Page 30 of Recklessly Rogue

“Yes,” Ruby agrees. “But good crazy. I promise.”

I’m glad to hear her say that. Being stuck under the same roof for even a day will make it very hard to keep our feelings in check, and this will take longer than one day, even with my people pulling strings. But the less Ruby fights me on, the easier this will all be.

Finally, April gives a soft laugh and says, “Thank you. Seriously. Dinner tonight, the new pajamas. You thought of everything, Ruby. You didn’t have to do any of that, but I started crying when I saw the way you worked to make us feel welcome here. You’re a very good friend.”

Ruby clears her throat. “I know that you are completely capable, and you don’t actually need help. You are an amazing mom and a kick-ass woman, and you can handle whatever comes your way. But—” She glances at me, then back up the steps. “We’re here for you. Whatever you need. If it’s just dinner, that’s fine. If it’s something bigger, that’s fine too. We’ll do whatever we can.”

I love this gorgeous, stubborn pain in my ass. She’s not doing this to take credit, she’s doing it to make everyone comfortable.And we feel like a team. I know that she means what she says when she tells April that we’ll do whatever we can to help. And I know she would’ve done that even if I hadn’t shown up. But I love that she’s going to let me help. At least that she’s going to let me helpApril. I have a feeling getting her to let me take care of her won’t be quite as easy.

Maybe I should buy her some new pajamas and LEGOs.

Chapter 8

Ruby

Ifollow April and Elliot up the stairs to be sure they have everything they need.

And to give myself a few minutes outside of Henry Dean’s gravitational pull.

Lord. Of course, Henry has thought of everything. More than everything.

The guy is even harder to resist now. How the fuck did that happen? He barged in here—well into myjob, first—taking over everything and being bossy and grumpy and Ishouldbe annoyed. But no. He also had to buy my friend who just left her husbandflannel pajamasand her son toy airplanes. Not to mention handling Chris. I could have if I had to, but of course, it’s nicer that I don’t. I’m not an idiot.

So yeah, this is all going to be a huge problem for me. Henry and I are under the same roof now for the foreseeable future. And it’s not a huge roof.

We have a three-bedroom house with one bathroom upstairs. There’s a half-bath on the first floor, and we’ve got a shower in the basement, but we all use the one upstairs. That’s the main bathroom. And it’s not like our bedrooms are in separate wings, like at the palace. Our doors are a few feet apart.

It’s just the right size for me, Scarlett, and Mariah.

Even when Henry stayed here in the past. Because he was in my room with me.

That can’t happen now. I’m not over him. I won’t even pretend that I am. But I have totryto keep from getting closer. And making it harder to leave.

“You guys need anything?” I ask from the doorway of Scarlett’s room.

Elliot crawls up on the bed and April gives me a tired smile. “I don’t think so. I can worry about everything else tomorrow.”

The sheets on the bed in Scarlett’s room where I’ve put April and Elliot have little colorful airplanes all over them. This is clearly part of what Henry had sent over for them. How did he know that Elliot likes airplanes? Was it just a lucky guess? Or do all little boys at age four like airplanes? In any case, Elliot is excited to show them to me and it does help to get him into bed and under the covers to read a book—also obviously sent tonight with everything else—with his mom. He snuggles up next to April, and I slip out of the room.

I hesitate in the hallway.

The unoccupied room is Mariah’s, but it feels weird to me to put Henry in there. Mariah is a teenage girl. Who knows what she’s got lying around or stuffed in drawers? Not that Henry would snoop, but I should at least get Mariah’s permission. She loves Henry. She’ll probably say yes. But…

Fine. I want him in my room.

I don’t know why. Maybe so it will smell like him after he leaves? Maybe because it might drive him a little nuts while he’s here? That room is full of memories—very hot, dirty memories—of us.

It’s probably a little of both.

I’m so screwed here.

I’m an adult—we both are—so I should probably go downstairs and talk about the sleeping arrangements with him.

Instead, I pull out my phone and text him.

You’re sleeping in my room. I’ll be in Mariah’s room. Goodnight.

He answers almost immediately. I should just ignore that. I told him how it’s going to be. This is my house. I didn’t even invite him to stay. So, he should just do this the way I say.

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