Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
STELLA
“ H i, I’m Maya, blah blah blah,” the gorgeous woman says as she visibly runs down a hallway, making me a little dizzy. “I only have a minute before Gray catches me. You should come here.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. He’s stressed, and he talked about you a lot today. Plus, we all want to meet you. Gray doesn’t talk about women. Ever. Trust me, I’ve known him all of my twenty-seven years, and he’s always tight-lipped about girls. Until today. So, since he’s here for at least a few days, you should come. Mostly for him. But, like, six percent for me because I want to meet you in person. You’re beautiful, by the way. How do you get your eyebrows like that? Mine are always so damn unruly.”
“Oh, it’s all in the eyebrow wax?—”
“Give me the damn phone.”
There’s a scuffle, the phone is juggled, and then Gray’s handsome face fills the screen once more.
“Sorry about that,” he says and shakes his head as he walks.
“All of the walking is kind of making me seasick,” I confess as I close my eyes. “Let me know when you’re stationary again.”
I hear him chuckle, and a few seconds later, he says, “It’s safe now.”
I crack open one eye, and when I see that he is, indeed, sitting, I open them both and let out a sigh of relief.
“So, the whole family is there?” I ask.
“You met Maya,” he replies, and I can see the weariness in his eyes. It makes me want to wrap my arms around him and hold him close. “She arrived just after I did. She lives in Spokane, so it was a quick drive for her.”
“And your other sister?”
“Sid will be here in the morning,” he replies and rubs his hand through his hair. “She’s a singer in Nashville and couldn’t get a flight until tonight. She’s taking the red-eye.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “If I’d known?—”
“Absolutely, not,” he says immediately, shaking his head. “You got me here, and that’s way more than you should have done. Sidney will get here safe and sound.”
“And your mom?” I ask softly. “How is she doing?”
Gray blows out a breath. “She’s uncomfortable and a little scared. But they gave her some good drugs tonight so she can sleep.”
“So she injured both on the same side?”
“Yeah, her left side,” he confirms. “She’s been feeling dizzy lately and fell down the stairs, landed hard on that side. I’m just so glad that Dad was here at the time, so she didn’t lay alone for God knows how long until she got help.”
“That’s definitely a silver lining,” I agree. “I hope she heals quickly.”
“Me, too.” He smiles at me and seems to soak me in. “Twenty-four hours ago looked very different, didn’t it?”
I have visions of us rolling around on his huge bed, laughing and moaning, sighing. It was the best sex of my life.
“A lot can happen in a day,” I agree and send him a wink. “Get some rest, Gray. You need it.”
“Look like shit, do I?”
“I don’t think it’s possible for you to look bad, but I can see that you’re worn out. Go to sleep. Hopefully, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Thanks again. I’ll be in touch.”
“Good night.”
I blow him a kiss, and when he clicks off, I bite my lip, unsure what to do. Maya seemed sure that I should go and be with him, at least for a couple of days. And I saw for myself that he looked damn tired—and so sad. I do want to hug him. And reassure him.
Which seems so weird because I’ve only known Gray for a few days.
Yet it feels as though I’ve known him for years.
Maybe I need to talk this out with Liv because I’m tempted to just pack a bag, hop in my car, and drive straight to Idaho.
Despite it being so late, I dial Liv’s number and listen to the phone ring on the other end three times before she picks up.
“Sorry if I woke you,” I say to her.
“You didn’t, I was just in the hot tub and not near the phone. What’s up? Is everything okay?”
“I think so,” I reply. “At least, I’m not calling because anything’s wrong with any of the parents or anything.”
“Good.”
“You know, I miss you. I don’t see you much at all, and I barely talk to you these days.”
“I know.” She sighs on the other end. “We really do need to get together. I’ll see you on Saturday for the cousins’ night.”
“And that’ll be fun, but it’s not the same as when we have time for just the two of us.”
“I know,” she says again. “We’ll make it happen some night next week. I promise.”
“Okay. Listen, I won’t keep you long. I just wanted you to know that I’m going to Idaho to help out a friend.”
I want to tell her everything. God, I miss my best friend so much, but it’s late, and I already know what I want to do.
I want to see Gray.
“Who’s the friend?” she asks, but I hear Vaughn in the background before I can answer her. “I’m sorry, Stel, I have to go. Let’s have dinner this week, and you can tell me everything. When will you be back?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll be gone a couple of days at most. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Okay. Safe travels.” She giggles, and I wrinkle my nose.
“I’d tell you to get a room, but I think you already have. Bye, Liv.”
She laughs some more and then says, “Bye, Stel.”
Yeah, I miss her. I want to tell her everything about Gray and get her advice. I would have told her everything days ago if we still lived together. And I wouldn’t feel like I’m keeping some sort of weird secret from her.
Because Gray definitely isn’t a secret.
He’s just new.
I left Seattle at four-thirty this morning. Too keyed up to sleep, I packed right after hanging up with Liv.
Less than five hours later—and thanks to the address Maya managed to text me—I pull into the driveway of a large house on a big lake in northern Idaho.
I have no idea how Maya managed to get my number from Gray, but I’m so grateful that she did because I really want this to be a surprise for Gray.
He’ll either be happy or ask me why in the world I thought it was appropriate to come to his family’s home during an emergency—which wouldn’t be wrong.
I asked myself that at least fifty times during the five-hour drive here this morning.
I step out of the car and shut the door, nervous about which reception I’ll receive from the man I came to see.
But before I can even walk up to the front door, it opens wide, and Gray comes hurrying outside, his face intense.
Crap. He’s not happy to see me.
“I’m sorry?—”
Before I can complete the thought, he grips my ass and lifts me, simply lifts me as if I weigh nothing at all and kisses me with more intensity and passion than I’ve ever felt from another human being in my life.
“You came,” he says at last as he tips his forehead to mine. “Jesus, it’s like I conjured you out of my imagination.”
“I took a gamble and came,” I admit and frame his face in my hands. “I should have told you.”
“It’s the best surprise of my life,” he says with a soft smile, and the vulnerability in his eyes is breathtaking. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He finally sets me on my feet and takes my hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss my knuckles.
“Can we discuss this house?” I ask, taking it in before we go inside.
“Sure, what do you want to know?”
“You made it seem like your family had a simple house on the lake. One you grew up in. This is a freaking compound. Who are you, a Kennedy?”
Gray laughs and shakes his head. “Not hardly. Dad’s a cardiologist.”
“Ah.” I nod and follow Gray into the house. When I see the view through the wide windows in the living area, I gasp. “Holy shit, that’s gorgeous.”
“Yes, it is.”
I look his way and roll my eyes when I see that he’s looking at me.
“So charming.” I walk to the windows and admire the blue water and the bald eagle soaring over the lake, looking for his breakfast.
“Dad’s already at the hospital,” Gray says and wraps his arms around my middle from behind. “Maya’s still asleep, and Sidney should be rolling up in about an hour.”
“Then I should make breakfast,” I suggest and turn in his arms, finding him laughing at me. “What did I say?”
“Do you just enjoy feeding people in the morning?”
“I—” I shut my mouth and narrow my eyes on him. “I’m hungry. I left the house before five and haven’t had anything to eat.”
“Then I’d better feed you ,” he says before gently kissing my lips. “There’s always plenty of food around here. Do you want some coffee?”
“I might sell my soul for some coffee,” I confirm as he leads me into a gorgeous kitchen with ornately trimmed woodwork and more of that beautiful view just beyond the breakfast nook, where I take a seat and watch Gray bustle about as he fills a mug for me and then gets to work heating up some food.
“Are those potatoes?” I ask as I stir the cream into my coffee.
“Yes, along with quiche and a cinnamon roll.”
“Who does the cooking around here?” I ask with a grin. “That’s quite the spread.”
“My dad cooks when he’s stressed, and it’s not always the heart-healthy foods that he preaches about in the office. Although, I think my mom made the cinnamon rolls the other day. You won’t go hungry here.”
“It’s probably better food than the hotel offers,” I agree and pop a potato into my mouth, sighing in happiness.
“What hotel?”
We both turn at the sound of the woman’s voice, and I smile.
“You must be Maya.”
“And you must be Stella,” she replies with a grin. “And what is this talk about a hotel?”
“Well, I’d rather not sleep in my car, so I reserved a room at the resort on the lake. It looked really nice from the website.”
“You’re not staying there,” Maya says firmly, and I turn to Gray with a raised eyebrow.
“You heard her,” is all he says.
“Then where am I staying?” I ask them.
“I don’t know if you noticed, but this house is big ,” Maya replies. “There is plenty of room here. Just please, I beg you, if you do… things …please don’t make me listen to them.”
“I don’t think I intend to do… things …in your parents’ house.”
“I plan to do things,” Gray says and licks icing from the cinnamon rolls off his thumb.
“Look, I don’t mind staying at the hotel,” I insist. “I just showed up here.”
“I invited you,” Maya reminds me, earning a frown from her brother.
“Wait. You invited her?”
Maya just rolls her eyes and then smiles at me. “You’ll stay here. Trust me. Now, I have to go get a shower in so I can go see Mom.”
“Sid will be here soon,” Gray calls after her, then turns to me. “So, coming here wasn’t all your idea.”
“No, Maya mentioned it when she stole your phone, but then I saw you, and I wanted to be here with you. Mostly so I could hug you.”
“You haven’t hugged me yet.”
I stand and cross to him with a smile, wrapping my arms around his middle and pressing my face to his firm chest, holding him close. His gray sweater is soft against my cheek, and he feels warm and safe.
After just a moment, his arms come around me, and he hugs me back until it feels like he just might break me if he tightens his hold any more.
It’s not a bad feeling at all.
He presses his lips to the top of my head, and I let out a long breath that I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
“Are you going to the hospital with Maya?” I ask him without pulling away.
“I’m going to wait for Sidney and take her after she gets settled.”
“If you all don’t mind, I’ll cook dinner. I know it seems like I just sit around and cook for people, which I usually don’t . But I don’t want to meet your mother at the hospital because that feels weird, so let me do something to feel helpful.”
“It all depends on what you plan to cook.”
I look up into his face and smile at him. “Lasagna? It’ll keep for as long as it needs to.”
“Sounds delicious. But you should do more than sit here and cook, Stella. Book some time at the spa at the resort. On me, of course.”
“It feels weird to get pampered while you have to be at the hospital, worried about your mother. Selfish, really.”
“It’s not selfish at all. You came a long way. Get a massage, take a nap, relax a little. I’ll come home a bit before the others and help with dinner.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have come. I feel like I’m in the way.”
Gray’s eyes narrow, and his jaw tightens as he cups my cheek in his hand. “You’re never in the way. I want you here. I’m so fucking grateful that you came. I understand that you don’t want to go to the hospital, but I want you here. So, get pampered a bit, and I’ll be here with you a little later.”
“Sid’s here,” Maya calls out as she runs down the stairs and to the front door.
“Looks like I’ll be going to the hospital with both of them, after all,” he says with a smile. “And if you truly are uncomfortable here and want to stay at the resort, I understand.”
“Where’s Stella?” Sidney demands as she walks inside. When her gaze finds mine from across the room, she stomps directly to me and nudges her brother out of the way before wrapping her arms around me for a hug. “Hi. Maya told me everything she knew when I was driving here. We already like you.”
“Well, hi.” I look at Gray over Sidney’s shoulder. “Wait. You’re Sidney Sterling.”
“The one and only,” she says as she pulls away and smiles at me, then wraps an arm around her brother’s waist and leans her head on his shoulder.
“Gray said you were a singer in Nashville, but I didn’t connect the dots. I love your music.”
A slow smile spreads over Sidney’s gorgeous face. “You do?”
“Hell, yes, I do. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same goes. We’ll definitely talk later. But first, I need to go see Mama.”
“I’m ready when you are,” Maya says and turns to Gray. “Ready?”
Gray looks down at me with uncertainty. “I’m fine,” I assure him. “I’m going to go to the resort and check in. Wait.”
I hold up my hand to stop Maya’s protest.
“This isn’t my home; it’s yours. And I’m grateful that you invited me to stay, but for today, while you’re all at the hospital, I’ll be at the resort. I’ll get a nap in and maybe a massage, and I have plenty of work that I can do. And then I’ll meet Gray here later so I can cook everyone dinner, and we’ll go from there.”
“Get an extra massage for me,” Sidney says, shifting her shoulders in a stretch. “That red-eye almost killed me. Okay, I’m going to the car.”
Maya follows her sister, and Gray reaches for me.
“You’re incredible. You know that, right?” he asks.
“I’m just okay.” I laugh and kiss him back. “Go be with your family. I’ll see you later.”
“Enjoy your day,” he says. “If you need anything, just text me. I can get to you in less than fifteen minutes.”
“Good to know.” I kiss his cheek. “But I’ll be okay. I really do need to get some work done. Thanks for breakfast.”
“You’re welcome. And thank you for being you.”
We walk outside, hand in hand, and Gray waits while I get into my car and start the engine. I follow them out of the driveway and onto the highway toward town. I turn off before them and follow the road to the resort on the lake.
I’m glad I came, and I can’t wait to see Gray later this afternoon.