Page 38 of Blueberry Cake
Once back at his place, he encouraged Queenie into a hot bath, basking in the sunlight that streamed through the windows. He set her up with towels and connected her phone to the speakers before hiding in his office and gettingsome work done. Some time later, he came up for air to still find her submerged in the water.
“Have you grown fins yet?”
“Unfortunately, not.” Queenie lifted a hand from the bubbles and studied her fingers. “But I do seem a little wrinkly.”
With a towel in one hand, he helped her out of the tub with the other. “What are you wearing this evening?”
“I thought a romper would be the safest bet. I don’t want your friends to remember me for showing off a little too much when I bent over for a ball.”
“Wise choice.”
Once he saw what she’d decided to wear, he matched it with a dark blue polo. As he styled his hair and combed through his beard, she sat on the counter next to him.
Queenie worried her bottom lip before meeting his gaze. “Can we talk about last night?”
“I’m all ears.”
“Did I go too far?”
“Not at all. I hope I didn’t give you that impression.”
“You seemed so out of it afterwards. I didn’t realise you were so tuckered out until we drove home.”
“I made you sit with your back to me on purpose, Queenie,” he hummed, brushing her cheek with his knuckles. “I knew you would go easy on me if you saw what it did to me.”
Queenie leaned into his touch. “I’ve never done anything like that. I was enjoying myself. I just was afraid I’d lost you in the midst of it.”
“You didn’t and I appreciate you checking on me.” He kissed her forehead and with flushed cheeks he added, “I appreciated the way you took care of me after much more.”
“I was so worried,” she admitted, her cheek rubbing against his palm.
“I didn’t mean to worry you. You made me feel all warm and gooey inside.”
She kissed his palm, a weight visibly lifting from her shoulders. “I’m glad we can talk openly about these types of things.”
He allowed Queenie to stay on the counter while he got ready, loving how she made even the most mundane tasks something he rather looked forward to.
Oliver already waited for them in their assigned booth, flirting with the waitress who was taking his order.
“You know, if you don’t tread lightly, they’ll assign us that guy over there,” Boyd warned, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
Oliver rolled his eyes, distracted by Queenie. “So, this is the woman who has you wrapped around her little finger?”
“Oliver, meet Queenie.”
They shook hands, and Boyd tried to ignore the way Oliver’s gaze flitted to Queenie’s left arm. “Welcome to the inner circle.”
“Well, I heard if I do better than Boyd tonight I might be invited to the course. I couldn’t resist the chance to show off.”
“Believe me, that’s not as hard as it sounds. Your man has many strengths, but golf is definitely not one of them.” Oliver whisked her away and helped her find a club for her size, seeming to probe her with all kinds of questions.
“Alone?” Archie asked, dropping to the seat next to him. “I thought we were to meet that wonderful woman you’ve been chewing our ears off about?”
“Oliver happened,” he said, indicating the two of them as he stood to pull Lee-Ann into a hug. “How are you?”
“Excited for the evening away from the little monsters. It’s been a while since we both got to escape together.”
Archie fused his brows and stared over at Oliver. “Has he been behaving?”
