Part 6 (2/2)
Once settled across the table from her, he tried to think of how to start the conversation about what had happened between them. He watched her take a sip of beer and set the bottle on the table. She leaned forward and wrapped her hands around it.
”Griff, please don't feel guilty because we had s.e.x. Everything I've heard about your wife makes me believe she was a kind and generous person. Someone like her wouldn't expect you stay away from women forever.”
”You're right. I know you're right. Jana would want me to be happy. I just...” Blowing out a breath, he sat back in his chair. ”I've loved her since I was fifteen. I don't know how to let her go.”
”You'll do it when the time is right.”
Emma had to know right up front that he wasn't available. He had no intention of having his heart ripped out of his chest again. ”I can't get involved with anyone else.”
”I'm not asking you to. I like my life exactly how it is. I'm single and plan to stay that way.” A teasing smile touched her lips. ”But if you want some...friendly companions.h.i.+p, I'm willing.”
”Something along the lines of what happened between us this morning? But longer next time?”
Her hint of a smile bloomed into a full one. ”Longer would be better.”
Griff chuckled again. It felt easier this time, more natural. He wasn't afraid his face would crack if he smiled.
”How much longer does the sauce need to simmer?” she asked.
He glanced at the clock on the stove. ”About twenty minutes.”
”Just enough time to boil the spaghetti and toast some French bread, if you have it.”
”As a matter of fact, I do.”
Emma grinned. ”Then let's get dinner going. I'm starving.”
She liked him. Not only was he incredibly nice to look at, but also intelligent and charming and polite. She suspected he also had a wicked sense of humor, if he'd let himself go. Alaina had told Emma many things about Griff that Rye had shared with her, including how Griff loved to watch comedies because they made him laugh. He'd always loved to laugh, until Jana died.
Emma hadn't heard Griff laugh out loud yet, but she'd heard his chuckle when she'd made the crack about longer being better. She took that as a good sign that he was finally starting to heal.
She set the table while Griff dished up plates of spaghetti and b.u.t.tered French bread. Conversation had been easy between them. He asked her about her job in Dallas, her family, how she met Alaina. She wasn't sure if he was that curious about her, or if he kept turning the attention to her to keep it off him.
Time to turn the attention back to him.
”This is wonderful, Griff. How long have you cooked?”
He swallowed his bite of food and wiped his hands on a linen napkin. ”Since I was a teenager. Mom said just because she had three boys didn't mean they wouldn't learn how to cook and clean and do laundry. We all hated it, of course, but it was good for us to do all that stuff. It made us self-sufficient.”
Emma looked around the orderly kitchen. ”Doesn't your mother clean your house?”
”Yeah, on Wednesdays. She was here yesterday. That's why everything looks so good. I can do it, but she enjoys taking care of us.” He shrugged. ”I wouldn't want to take away her joy.”
”Plus it's easier to pay her than do it yourself.”
Griff grinned. ”Yeah.”
Emma's tummy jumped at the sight of Griff's grin. It lit up his entire face, including his eyes, making him even more handsome and s.e.xy.
”It's a good thing I know how to cook,” Griff said, wiping up the last of his sauce with his bread. ”Jana was a lousy cook.”
His gaze flew to hers, a look of mortification crossing his face. ”I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything about her.”
”Griff, it's okay. You can talk about Jana. I don't mind. She was a part of your life for a long time.”
He rubbed his forehead, as if that would help him gather his thoughts. ”It seems rude to talk about her with you.”
”Then we'll talk about something else if you'd rather. Like the restaurant. Your dad said he'll have a draft of the blueprints in a couple of days. I can't believe how fast he works.”
”Computers help. He doesn't have to draw everything by hand anymore.”
”I can hardly wait to see them.” She stood, picked up her plate and carried it to the sink. ”I don't think I'll believe it's really happening until I see the finished plans.”
”Or the foundation,” Griff said, setting his plate on top of hers.
Just hearing the word ”foundation” sent goose b.u.mps scattering across her body. ”I want to be there for everything. I want to help build it the way Alaina has helped at Stevens House.”
Griff turned and leaned against the cabinets. ”How will you do that when you live and work in Dallas?”
”I'm giving my two weeks notice as soon as I go back to work next week. I was going to wait until the first of November, but I want to be in Lanville now.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. ”Where will you live?”
Emma shrugged. ”I haven't thought that far yet. I'll talk to Lainy first. I don't want to wear out my welcome, but maybe I can stay with her and Rye a little longer while I find a place to rent.”
”That won't be easy. There are only two small apartment complexes in Lanville and they rarely have a vacancy.”
”Rental houses?”
”Scarce.”
”Not a problem.” Emma refused to be discouraged. ”I'll work it out.”
She watched his face as he studied hers. She had the feeling he wanted to say more, yet remained silent. ”Is something wrong?”
Griff shook his head. ”No.” He went back to the table and picked up their empty beer bottles. ”I have ice cream. That's the only dessert I can offer you.”
”I'm too full for dessert anyway. Your spaghetti was delicious.”
”Thanks.”
Silence again, an uncomfortable one for her this time. No matter how much she wanted to stay with him, she knew she had to leave.
”Well, I guess I'd better go. Thank you for dinner.”
”I didn't use a condom.”
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