Page 61 of Keeping You

“Grayson, I will always be your mother and will always look out for you.”

I sigh, knowing her heart’s in a good place. “Thank you, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Now get home safe.”

Hanging up, I check the time and realize we’ve been out here for hours. Time with Hannah is flying by, and while I love that we can just enjoy each other’s company, I worry that the ninety days will be up before I know, and it scares the crap out of me.

“We should probably head back,” I say as I sit up and pack the last of our things.

She nods and reaches over and grabs fresh underwear out of her small bag. She looks at me. “Do you mind?”

I shake my head.

“I mean, will you turn around?”

“Spitfire, we’re way past you hiding yourself from me. I’ve seen all of you and love every inch of your body.”

She stands while holding eye contact with me and unties her bikini top, dropping it on the towel in front of her before doing the same with her bottoms. She’s so confident as she stands in front of me fully naked.

“Enough of a show for you?” she asks, sass filling her voice.

I rise up on my knees and shuffle towards her, stopping right in front of her. Her breathing picks up, her chest rising and falling faster. “I’ll never get enough of you,” I whisper before kissing her hip. I move back slowly before standing to my full height and placing a finger under her chin, tipping her head back. “Like I said earlier, you’re gorgeous.”

Despite wanting to take her right here and now, I turn around and throw the towels and her swimsuit into the backpack and go check on Rosetta. Hannah joins us, and she has an easier time getting on this time. We make the ride back to the house in silence, much like the ride here, but this time, it feels different. It feels like Hannah is holding something back, like she has questions she’s not asking.

When we get back to the barn, I help her off before I follow suit and get Rosetta back into her stall and brush her.

Hannah leans against the wall and watches me, when I finish and join her she says, “You’re good with her.”

I smile and look over my shoulder at the horse I’ve grown attached to over the years. I remember when we got Rosetta, she always preferred me when we would all go to the barn. It was like an instant connection, and every time I come home, I make sure I go for a ride with her and spend time brushing her. She’s also a great listener. Around her, I’m always relaxed and I can verbalize things I would never talk about with people. When everything happened with Rebecca, I was out here with her a lot. We’d go for rides and would head to the pond. I found solace in her presence. I know some people may think it’s weird, she’s a horse, but she’s a living soul. I will be forever grateful for her.

“She saved me. I’ll always be grateful to her. I make sure to come see her every time I’m home.”

Hannah and I stare at each other. Her brows furrow, but she doesn’t ask me the questions I can see swirling behind her eyes.

“Mom’s making dinner, we should probably head up,” I say, and she falls instep beside me as we leave the barn.

Walking up the stairs to the back deck, Hannah grabs my wrist, and I stop in place and face her. She smiles. “Thank you for today. I had fun.” She goes up on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek before walking around me and inside the house.

I follow behind her and join Mom in the kitchen and set the table. Watching how easily Hannah has integrated herself into my family in just a couple of days has my insides in knots. I have no idea how they’ll react when we get a divorce. Mom has completely fallen for Hannah, and how could she not? Hannah is amazing. I fell for her long ago, but these last six and a half weeks have proven to me that I don’t think I’ll move on from her. When she asks for those papers to be signed, I’ll need to put as much space as possible between her and I if I’m to survive it.

After dinner, she says she’s going to read her book for a while. She grabs her Kindle and makes her way to the back deck with a blanket. Mom convinces me to join her for a game of cards like when I was a kid, and Chloe joins us while Dad settles in his recliner and watches the news.

We play for hours, and I remember how much I love being with my family when it’s just us in our own little bubble. Chloe yawns and Mom starts to pack the cards, saying, “It’s late. I’m gonna head to bed.”

Chloe nods and agrees, both wishing me a good night before heading upstairs. I go outside to find Hannah. She’s curled in a corner chair, wrapped in a blanket, her Kindle in her lap, her hand only popping out to tap the page before finding its way back into the warmth. I walk up to her and before she even notices me, I scoop her up. She squeals, and I settle into the chair with her in my lap. She looks at me, and I grin.

“Whatcha reading?’

She settles into my lap more, finding a more comfortable position. “A hockey romance.”

“Hmmm,” I say. “What’s it about?”

She looks at me, her brows furrowing before she says, “A social media manager of a team and the silent player she’s somehow become roommates with.”

“Is it any good?”

“Yeah.”

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