Page 43 of Not My Finest Hour

Since I have a little time before he’s out of the shower, I decide to make myself useful and find something for us for breakfast. Eggs are the easiest choice, and I scramble some up along with some veggies I find in the fridge. While the eggs are cooking, I look around for some bread and can’t find any in the usual places.

“Can I help you with anything?” Justin says, coming up behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist from behind and kisses my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

I turn around to face him, forgetting about the eggs, and press my lips to his. My fingers play in his still-damp hair, and my back presses against the counter. He’s got me trapped, but there’s no place else I’d rather be. “You’re making it hard to concentrate,” I say against his lips.

“You’re the one making it hard for me to leave you alone. This outfit of yours…it’s incredible. Have I seen it before?” he says, teasing me about wearing last night’s clothes.

“I could just take more of your clothes like I did the last time, if that would be better.”

He’s got a glint in his eye and a wicked grin on his lips. “Or you could just wear nothing.”

“You’re unbelievable,” I say, shaking my head. “Do you have bread anywhere?”

Reluctantly, he pulls away from me. “Here,” he says, opening up the freezer. “I can never get through a whole loaf of bread before it gets moldy, so I tuck it away in the freezer.”

“Fern and I have never had an issue getting through a loaf, so I’ve never put it in the freezer. Does it need to be thawed before going into the toaster? These eggs will be done shortly, so if it does, we may have to skip the toast.”

“It can go in as is.” He presses the lever so the bread can start toasting.

“Do you have any plans for after breakfast?”

“I was planning on spending the rest of the day with you. I thought about going to the Ballard Farmer’s Market today. I’ve never been, and I’ve heard it’s worth checking out.”

“What time are they open until?” I ask, removing the eggs from the stove. It’s eleven-thirty in the morning, so if they’re only open until noon, we’re too late.

“Let me check.” He walks over to where he left his phone on the charger and turns the screen on. In an instant, his face goes from relaxed to concerned. His brow creases more and more as he stares down at the screen, clearly reading something. His silence concerns me.

“What’s wrong?”

He looks up from the screen finally and the shift in mood is drastic. There’s a heaviness in the air now, and all the playfulness that was there before is gone. “It’s Jack, my stepdad. My mom tried calling me, but I must’ve been in the shower, so she sent a text. She said he fell down the steps and she had to take him to the hospital. They’re there now and waiting to be seen. I hate to cut our day short, but I should probably head up there as soon as possible.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You should definitely go so you can be with them. Do you still want to eat first?”

“Yeah, I have time to eat,” he says, his attention elsewhere.

I spoon some eggs on a plate and fix his toast for him. Justin is halfway through his breakfast by the time I get my plate, and I hurry up and eat so he can leave. Any time I linger just prolongs his trip to the hospital, and he needs to be there so he can be with his family.

I don’t bother cleaning up the kitchen even though I hate seeing a mess left behind. And when I have all my things, Justin meets me by the door. Although he’s in a hurry, he still walks me to my car and kisses me, his hand cradling my face.

“Let me know how it goes at the hospital,” I say, looking up at him.

He smiles a weak smile that barely lifts the corners of his lips. “I will. I’m sorry again for cutting our day short.”

“It’s okay. I’ll see you soon?”

He nods and presses another kiss to my lips before I get in my car. “See you soon.”

ChapterSixteen

“What day is it today?” I ask Fern later in the week. We’re in the kitchen together making dinner. Tonight, we’re having sloppy joes and tater tots. Not fancy at all, but neither of us felt like doing much cooking. I’m cooking the tater tots in the air fryer, which was a gift from Julie, and Fern is at the stove stirring the ground beef mixture.

She stops what she’s doing and stares at me in disbelief. “You really don’t know? You were just at work today. How can you not know?”

“I just want to make sure I have my days right. It’s Thursday, right?”

“Yes, and tomorrow is Friday.” She turns back toward the stove and continues stirring.

I grab my phone and check the calendar. Yep, it’s Thursday, and when I check the date and how many weeks have progressed since Justin and I met, an unsettling feeling takes root in the pit of my stomach.

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