Page 40 of Hope After Loss

“Where did you go?” she asks.

“I was just enjoying the bliss,” I say.

“As wonderful as it is and as much as I don’t want to get out, I’m starving.”

“Okay, let’s feed you.”

I stand and reach for the towels. I take the glass from her and hand her one. Then, I step out so I can fetch the robe and bring it to her as she stands and quickly wraps herself in the towel.

“I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

I turn and go inside to get our plates ready so she can have a moment of privacy. Patting myself on the back for having such restraint.

I’m a fucking gentleman.

Anna

“Knock, knock!” I hear Brandee’s voice as she lets herself into the back door.

“In here,” I call.

She walks in with a beer in her hand.

“You ready?” she asks as she finds me in my room, staring into my closet.

“I’m just trying to find something to wear,” I answer.

She walks over and takes a seat on the bed. “What’s wrong with what you have on?” she asks.

I look down at the jeans and loose-fitting blouse I wore to the office yesterday. “I feel frumpy in it.”

“I think it looks nice. Very boho,” she says.

“Weston said he liked it too. I was worried he’d think jeans were too casual for work.”

She laughs. “Too casual? What does Weston wear to work?”

“Jeans, but he’s the boss, and he spends a lot of the day out on the farm. I’m at a desk, and I’m the one people see when they come to the office. I like to look professional, but Kaela spit up on my slacks yesterday morning, and I was running late, so I grabbed the first thing I could find and ran with it. Luckily, Weston liked that I had dressed down.”

“See, if a guy says it, then it must look good,” she says.

I turn to the full-length mirror tucked in the corner of the room. “I guess so.”

“Wait, you said you wore that to work yesterday. Why are you still wearing it?” she asks.

“Um, well, after work, Weston and I went bowling, and he lost a wager, so he had to make me dinner. Since Sara-Beth was watching Kaela at his house and it was late by the time we ate, we stayed the night. I borrowed one of his shirts to sleep in, so I changed back into this before we left to come home this morning.” I fumble out the explanation.

I had a wonderful night. After Weston and I beat the socks off Justin and Zemry at the Rock’n Bowl, Weston made dinner for us. It was the first time he had used his new kitchen, and he was so excited to cook.

We ate at the island and enjoyed a bottle of wine. Then, we cleaned together and watched a little television before retiring for the night.

This morning, Kaela and I snuck out before he woke. I left him a note, thanking him for dinner and letting him know that I was taking off with my early-rising baby before we could disturb him.

“Wait, you went out on a date and spent the night with Weston?!” she squeals.

“No. Not a date. It was a work thing.”

“Bowling? Really?”