Chapter 14
Elodie
Song Lyrics & An Orgasm
Your eyes say more than your mouth
Your touch says more than your eyes
And each time you look at me
All I can think about is goodbye
My hand is moving as fast as it can, trying to keep up with the words that came to me while I was cooking. As I scribble down the last line, the smell of something burning hits my nostrils.
“Shit!” Leaping from my chair at the dining room table, I rush to stir the soup on the stove and lower the heat, hoping the entire pot of my mom’s chicken and rice soup isn’t ruined. I take a spoon from the silverware drawer and taste it, relieved to find it still tastes the way it should.
I turn around and look over at Remy, who’s banging her toy on her high chair tray.
“I almost ruined dinner, baby bear.” Her garbled response makes me laugh as I turn the heat on the burner to the lowest setting then return to my notebook, waiting for more inspiration to strike while simultaneously waiting for Henley to get home from the lodge.
The past few days have left me feeling both relieved and anxious.
Walking into the house the other night and seeing Henley painting Remy’s room made the butterflies living in my stomach multiply.
They were already abuzz with excitement after that kiss, but knowing that my words the other morning must have gotten through to him made my feelings for this man sprout new roots.
My anxiety is still lurking under the surface, though.
Even though Henley and I seem to be on better terms, and his grumpiness has subsided a bit, he hasn’t mentioned one word about our kiss.
The kiss.
The one I can’t stop thinking about and may have touched myself to the thoughts of last night.
My hormones are out of control, reminding me of how long it’s been since I’ve been with a man, and that’s saying something because there haven’t been many men to remember. But it’s official: I’m lusting after my boss. And after that kiss, all I can think about is what other talents he possesses.
And there’s that night we went to the ER. In his moment of need, when he was worried about his daughter and feeling powerless, he reached for me. He wanted me there to help him through it—and that’s the part that’s making these feelings build at lightning speed.
I’m just so terrified of what happens next because between his avoidance and my trust issues, I have no idea where we go from here. And apparently neither does he because we’re both acting like nothing happened, and so far, it’s working.
The sound of the front door unlocking pulls me from my thoughts, making me slam my notebook shut as fast as I can and going to the stove to check the soup.
“Fuck. What a day.” Henley’s voice carries to the kitchen, and I fight the goosebumps that travel down my arms from the sound of it while also wondering what happened to make him say that.
Henley appears in the kitchen a few seconds later, leaning down to greet Remy. “Hey, baby bear. How’s it going?”
My heart melts every time he uses the nickname I gave his daughter. Part of me wonders if he even realizes he’s saying it.
“She’s been so much happier today. I think the antibiotics have done their job and our happy little girl is back,” I tell him.
“Glad to hear it.” He comes up behind me, pressing his chest into my back as he opens the cabinet above me and takes out a cup. My breath stalls as he does, but he’s gone as quickly as he came. “What did you make for dinner tonight?”
“Um…my mom’s chicken and wild rice soup.”
“It smells incredible. I’ve only had a sandwich today, so I’m starving.”
“Busy day?”
He pushes a hand through his hair and that’s when I take a moment to finally assess his appearance.
His shirt has streaks of dirt on it, his boots are covered in mud, and the lines around his eyes look deeper, like he’s severely lacking energy.
The sudden urge to sit down and have him lay his head in my lap as he tells me all about it comes over me.
“Well, one of the pipes burst that leads to our main restrooms, so Warren and I had to find the leak, go to the hardware store, and replace it. This meant that customers had to use the employee restrooms all day. Then a kid broke his arm on the obstacle course, which made his parents threaten to sue me…”
“Can they do that?”
“No, because all parents and adults sign a release form before they get on the course or slopes.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “And then there was just a bunch of little shit that piled on top of that. Let’s just say I’m happy to be home with my girls.”
My girls.
God, hearing him say that shouldn’t make my heart flutter like it does.
“Well, would you like a beer with dinner to help wind down?”
He shakes his head, holding up his water glass. “I decided to stop drinking for a while.”
“Oh.” I wonder what led to that decision, but this is Henley we’re talking about, so it doesn’t surprise me that he offers no further explanation. And I’ve certainly learned not to ask. “Well, wash up and let’s eat. I’m hungry, too.”
After I dish out two large bowls and fill the bread basket with fresh biscuits, we sit at the table to eat. Henley’s quiet for a beat before he speaks again. “So… I wanted to ask you something,” he starts.
“Okay…”
“The boys and I are going to Charlotte next weekend to watch Fletcher play. Laney and Dilynne will be there too,” he explains, squirming in his chair a bit before clearing his throat. “And, uh…I was wondering if…”
I can’t tell if he’s nervous or anxious about what he needs to ask me. “You okay over there?” I tease him, to which his response is a glare followed by a quirk of his lips.
“Yeah, I just… Well, Dilynne said I should get a break from Remy and…” He moves his spoon around his bowl, but doesn’t take a bite.
“You need me to watch her?” I finish for him. “I’d be more than happy to. That is what you pay me for, remember?”
“Fuck,” he grumbles, dropping his spoon from his hand and adjusting himself in his chair. “No, I don’t want you to watch her, El.” His eyes finally meet mine. “I was wondering if you’d like to come with us.”
“So I can watch Remy? Sure.”
He licks his lips, diverting his gaze for a moment before returning his eyes to me. “Carol and Nick are going to watch her.”
It takes me a moment to figure out what he’s implying. “You—you want me to go with you to the game without Remy?”
“If you want to,” he says, but there’s something about the look in his eyes that has me spiraling.
“Do you want me to?”
His eyes become darker somehow, laser-focused on me when he finally says, “Yeah. I do.”
The tone of his voice almost sounds like he’s commanding me to go, and I can’t deny that it makes my body heat up even more than it was already when he walked through the door. But the idea of us spending time together without Remy there makes the line of our relationship grow even more blurred.
Uh, didn’t the kiss already do that, Elodie?
“Okay. I’d love to.” I’m smiling on the outside as I pick my spoon back up, but my heart is racing. “Thanks for the invite. That should be fun. It’s been years since I’ve been to a game.”
He scoffs, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “Yeah, but then you’re also going to be subjected to my friend group in all its glory, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.”
“I already met Elliot and Rhonan at the winery, remember?”
“Yeah, but they weren’t on their worst behavior. When Rhonan doesn’t have Ellis and there’s a suite with endless booze involved, things can take a turn.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, but I’ve been meaning to ask you something too. The next yoga night at the winery is coming up. Are you planning on going?”
He taps his phone on the table. “It’s been on my calendar since the last one.”
“That’s adorable. I’d like to go with you because it’s been a while since I’ve done it and would love to get back in the routine. Could we find someone to watch Remy that night? Maybe Carol?”
His smile falls as he stares at me, and I wish I could tell what he’s thinking right now. Fortunately, he blinks, returns back to his soup and we sit there, finishing our dinner while Remy watches us.
“Yeah, I can ask her. And Laney runs a good class so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.” Henley pushes his bowl to the side, rubbing his stomach through his shirt. “That was fucking delicious, El. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, would you like to see the ideas I came up with for Remy’s room?”
He wipes his mouth with his napkin and tosses it into the empty bowl. “Yeah. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Henley wasn’t able to finish painting Remy’s room Sunday night, but that gave me time to scour the internet to put together a few options for décor and a theme.
Honestly, it took me longer than it should have because I kept getting inspired to write song lyrics, so I was wavering between the two tasks for the past two days.
“Okay, let me show you what I found online,” I say, pulling out my phone and scooting my chair closer to him, which only makes his scent hit me harder.
God, he smells like cedar and laundry detergent. Why is that combination so comforting and tempting at the same time?
Ignoring the effect this man’s scent is having on me, I start swiping through my phone and show the first option to him, a room with elephants. Next is a Victorian-style option, very princess-like. And the last one, which is my personal favorite for obvious reasons, has a forest theme with bears.
“What do you think?”
Henley casts his glance over to Remy as she lets out a yawn from her high chair. “I’m pretty sure it’s obvious.” His eyes find mine again. “The bears.”
We smile at each other, and seeing a genuine smile from this man makes me feel ten feet tall. “I thought so too but just wanted to give you options.”
Henley stands from his chair and grabs Remy. “I’m gonna get my daddy-daughter time in, put her to bed, and then I’ll be back out in a little bit.”