Four Weddings and a Swamp Boat Tour - Erin Nicholas Page 0,31

going to drive her nuts. “What do you like about them?”

“Everything.”

Right. She sighed. And wondered where Mitch was. He liked to talk.

Of course, he liked to talk about feelings and being crazy about her. Which was really nice on the one hand. On the other, it made just hanging out here complicated and made her think maybe she shouldn’t stay for seven months.

It also made her kind of want to stay longer than seven months.

She should enjoy her time with Griffin. Her quiet time with Griffin. She focused on the game he was watching. Tim jumped up on her lap, and she smiled, rubbing him behind the ears in the way he loved. The cat settled on her lap, and she and Griffin watched the rest of the first half of the game without a word.

Not one. Not a single word.

Paige spent a lot of time alone in her own apartment and didn’t miss human conversation, but it was different when there was a person sitting right there. She’d never met anyone who could sit for thirty minutes straight with another person and not say one single thing.

Griffin should be her new favorite person.

But she was pretty sure that as long as Mitch Landry was around, there was no way any other guy was going to even come close.

By the time Mitch did come in through the back door, all five cats had found a new human to adore. Even Fred, who had finally come out of the cupboard. All of them were on or near Griffin.

They apparently preferred the quiet, broody type.

They definitely preferred the type with a bigger lap and hands.

Paige heard the back-kitchen door open and sprang from her seat.

Someone to talk to! One of her favorite people to talk to, in fact.

That thought nearly stopped her steps, but she chalked it up to Mitch being new and interesting to her. In that she didn’t know all of his stories and everything about his growing up years and his entire family—the way she did all the guys she’d dated in Appleby. Hell, all the people she knew in Appleby.

“Hi!”

Mitch looked up from where he was toeing off his boots back by the back door. He gave her a big grin, and Paige immediately felt a swoop in her stomach.

“Hey.”

“How is everything?”

“Everything is… good.” He frowned slightly when he said it though.

“They’re not mad that I didn’t come up for dinner?”

“No. Everything is fine.” He grabbed a couple of brown boxes off the counter and started toward her. “Is Griff here?”

“Yep.”

Mitch smiled and stepped around her, heading into the living room.

Huh. His grin had said he was happy to see her, but not even a kiss?

You’re roommates. He’s not your boyfriend. You don’t need kisses hello. Or goodbye.

Maybe they were only going to kiss when it was going to lead to the bedroom.

And she’d told him earlier that she thought she should have her own room. So, maybe this was just him adjusting to that.

She followed him into the living room, where he greeted his roommate. His other roommate.

“Ellie sent food,” Mitch told him. He was grinning at the sight of Griffin covered in cats. “I guess you don’t mind our guests.”

Griffin looked down at his lap, then at the cat that was tucked under one of his arms. “I’ve definitely watched basketball with worse friends.”

Mitch chuckled. “Want me to put the food in the kitchen?”

“Nah, just take a cat.”

Paige lifted a brow, but Mitch stepped forward and scooped Eddie and Bernie up. Tim, Fred, and Calvin all lifted their heads—one from the cushion next to Griffin and two from the back of the couch—but they didn’t jump down or scurry off.

Paige shook her head. Her cats were pretty laid-back. If they weren’t trapped in a car going God-knew-where. They were around the yoga classes every day and loved the attention and human touch they got there. But she was surprised that they’d adjusted to these two men so quickly.

Griffin got to his feet and took the chair Paige had been sitting in. He pulled the coffee table closer and opened the boxes of food.

The spices were fragrant, and Griffin took a deep breath and actually smiled.

He freaking smiled.

At some mix of shrimp and rice. While she’d been unable to even get many words out of it.

And damn, the guy was gorgeous. The broody thing didn’t make him less attractive, but the smile definitely amped it up.

Mitch took Griffin’s vacated seat on the couch with the two cats