Page 44 of Kiss the Girl
“Oh, sweetie,” she replied carefully. “This is something that we have to just take day by day. For the most part, I’ve been impressed with how strong he is. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that he’s sick. But if you feel strongly about it, then you can talk to his cousin, but…there’s no way to know how he’s going to feel ten days from now.”
That’s what Savannah was afraid of.
Well…one of the things anyway.
Their time was growing short and she wasn’t ready.
“Okay,” she said quietly. “I…I just wanted to run it by you.”
“You know you can call me anytime. And if you need to me to come back tonight, I can be there in less than fifteen minutes. Even if you just want me to check on him…”
“Thanks, but…I think Austin and Garrett are coming over again, so…I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Alright, but remember, I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks, Amy.”
She hung up and went to change out of her scrubs and wash up. Today she had done four massages and one facial. Of course, one of the massages was for Parker’s sister, Peyton, and she got the facial too. The grand opening was next week and so far there had already been a fairly steady stream of clients. There wasn’t a doubt in Savannah’s mind that the business was going to be a success. Parker was an amazing person with a big and friendly personality, and people just gravitated toward her.
Herself included.
So far, her days weren’t overly strenuous, and she appreciated being able to ease back into a routine. After quitting both her jobs in Seattle to help get Cash back to North Carolina, she was feeling a little restless. And while she appreciated Parker taking her on, Savannah wasn’t sure if this was where she wanted to stay once…
Well…once.
“Depressing thought for another time,” she murmured as she changed into a pair of comfy capris and a sleeveless sweater. Everyone was always dressed casually when they came over, and it was nice not to have to dress up to impress anyone.
After applying a touch of lip gloss, she walked out to the kitchen to get dinner started. The recipe was simple and it was one of Cash’s favorite dishes and she knew she could probably make it with her eyes closed by now.
But she wouldn’t.
Turning on some music softly, she went about shredding some chicken, mincing some garlic, and chopping some onions. Once they were sautéing in the pan, she went about slicing the tortillas and measuring out her cheese. Everything was coming together perfectly, and once she lowered the flame on the stove, she walked back out to the living room to check on Cash.
“Hey, can I get you something to drink?”
He shook his head as he slowly came to his feet. “Don’t be upset, but…I texted the boys and canceled. I’m just…I’m beat.” His shoulders sagged and he looked at her apologetically. “It smells great and I promise to eat it all for lunch tomorrow.”
That made her chuckle. “You better not eat six servings of that casserole. You’ll be sick.” Then, kissing him on the cheek, she helped him to his room. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?”
He shook his head. “Just tired tonight. I’m going to turn on the TV here in the room and go to sleep.”
Every once in a while he did that, so she didn’t think anything of it. He would probably be asleep by the first commercial break, but…if it helped him, then so be it. Kissing him on the cheek again, she said, “Good night.”
Now, with nothing to do, Savannah looked around the little house and sighed. She could go out and maybe walk around town and grab a bite to eat and leave the casserole for tomorrow, but…she was too comfortable and relaxed to go anywhere.
“Dinner for one it is,” she murmured.
Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she realized it wasn’t such a bad thing to have a quiet night. There had been a lot of people coming to visit every night and with the new job, she had no time for herself. So instead of feeling sad about the change of plans, she opted to embrace it.
“First things first, changing into something super comfortable.” The capris and sweater were fine, but with no one coming over, she was free to put on a pair of sleep shorts and a t-shirt with no bra. As soon as she whipped it off, she let out a very unladylike hum of pleasure. “That is so much better.”
Next, her hair went up into a messy bun. Barefoot and beyond comfy, she picked up her tablet on the way out of her bedroom and decided to read for a bit until the casserole was ready.
Lounging on the sofa and thoroughly enjoying the sci-fi alien romance she was reading—thanks to Parker—Savannah was pretty much in her own little world until someone knocked on the front door and let themselves in. With a soft scream, she turned to find Jackson standing there. His eyes went wide at the sight of her, and she was fairly certain her expression was the same.
“Am I early?” he asked, looking around. “I thought Cash said six.”
Scrambling to her feet, she cursed her decision to change out of her capris and sweater.