Page 15 of Jingl
My cheeks heat and I feel it drop from my head down to my toes at the same time my stomach swoops.
“Why?” Shae tips his head when he asks.
“That way, the weather doesn’t interfere too much,” I answer.
He nods, so I’m safe.
We finish up dinner and pack away the leftovers. The kids are getting sleepy-eyed and Wendy and Mom put them to bed. They’re all staying in my bedroom. Luckily, I have a huge king-sized bed. My treat to myself for moving.
When we’re alone, Shae says, “I’m off tomorrow.”
“Off off?”
“Totally free. No classes or practice or the mall.” Shae throws out his arms and spins. “So it doesn’t matter how late I stay up.” But his body betrays him and he yawns. Poor Shae probably hasn’t gotten much sleep with everything he does. That’s another reason I didn’t want him to have to worry about picking me up from the airport.
“You don’t have to help. Just take a load off and watch me.”
Shae shakes his head. “I want to be useful.”
“You brought dinner. That is useful.”
Mom and Wendy are spending an awfully long time getting the niblings to bed.
“Please? Let me help.”
“Okay.” I can’t deny him a damn thing and lift a box in front of him and put it on the kitchen counter. “We’ll unload these and put them in this cabinet.” I point to the one I want.
We’re too quiet as we work together. His fingers brush mine as we unbox the glasses and novelty cups. Each touch is like a zing to my brain saying I should ask him out, but this isShae.MyShae, but still.
He’s yawning again, and I feel bad. “Hey, I got this. Go lay down on the couch.”
“I’m fine.” He yawns again.
“Shae. If you’re too tired tomorrow, we can’t play.” I pout, and he sucks in a breath. Maybe I should calm down. I can’t overdo anything. “Maybe we can go skating. It’s been a while.”
“That would be a lot of fun.”
“But you gotta go take a nap.” I wave him towards the living room. Shae frowns, but climbs onto the couch. He’s too cute, and I walk over to tug the blanket from the end and tuck him in. “Can’t let you get cold.” What am I doing? What is my brain doing?
He blinks up at me, then settles down on the side of the couch, leaving plenty of room on the other end. It’s as if he’s wanting me to join him like old times.
I try my damnedest to be quiet for the next thirty minutes, but I drop a pan by accident and cringe.
“Can I please help again?” A sleep rumpled Shae comes into the kitchen, his hair every which way. There are pillow creases in his cheek. “We can get done faster with the two of us.”
He’s right. “Okay, but only until the kitchen is done. Then I’m calling it quits.”
Shae nods. “The fam already went to bed. When are they heading home?”
“After breakfast in the morning.”
“I’m glad I got to see them. Oh, but Mom will be so sad to miss them. What if we all go out to breakfast?” He pulls out his phone, I assume, to text his mom.
“I think that’d be nice. I know my mom misses your mom.”
Shae’s phone dings. “She’s in.”
“Sounds fun. My treat for everyone since I’m the one everyone is here to see.”
