Page 120 of The Homemaker

“But I knew some of this.”

I stare at my hands. “Yes.” I lift my gaze. “But no one knows I was driving.”

The lines above the bridge of his nose deepen.

“I lowered my window before the car was fully underwater. And I unbuckled both of our seat belts. Then I went out first.” I wince just from the memories. They’re still there. Not as vivid, but not completely gone. “I thought he was right behind me.” My voice lowers to a whisper. “But he wasn’t.”

Hunter doesn’t rush to respond. Some things don’t need acknowledgment beyond a warm smile.

“Do you want me to read to you?”

“I’d love that,” he whispers with a smile.

I begin reading the first few pages of chapter fifteen, and just when I think Hunter has drifted off to sleep, he grins. He has a crush on the main character, Jessica Day, a sexy assassin in love with her psychiatrist. I resume reading:

She continued ironing his argyle socks. “You need to get laid. Normal people don’t think like you. When was the last time you had sex?” Jessica asked.

Luke ignored her. It was his usual MO when she tried to pry into his life.

“I bet you’re a missionary man. By the book: seven-point-five minutes of foreplay, thirty seconds of clitoral stimulation to get her lubed up, and exactly thirty-five thrusts until climax followed by ten minutes of spooning, a kiss on the cheek, and maybe even a gentlemanly ‘thank you’ before insisting she leave so you can get your necessary eight-point-five hours of sleep.”

“She’s sexy and sassy as hell,” Hunter mumbles.

I grin and continue reading until he falls asleep, but this time I don’t wake him. Neither of us has anywhere to go or anything to do except wait for Vera and Blair to return.

Two hours later, they do just that. But this time, Murphy is with them.

I stand, straightening my dress and hiking my handbag over my shoulder.

“How long has he been asleep?” Vera whispers.

“Not long enough,” Hunter says, opening his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” Blair slides past me to hold her father’s hand.

“Like I might live.”

“Thanks for staying with him.” Vera squeezes my hand. “I think you should take some time off. Hunter won’t be going home for at least a week, and we’ll either be herewith him or dealing with wedding plans. I can arrange to have someone water the garden.”

I can’t look at Murphy with the words “wedding plans” echoing in the room. So I smile at Vera. “Thanks.”

“You deserve it,” she replies.

“Who’s going to read to me?” Hunter asks, earning him scowls from both his wife and daughter.

I blow him a kiss. “Stay out of trouble. And be nice to the nurses.”

“Blair, I need to take a work call,” Murphy says, holding up his phone.

I don’t make eye contact with him as I shuffle out the door and make a beeline for the elevator.

Smack!

His hand darts through the closing doors to stop them. “Alice, are you running away from me?” He steps onto the elevator, tucking his phone in his pocket.

“Nope. Just excited to take a little time off.” I lean against the back wall, hugging my handbag to keep him at a safe distance.

“What are you going to do with your time off?”