Hailey tugged on his arm, diverting his attention. He swung her up onto his broad shoulders with ease. She screeched with joy and giggled. They headed down the hall with Junie beside them, both females keeping up a steady stream of conversation while Easton grinned from ear to ear.
Heath stared at them wistfully. I reached for his hand, and our eyes met momentarily. I was struck by the longing in his dark eyes and slammed by the realization he was feeling left out and a little jealous.
Welcome to the club, my young man.
I squeezed his hand and together we trailed after the boisterous group.
At the end of a long, wide hall, Easton stopped before a large door. He turned a key in the lock and nudged the door open with his foot. He lifted Hailey off his shoulders, and she ran ahead of us into the condo. Heath wriggled his hand free and ran after her.
Easton didn’t venture a glance my way, almost as if he’d forgotten about me. Junie and he entered the condo, leaving me alone in the hallway. Prodding myself into action, I hurried after them and closed the door behind me before turning to survey my surroundings.
I hadn’t expected furnishings. I had a storage unit full of stuff.
But this place…
The windows went from floor to ceiling with expansive views. This side of the building didn’t have a water view, but the views were spectacular regardless.
The kitchen was all black granite and white cabinetry with large stainless-steel appliances. The open floor plan boasted a spacious living room and dining area, much larger than I’d have expected in a condo. The floors were a gleaming hardwood of some kind, and I was certain they were real wood. Laminate wouldn’t grace a place like this.
Junie and the kids headed down the hallway toward the bedrooms and bathrooms. I grabbed Easton’s arm. He turned, regarding me curiously.
“This is too much. We can’t afford this.”
“You don’t have to.” He tried to extract his arm from my grip, but I held on tightly.
“Easton. I can’t allow you to pay for a luxury condo with a view.”
“I didn’t ask you to allow me. I’m doing it. These are my children.” He set his jaw stubbornly, a sure sign there’d be zero arguing with him. His expression softened slightly. “Listen, don’t worry. The team owner owns this building. This condo is ours for the next six months until a relative of his retires and moves back to Seattle. That’ll give us enough time to find something suitable.”
“But the furniture… The kids will destroy it.”
Easton glanced around as if he’d just noticed the place was furnished with gray and white furniture, sure to show sticky fingerprints. He shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when it’s time. If I have to replace a few pieces, I will.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“I do. I’m trying to make up for six lost years. The kids will be close by. I’ll get to see them a lot.”
“And your place is across the hall?”
“Directly across the hall.” He grinned wickedly at me, and I read his mind—close enough for a late-night visit to my room while everyone else was sleeping—or perhaps my own sexually deprived brain imagined I was reading his mind. Most likely I was reading my own mind.
All those years ago, I’d been living at home, and Easton had been living with a billet family for the summer. We didn’t have the luxury of a private space to have sex. We’d been quite adventurous back then. I missed those pre-adulting days of minor responsibility and major fun, not that I’d trade my memories with my kids for anything, but sometimes…
I let that thought drift away. Easton stared at me expectantly. He must’ve asked me a question, but for the life of me, I didn’t have a clue what it might be.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Do you want to see the bedrooms? Most of the condos only have two or three bedrooms. This one has four, a big plus if you ask me. You’ll each have your own room.”
The luxury of my own space wasn’t lost on me.
He grabbed my hand and led me down the hallway, as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. He moved to the first open doorway. “This bedroom and the one at the end of the hall have en-suite bathrooms. The two bedrooms in the middle share a bathroom, which would be perfect for the kids.”
“My own bathroom?” I’d been sharing one bathroom with Junie and the kids for a little too long.
“Yeah, with a big soaking tub.” He winked at me and ran his gaze hungrily down my body and back up again. I shivered and hugged myself, following him into the spacious though not overly large room. The bathroom was all black, granite and white tile with a walk-in tiled shower and a large jetted bathtub. I’d spend hours in there with a good book or, even better, a good man.
My gaze slid to Easton, who had his back to me. He turned and caught me gawking at him. I turned away quickly, but he had to see the longing in my eyes.
Easton point of view
Moving Caro and Co. to the condo across the hall was stroke of genius. I’d have all the time I needed to assess the situation and figure out a game plan.
I’d seen a few things that disturbed me and raised red flags. My son was shut down and closed off, for one, and my daughter directed a large amount of anger toward her mother. I remembered how much I’d blamed my mom after my dad had died. If only my mom had insisted my dad not pick up that extra shift instead of telling him the family could use the money since Christmas was coming. My misplaced anger had been unfair to her, but anger was one of the stages of grief.
Hailey was running up and down the hall with Heath hurrying after her. He was actually smiling. They’d both claimed their rooms and were planning all sorts of kid stuff.
I handed Caro one set of keys and Junie the other.
“I have a game tonight, but I got a few guys together to move you in tomorrow.”
“I’ll need to assess what can be moved from storage and what can’t.”
“I’m sure you’ll do that. Does noon give you enough time?”
“Beggars can’t be choosers. I’ll make it work.”
Junie threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. If you ever need anything, I’m a fantastic baker. Let me know.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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