Page 121 of Running
When I wake up the next morning, he’s already gone from the bed, leaving only a crinkled cool spot. I give myself a few minutes to wake up properly, then change into daytime clothes.
Popping into the bathroom to get myself ready, one thought springs into my head, and won’t stay quiet.
Talk to Johnson about it later, it’s going to be family time now.
Only as I head back to the guest room to slip some socks on, he’s there—holding a mug.
“Mom has chai tea, believe it or not. She made you some, and I put a little milk in it.”
“Awww, amazing, thank you.”
He waves back to the bed. “Here, sit down and take a few sips. It’s going to be chaos once you go downstairs, everyone is awake.”
“Thanks…” I pause, wanting to call him something more affectionate than his full name. “By the way, I feel like I need to give you a nickname. Other than J, or Johnny, like everyone else.”
He chuckles. “You can call me anything.”
“I’m trying to think of a good one. I mean, you’ve had likeeight for me.”
“Only two, but that’s more than you’ve come up with for me. How about ‘hot stuff’?”
I laugh. “No.”
“Sex machine?”
“No.” I chuck a pillow at him.
“Lover boy?”
“Stoppp. Okay, what keeps wanting to slip out is not super masculine. Like don’t get alpha on me. But…it’shoney. Like, ‘thanks honey.’”
“Honey, huh?” he looks pleased. “I like it. I’m Grace’s honey. Kind of goes with Goldie even, variations of the same colors.”
“I didn’t even think of that. Okay,honey”—he grins wide—“there’s something that crossed my mind that I wanted to bring up. I was going to wait until later, but since we’re here now…”
His face flashes with concern, and I don’t want him to be worried, so I clarify. “Nothing bad.”
“Okay, what is it?”
“You’ve been so transparent—admirably self-aware to be honest—about your house in Orlando. That you got it because you wanted a home you can settle in for the long term, but that it’s ended up feeling empty. That you’re lonely in it sometimes.”
“Much less often now that you’re in my life, Goldie.”
I smile. “Stop saying sweet things or I won’t be able to finish.” He makes a zipper gesture over his mouth. “Why don’t you move your family into the Orlando house? At least temporarily? You have that empty first floor guest wing they could take over. It would give Lainie time to regroup, and of course, you’d have a house teeming with life with all of them there.”
He rubs his hand over his beard, looking thoughtful. “Yeah, that actually may be a great fix. Even short term. I can keep an eye on everything a lot easier mid-season if they’re in Orlando.”
“Exactly.”
He looks at me, his eyes soft. “I hadn’t gotten further ahead than our plans for today. Thanks for helping me sort through this.”
“Nothing that you wouldn’t do for me.” I take a sip of my chai now that it’s cooled down a minute.
“And you won’t mind sharing me with them there? Sharing the house?”
I shake my head. “I’m from a family of six, it’s my normal too. You know how close I am with my own brothers. And anyway, I’m pretty sure we could have them there as well as four kids of our own, and your house still wouldn’t feel empty.”
I meant the last comment as a tease, but my eyes go wide. Whoa, probably shouldn’t have dropped the whole kids together scenario yet.
