17. An Eye Out For You
AN EYE OUT FOR YOU
“ Y ou’re back,” Abe said to Easton on Sunday afternoon. He’d been out mowing the lawn when his cousin pulled in behind Laurel.
“I am,” Easton said. “No reason to not come back. I’ve got everything I need here.”
Abe smiled over the comment.
He was starting to feel the same way after his time with Daphne.
Did he want her to spend the night with him?
Shit yeah.
But she’d left around nine and he let her go, knowing he’d see her tomorrow at the McGill Estate.
Or he damn well was going to try to see her.
Maybe he’d text today too. Just to see if she found a new hobby or not.
Anything to lighten the mood. He liked the playfulness between them.
“You sure do,” he said, waving to Laurel who was grabbing her bag out of her SUV. “Are you making dinner today?”
Laurel laughed. “I planned on it once I went to the store.”
“I’ll cook,” he said. “Or I’ll grill. Got a few steaks hoping you’d both come back.”
Easton looked stunned, then turned to Laurel. “I’m not saying no. Don’t know about you.”
“We’ll be there when you say you’re ready,” Laurel said. “And I’ll bring some kind of a side if you want.”
“I’m throwing potatoes on the grill,” he said. “If you want to make it a more balanced meal, go ahead.”
Laurel laughed. “I’ll finish it up. You talk to your cousin.”
“I’m just going to finish mowing,” he said. “Go in and get settled with your woman.”
Easton snorted over that comment but went in with Laurel and Abe walked around the backyard pushing his mower.
He had enough equipment that he could have done this quicker, but his yard wasn’t big enough for him to worry about. There was nothing wrong with a little bit of sweat and exercise. Seemed Daphne liked it well enough on him.
Maybe he was rushing some in his mind because he did find someone who all but told him he was acting like a fool over what he did for a living or how he looked at the end of the day.
Didn’t his mother tell him when he found that person to hang on tight?
He was going to do it. As long as he didn’t push her away.
After fifteen minutes, he was putting his mower back in the garage and then returning to the house.
His phone was on the kitchen counter and he saw it lit up, then walked over to see the message from Daphne.
She said she had a great time last night and even stressed about reaching out this early now and hoped it didn’t come off as clingy.
Since he’d felt the same way, he wanted to ease her mind.
He wasn’t one for texting and just called instead. “Hi,” he said when she answered right away.
“Hi back at you,” she said.
“Did you find a new hobby thinking about me?” he asked. The minute those words were out of his mouth he actually made a sour pucker face over the cheesiness of them.
“Not sure it’s a hobby,” she said. “But I had some nice thoughts of you in bed last night.”
“The same,” he said. “And it’s not clingy that you’re reaching out. I was going to text you at some point. Just doing some work around the house. I’m ready for a shower now. It’s nice out, but not if you’re mowing and pulling weeds.”
“I don’t get to do those things around here,” she said. “They pay some great company to deal with it.”
He laughed. “You have no clue what your place is going to look like when I’m done. It’s the last thing we are touching though, other than the lawn being mowed.”
“Can’t wait for it,” she said. “Though it’s not like I can watch you working as I’ll be at the main house.”
“You could watch me working now,” he said. “When I’m there. I’m not always.”
“But I plan on keeping an eye out for you.”
“I’ll be doing the same,” he said. He’d like to stay on the phone and talk more, but it wasn’t the type of person he was.
Besides, he was sounding too much like a dorky high school kid with a crush on the hot cheerleader with the shit spewing out of his mouth. Best to quit while he was ahead.
“I’ll let you get back to your chores,” she said. “It was nice to hear your voice.”
“Bye,” he said. He was going to say it was nice to hear hers too but had enough restraint to let it go.
He walked up the stairs to shower and change.
When he came down twenty minutes later, Easton was in his kitchen with a beer in his hand.
“What’s going on?” Easton asked. “It’s not like you to invite us to dinner like that.”
“I have before,” he argued.
“When we bust on you about it,” Easton said, grinning. “And don’t take it any other way than it’s our thing we’ve got. You can’t cook well and you love mooching meals. We love having you.”
He laughed. “I’m not taking it any other way than that. You still owe me for not stealing my neighbor before you could come stay here.”
Easton laughed. “You might have given me a run for my money.”
“I met someone,” he said. Might as well get it out there. He and Daphne hadn’t said what they had was a secret. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel if she said it was.
No, he knew how he’d feel. Like he wasn’t worthy yet again.
“Wow,” Easton said. “And you’re already looking like you’re on cloud nine. You need to tell me about this. How long has it been?”
He was debating on how far back he should go. Easton wouldn’t understand if he didn’t know it all and his cousin could take a secret to the grave.
“It’s a bit complicated.”
“That’s never a good way to start anything,” Easton said, frowning. “Grab a beer if it’s going to take time.”
“Like you and Laurel weren’t complicated to start,” he said, laughing but walked to the fridge to get a beer too. “You watched her kicking her ex off the front porch and then you let her assume you were me.”
“Don’t remind me,” Easton said. “But it worked for sure. Start where you feel comfortable.”
“A few weeks ago I went to the casino for the night. Just to do something,” he said.
“Okay,” Easton said. “Not out of the ordinary for you.”
“No. I sat next to a woman. Daphne. She was nice. Sweet. By herself.”
“You picked someone up at the casino?” Easton asked. “Interesting.”
It was the smirk on his cousin’s face. “Stop. She’s not a gambler. She was playing the slots. New to the area. We got talking and flirting and ended up in a room.”
“Shit,” Easton said. “That’s not you.”
“No,” he said. “It’s not. Not her either.”
“You’re positive about that?” Easton asked.
“Don’t judge. I don’t need that. I’m struggling with her as it is and I got her to relax about it. When you find out who she is you’ll understand more.”
Easton frowned. “Sorry. Keep going.”
“She snuck out on me that night. I was disappointed, but I guess I figured that is what happens. But I couldn’t get her out of my mind.”
“You didn’t know her full name?” Easton asked.
“No. Fast forward more than a week later and I’m at the McGill Estate. I hear the name Daphne again as their nanny. It’s not very common.”
“No,” Easton said. “It’s her?”
“It is. I saw her, but she didn’t recognize me. I was mowing the lawn and had my hat and sunglasses on. She lives on the property in a cabin. I’m doing work all around the whole estate. I decided to go down and check out the markings when I knew she’d be there.”
Easton laughed. “What was her reaction when she realized who you were?”
“Embarrassment,” he said. “She was mortified over what she’d done. She said it was the first time she ever had. She’d just moved to the area for the job. She was lonely. One thing led to another. It just happened.”
“And now what?” Easton asked. “You’re trying to convince her to give you a chance? My money is on you when you want something.”
“Thanks,” he said, taking a long swig of his beer. “We talked. I told her there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Then we ran into each other in the store. I might have followed behind her like a kid does Santa hoping to see the naughty and nice list.”
“And hoping you weren’t on the naughty list,” Easton said, laughing.
“That about sums it up. We had dinner on July Fourth. That was the day in the store. Then again on Friday and a daylong date on Saturday. I just talked to her a few minutes ago.”
“Sounds like things are going well,” Easton said. “Considering how it started.”
“I like her a lot. You know what I’ve gone through. She’s seen that side of me. She has no problem with it. She’s a little skittish about things and feels out of her element. She’s more basic like us. Likes to get outside and do things. Said she’d rather see a man sweat than sit at a desk.”
“I agree,” Laurel said, walking in the back door. “Good thing I got a look at Easton all hot and sweaty before I found out he sat behind a computer all day.”
Easton reached for Laurel and pulled her close. “You love every part of me.”
“I do,” Laurel said. “And what are we talking about?”
“Abe found a woman he’s been dating.”
He looked at his cousin and gave him the stare to keep part of the conversation to himself. Not that he didn’t trust Laurel, but the next bit of information would give it away as to why.
“That’s great,” Laurel said. “Maybe we can all get together sometime. I’d love to meet her.”
“You have,” he said.
“Huh?” Easton asked.
“Who is it?” Laurel asked.
“Daphne Allen. Aster’s sister that just moved here.”
“Poppy’s new nanny?” Laurel said. “She’s a sweetheart. Oh my. I can totally see you two together. Does Aster know?”
“I doubt it,” he said. “We’ve only been on three dates. I’m sure she’ll tell her brother at some point.”
Laurel put her hand in front of her mouth and talked through her fingers. “It won’t come from me.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“And this is why you wanted to cook dinner?” Easton asked. “To tell us this?”
“That and because I’m in the mood for steak and figured it’s the least I can do once you smelled the smoke floating toward your house.”
“You do grill good,” Laurel said. “Have you grilled for Daphne yet?”
“That’s how I won her over,” he said. “My cooking ability.”
“Now we know you’re joking,” Laurel said, laughing. “But I’m happy for you. I can’t wait to see her again.”
Neither could he.