Page 14 of Yours To Take
“Send me her number.”
“Promise you’ll call her.”
“Just send me her number,” Mason grumbles.
“Aunt Gemma! Can we shoot arrows today?” Willow tugs on my shirt.
“Of course.”
“I gotta go, Pipsqueak. Have a good time with Aunt Gem.” Mason drops down and wraps his arms around his daughter.
“Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you.” He turns his attention to me. “I owe you.”
“It’s fine. Willow and I are going to have a great afternoon.”
Mason drops a kiss on my cheek and rushes out the door. His daughter has now moved to the corner of the lobby, where she’s talking to our latest guest.
“What are you writing?” Willow is leaning up on the desk, brown curls bouncing as she peers around the computer screen.
“It’s going to be a TV show.”
“Willow, leave Blake alone.” I grab Willow by the shoulders, steering her away from the desk. “He’s busy.”
“She’s not bothering me. I’m not getting much done.” Blake smiles as he shuts his laptop lid.
“What kind of TV show?” Willow asks him, ignoring me.
“Well, it’s supposed to be about a family, but I’m not doing a good job of it.”
“Do you have a family?” Willow asks.
Blake smiles at her. “I do. But they’re not here.”
“You don’t have anyone to play with?”
“I’m here to work.”
“Work is boring.” Willow screws her face up. “You should come play with us.”
“Oh yeah?” Blake looks up at me. “Is that okay with your Aunt Gemma?”
I swallow, my face getting hot. All I keep thinking about is running smack into him after mucking out the stalls.
“Of course it is.” Willow elbows me in the leg. “We’re going to shoot arrows.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“You really don’t have to come,” I say, giving him an out. “I don’t want to distract you.”
Blake rises, towering above me. His presence is overwhelming. It didn’t feel this way the other day. Probably because I doused him in horse shit and had never been more embarrassed in my life.
Now? Every cell is tingling with awareness.
“I need the distraction. I’m pretty sure I’ve only written five words.Insert clever thing here.”
“That’s only four words,” Willow pipes up.
