Page 30 of The Hook Up
“Right,” Ellie said, though, truth be told, she wasn’t sure. Her brain had been a little fuzzy for the first few minutes after Miriam’s entrance.
“So maybe the whole kid thing is awkward for him,” Miriam suggested. “I asked him once if he has any nieces or nephews, and he looked at me like I’d asked if he’s into amputee porn.”
“Yeah,” Ellie mused, considering the nervousness on Ty’s face when she’d first walked in with Henry. She’d chalked it up to the faux pas with the sexy fruit on his computer screen, but maybe there was more to it. “I don’t get the sense he’s been around kids much.”
“He almost never talks about family,” Miriam said. “In the six years I’ve known him, I’ve never once met any siblings or parents or anything. I don’t even know for sure if hehasfamily.”
Ellie nodded, remembering Ty’s comments about his father.
I had an asshole dad of my own.
If Ty didn’t often talk about family, maybe it meant something that he’d shared that with her. Maybe she owed it to him to protect that trust.
“I suppose the baby stuff might have thrown him for a loop,” Ellie acknowledged. “That, and having Henry with us for the first part of the morning.”
“He met Henry?”
“Yeah.” Ellie smiled at the memory of how gracious Ty had been. How sweet and funny and welcoming. “He was actually pretty amazing with him.”
“That’s great!” Miriam looked thoughtful. “And the fact that he kissed you after meeting your kid means he’s not totally wigged out by the single mom thing.”
“I suppose,” Ellie said, trying not to feel too hopeful. “Maybe I just need to get him alone and talk about something besides colic and babysitters.”
“Sex toys seem like a more promising subject.” Miriam forked up a bite of salad and slid it into her mouth. As she chewed, her eyes went wide the way they always did when she had a big idea, but manners kept her from blurting it out with a mouthful of romaine. Her sister-in-law chewed at warp speed.
“I know!” Miriam said as soon as she swallowed. “Isn’t this the boys’ weekend coming up?”
“You mean Jason and Henry’s camping trip?”
“Yes! They’re going to Suttle Lake. That’s four hours away, right?”
“Right,” Ellie said slowly, not sure where this conversation was headed.
“What were you planning to do while they’re gone?”
“Clean the house, pay my quarterly taxes, and binge-watch old episodes ofParks and Recon Netflix.”
Miriam shook her head. “No, this is perfect!”
“What’s perfect?”
“This is your chance to seduce Ty,” she said. “Invite him over to your house for dinner. Light some candles, put on a sexy dress, maybe make some sort of special dinner with aphrodisiac properties…”
“Does lasagna have aphrodisiac properties?”
Miriam laughed. “I’ve had your lasagna. If I hadn’t already been sleeping with your brother, I totally would have jumped you.”
“Thank you.”
Miriam grinned. “All I’m saying is that a romantic dinner at your place might lead to something. Especially with your kid and your brother gone for the weekend.” She gave an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle, which made Ellie laugh.
But it made her think, too. Made her imagine how an intimate dinner date at her place might unfold. She pictured Ty with his shirt sleeves rolled up, candlelight flickering in his eyes as he shoved the dishes aside, boosted her up on the table, and?—
“Earth to Ellie…”
She blinked and looked back at Miriam. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“Yeah?” Miriam grinned. “I’ve been known to have a few of them from time to time.”
