“She loves taking care of Jake. She said he reminds her of Bodhi.”
“I’ll bet she was a great big sister.”
Maybe she could be again.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Where the fuck did that come from?
Was I being disloyal to Bodhi for thinking that? Was I trying to replace him with Jake?
With a forced smile, I replied, “She really was.”
Gretchen must have sensed my uneasiness because she cocked her head and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with us staying here?”
I took a cleansing breath in through my nose and thought back to the conversation I’d had with Bodhi at the cemetery earlier this week. A sense of peace flowed through me, and I told her unequivocally, “Absolutely. I’m happy you’re here. Let me show you the guest room.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Gretchen
I’d been right—Gabe’s house was beautiful inside, too, although it wasn’t as pristine as the outside. It was clean and tidy, but also homey.
I kept a vigilant eye on Jake to make sure he didn’t get into anything he wasn’t supposed to. Brittany and Brayden were eleven and thirteen, there was no need for the house to be baby-proofed for them.
My little walking wrecking ball, on the other hand…
Gabe noticed my hyper-vigilance and put his hand on my arm.
“Relax. There’s nothing he can touch that can’t be replaced.”
“But I’d rather not have to replace anything.”
“Gretchen, between Brayden and Britt and their friends, there have been plenty of kids in this house. Welivehere. This isn’t a museum. Stop worrying.”
I willed myself to lower my shoulders and offer him a small smile.
“I’ll try.”
His eyes were kind as he stared at me, and I felt the familiar flutter in my belly. I needed to squash that bullshit immediately. I wasn’t making a fool of myself again.
I tucked my hair behind my ear as I cleared my throat and looked away, searching for something to talk about.
I finally asked, “Um, are you hungry?”
“Yeah. What should we order for dinner?”
“We don’t have to get delivery; I can make us something.”
“You’re my guest. I’m not going to ask you to cook.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. Besides, Ienjoycooking. I’ve missed doing it. Jake can be a picky eater, and it’s no fun cooking for one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. Although let me see what ingredients you have before I get ahead of myself.”
“My housekeeper does a good job of making sure my pantry and freezer are stocked, and she tries to have more fruits and veggies when the kids are going to be here, but a lot of times it ends up getting thrown out.”
