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“I’ll trade those tasks any day,” I said with relief whooshing through me.
“Where is the paperwork?”
“On my front seat. Maisie reminded me today.”
“You go get it. I’ll start boiling the water.” She grinned up at me.
I jogged outside to get it. Paperwork made me anxious. It didn’t matter how many years it had been since I’d learned how to deal with dyslexia, it still stressed me out.
A few minutes later, Tish was working on my paperwork while I got started on the mac and cheese. She beckoned me over to give her some information. I sat down while the pasta was cooking. She traced her finger along the line before she glanced over.
“You seem really stressed about this paperwork,” she pointed out.
I wanted to play it off, but I decided honesty was my best option. “I have dyslexia. It was a huge stressor in school for years until they figured it out. I know it has nothing to do with intelligence, but I still hate paperwork.”
Her gaze softened. “My friend in school had dyslexia. School wasn’t fun.” She shrugged. “Everybody’s brain is a little different. We all have our strengths. I can’t even imagine doing what you do. I can’t keep my day organized since I’ve had a baby, but toss me some paperwork and I’ll make a spreadsheet for you all day. I’ll organize everything. Any time you need help with your paperwork, I’ll help.”
The tension in my chest eased. “It feels so stupid to care, but when I ended up behind in school and nobody understood why for years, it’s always in the back of my mind.” I could literally feel the tightening where the tension started to bundle at the base of my neck.
She nodded. “I bet. Like I said, I’ll help. Now, let’s finish this.”
I recited the demographics she needed while she quickly entered everything in tidy handwriting.
“Thank you,” I said with feeling.
“You’re welcome.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss on my cheek, just as the water began to boil over.
A few minutes later, we were eating and she smiled over at me. “This is mostly my diet. Mac and cheese, ramen, and soup. I need to expand my horizons somehow.”
“You’re a single mom with a baby. That’s a lot of work.”
“I don’t mind the work. Not at all, but it’s a lot. I was afraid to shower at first, which seemed crazy, but—” She rolled her eyes.
“Doesn’t seem crazy at all to me. I have a question.” I was nervous to ask this, but I knew I needed to.
“Ask.”
“Do you want us to keep things with us private? The other day at the coffee shop, Holly noticed I totally have a thing for you and asked me about it.”
Tish was about to take a bite and lowered her fork. “Of course Holly would ask.” She smiled sheepishly. Her cheeks went pink. “What did you tell her?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tish
I felt hot all over and my pulse raced a little faster as I waited for Griffin to answer.
“I didn’t tell her anything had happened, but I admitted I totally had a thing for you. Because I do.”
The heat banked in his gaze lit sparks inside of me. Mingled within the desire that rose like a storm inside of me whenever I was near Griffin was a subtle anxiety. Back before I knew I was pregnant, I’d wanted to keep the boundaries clear. With Griffin’s oldest brother my boss, all of my worries and anxieties had felt justified.
Rhys was still my boss, but more at a distance. Griffin was too tempting now for my anxiety to override my desire. I was still busy trying to tell myself it was mostly desire. My heart knew better and whispered as much in the back of my thoughts.
“Are we keeping this secret?” Griffin asked. His eyes held mine and my belly flipped while my heart kicked along unsteadily.
“I suppose I should ask what this is?” he added.
I needed oxygen so I could think and sucked in a breath as I set my fork down. “I don’t know,” I finally answered. “My life is kind of complicated. I have a baby and—” I paused, shaking my head sharply. “I didn’t expect you, Griffin.”
