” She walked him to the front door. “And you should think about the marriage thing. You’d be a good dad.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He walked back to the truck, Melissa’s comment about getting married stuck in his head.
He’d always assumed that was going to happen. That he would be a husband and a father—he’d actually expected it to have happened by now. Only it hadn’t. There’d been the near-disastrous engagement to Ashley Lauren, but nothing since. No serious relationships, no falling in love. He hadn’t even missed being involved until he’d noticed Silver again.
Funny how his plan to get back into her life by buying into her business had turned into something else entirely. They were together—sexually and in the business. They had a kid together. He’d gone from zero to sixty faster than he would have thought possible, and oddly enough, it all felt right. He wasn’t sure it was forever or just for now, but whatever it was, she was someone he wanted to be around.
He drove back to her place and walked inside the retail space to give her back her truck keys.
“How was the reunion?” she asked.
“He seemed happy to be home. Emily doesn’t know yet. She’s going to find out after school. I suspect she’ll be one excited girl.”
Silver stared at him without speaking.
“What?” he asked, pulling her close and kissing her.
“It was really nice of you to take in her rabbit.”
“It was nothing. He’s an easy pet. I was happy to help.”
“You’re a good guy.”
“Thanks.”
She was so beautiful. Every now and then he was caught off guard by the perfect shape of her face or the way her long hair moved. She was smart and sexy and determined. He wanted to go back in time and beat some sense into his eighteen-year-old self. He should never have let her get away.
She took a step back. “Stop it. Whatever you’re thinking, stop it.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“I can guess. You have that ‘I made a mistake’ look. Drew, we’ve been over this. We were kids. We made the right decision. There’s no way we could have been half as good at parenting Autumn as Leigh and Paul were. Besides, even if we made the wrong decision, which we didn’t, it’s done. There’s no going back. We just have to keep moving forward.”
“That sounds very sensible.”
“It is.”
“I’d like Autumn to meet Grandpa Frank.”
“I think that’s a great idea. What about your mother?”
He grimaced. “Let’s stick with Grandpa Frank for now. I’ll tell my mom about her, but I have a feeling Autumn is not part of her master plan.”
“Probably not.” She moved toward him. “Do you have to rush right back to work or do you have a few minutes?”
“I can stick around for a bit. Did you have something you wanted to talk about?”
She smiled. “Not really. The new sofas are all unwrapped and in place. I thought maybe we could take one of them for a test drive.”
Blood heated instantly. He went from conversational to horny in a single heartbeat. “I’m in. Let me lock the door and I’ll meet you back here.”
“I’ll be the one who’s naked.”
He leaned in and kissed her. “I’ve always liked that about you.”
* * *
“I FINISHED ALL my schoolwork,” Autumn said as they drove to Wynn’s house. “It’s not hard at all. There aren’t any distractions. I could probably work a little harder and do more than a day’s work at a time, and then take Friday off. We could go visit Millie and her friends. I’ve never hung out with giraffes before yesterday. It was the best. So, no school Friday?”
“That’s one thought. Or you could do what you’re supposed to do and stop bugging me.”
Autumn laughed. “Okay, but I have to try.”
“Apparently.”
Silver had to admit, it was a really good day. The sun was out, the temperature warm, she’d had hot monkey sex with Drew and now she was going to spend the rest of the afternoon with Autumn. Well, technically Autumn would be riding bikes with Hunter, but Silver would be nearby and able to watch them, so that would be fun, too.
This was good, she thought. All of it. The business, Autumn, Drew, although she knew she had to be careful about him. She didn’t want to confuse fun with falling for him.
She pulled into Wynn’s driveway. Autumn scrambled out of the truck just as Hunter flew out the front door. They met on the lawn and did some elaborate handshake they’d worked out while in line at Disneyland, then lifted Autumn’s borrowed bike from the back of the truck.
Before Silver had made it to the front door, they had their helmets on and were heading down the street.
“Stay in touch,” she yelled after them.
They both waved.
Wynn greeted her and invited her in. “I told Hunter he had to check with me every thirty minutes and they had to be home for good by four-thirty. You’re always welcome to stay for a visit or you can come get her then.”
“I’ll stay for a bit, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t.”
Silver sat at the kitchen table. Wynn pulled out cans of diet soda for them and took the chair across from her.
“How’s the visiting going?” Wynn asked.
“We’re having a lot of fun. Poor Carol. I begged her to meet us at the animal preserve yesterday so Autumn could see Millie and her friends up close.”
“Carol loves showing off her animals.”
“She does.”
“How’s Drew settling into short-term fatherhood?”
“Easily. I’m surprised. Sometimes he’s nervous, but he’s done so well with her. They get along. They talk about stuff. It’s good.”
Wynn’s expression was knowing.
“What?” Silver demanded. “Don’t read more into the situation than there is. We’re dealing with what could be a very awkward situation. Nothing more.”
“You sure that’s all it is? You did once love him.”
“I also once thought a PB&J sandwich was the best food in the world. Tastes change.”
