Falling into Forever (Falling into You) - By Lauren Abrams Page 0,84
some people might not think so. You know, people tell me that’s I’m obstinate, too. I like to think it means that you’re absolutely convinced that you can get what you want and you go after them. You should never give up on the things that you want.”
“Then maybe I like being obstinate. See, Mommy? I told you that you should have gotten me that kitten that I want. I won’t give up now. I’m obstinate.”
“Thanks. Really. I mean it.”
“Is that sarcasm I hear, Hallie? Grace, you’re more than welcome to be obstinate, but you should stay away from sarcasm. It’s a very bad habit and your mom has sarcasm in spades.”
“I’m glad I invited you to pizza night, Mr. Jensen.”
“Me too, Grace.”
“Me, three,” I mutter, just under my breath. There’s more than a trace of sarcasm.
* * *
I’m putting the last of the pizza dishes into the sink as Chris and Grace discuss the merits of various pizza toppings, which alternately makes me want to laugh and cry. My daughter has completely fallen under Chris Jensen’s powerful spell and I can do nothing but watch it happen right in front of my eyes.
Grace giggles. “Veggie pepperoni is better for you than real pepperoni.”
“It tastes great, too.” He gags, which makes me spin around.
“Oh, wait. Is that sarcasm I hear?”
“Certainly not.” He spins Grace’s chair so that she’s facing him. “We won’t let her get away with baseless accusations, will we, Grace?”
“No?”
“No.”
Grace tries to laugh again, but it turns into a yawn.
“Okay. Enough of the mockery. Grace, it is already past your bedtime. You need to get to sleep before Mr. Jensen tells you any more of his ridiculous stories.”
“Chris’s stories, Mommy. He told me to call him Chris.”
“We’ll talk about that later.” I shoot him a death stare and lift Grace into my arms. “Say goodnight, Grace.”
“Goodnight, Chris. I want you to come to every pizza night so you can say more stories about the elephants that you saw in the water and the people in the restaurant.”
“We’ll see about that, Grace. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
She giggles. “My daddy used to say that, too.”
My heart falls into my stomach.
“He sounds like a very smart man. And maybe even an obstinate one.” He stands up and does a little bow for her, which takes some of the tension out of the moment. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Grace.”
“You too, Chris.”
“Come on, ladybug. Let’s get to bed.”
Grace protests all the way up the stairs.
“Mommy, I want to stay up to play with the grown-ups. I am four. Four.”
“There will be plenty of time for you to play with the grown ups. Just not right now. Not yet.”
I expect a battle, but the drive from Chicago has worn her out and she’s practically sleeping as I ease her into pajamas and pull the covers up to her chin.
“Kisses?”
She kisses both of my cheeks, all over. I cover her with a few of my own and by the time I’ve gotten enough of staring at how absolutely beautiful she is, she’s drifted off into sleep.
I catch the door softly as I exit and make my way down the stairs slowly. Even though I’ve had a long time to think about what needs to be said, I still don’t have any way of saying it. When I get to the kitchen, I see him barefoot, wiping down the table with a sponge from the sink. Even domesticity looks good on him. Damn it. Again.
He gives me a soft smile before taking the last plate from the table and placing it in the dishwasher.
“She’s a great kid.”
“She is. I think I’ll keep her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Hals? There was certainly time, even amidst platonic and not so platonic trysts, for you to tell me about the most important person in your life. I can only assume that you didn’t want me to know.”
I pick up the sponge and scrub at the nonexistent crumbs on the counter before letting out a long sigh and turning around to stare into his face.
“I couldn’t figure out a good way to tell you.”
“Bullshit.”
“Fine. I couldn’t figure out if this, you and me, was real or not.”
He crosses to me and places a hand on my arm, a fierce look in his eyes. “Really, Hals? You couldn’t figure out if you and I were real? I call bullshit on that one, too.”
I hear a soft moan from upstairs and I shake my head