“I have to lecture her first.”
“You’re lucky she likes you,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Never forget your manners.”
Dean sighed. “Hello, baby. Please lock the door.”
“No,” I said as I stuck my tongue out.
Dean shook his head and muttered about how unbelievable I was before going to wash up for dinner.
“By the way, how often is the store closed?”
“Two days a week,” I replied. “Though, I’ve been sneaking in a few more since all of this happened.”
The third trimester had taken its toll on my energy. Things like bending down were more difficult, and running a shop was hard.
“People’ll get over it,” Deansaid.
“You know, my last client back in Shady Acres canceled her service. I could maybe help out on a more permanent basis.”
“You absolutely don’t have to.”
“But I want to. I was thinking about living here anyway.” She said it casually, but I felt like I’d been gobsmacked.
“Wait, seriously?”
“I don’t know where I’ll live, but it’s the plan.”
“You can stay here!” I said it immediately. “I have the space.”
“Until the nursery is built,” she said softly. I deflated at the reminder. It felt like no one lived here, and I had an extra room that was never used.
It was too bad it was Brooke’s.
I wondered if she would even notice if I did let someone use it. After all, she was barely here.
But then I remembered her inviting me to one of her shows and I felt bad. She was trying. It was in her own way, but I saw it.
“I’ll only stay until the nursery is done. Then either a house will sell or I’ll get an apartment.” She looked a little green at her own suggestion.
“We’ll figure it out, just like with everything else.”
Virginia smiled gratefully and then turned to her son. “Dean? Didn’t you have something to mention to Grace?”
“Oh, this should be good,” I said. Dean and I talked about almost everything, but there were times when he didn’t know how or what was appropriate in relationships. Since Virginia was around, he would ask her. Most of it had been small stuff, like if things we were doing were too fast, or how not to start a fight while setting a boundary.
“You didn’t have to say it likethat.” He sighed. “I just need to stay in Nashville for a few days.”
“Oh,” I said. I couldn’t pretend that I loved the idea of himbeing gone for days at a time, but he still had an apartment there, and I knew this was coming. “When are you leaving?”
That was when he winced. “I need to start getting things figured out to permanently move here before my lease ends. So, tomorrow?”
“He forgot about all of this,” Virginia added. “I promise he didn’t keep this from you that long.”
But I wasn’t mad. I was thinking about something else that was also tomorrow.
“What if I go with you?” I asked.
“Why would you want to do that?”