come with you.”
“ You would miss your water.”
“ I would.” She grinned. “I love my rain.”
“ I should let you two catch up,” Vivian said setting her mug on the table and standing. “I’ll go pull up some floor in the girls’ room.”
Dorothy shook her head. “Oh, I’m no prude. Don’t you sleep together?”
Clayton could feel his cheeks heat and he assumed they matched the red in Vivian’s.
“ We haven’t gotten to that stage in our relationship yet,” he said. “I’ve been staying with her because of her mother-in-law. She’s a little unstable.”
Dorothy nodded. “She told me about that.”
He figured they’d hit it off in those five minutes of him in the kitchen. They’d discussed everything .
“ Well, I’ll take this couch. It always was comfortable,” she laughed. “Tonight would be a good night for the two of you to figure out who steals the sheets.”
Vivian’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. Clayton couldn’t say he’d ever seen her at a loss for words.
“ Let me get her settled then and I’ll bring out bedding for you.”
He stood and reached for Vivian. She gazed up at him. “Can I have just a moment?”
“ Yes.” He kissed her cheek and headed to his bedroom.
“ My mother-in-law seems to have tried to ruin my life. We were never close. She never really cared for me much. I just wanted to say that you are delightful,” he heard her say from the hallway. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. And to be gracious to me when I’m here with Clayton…well…”
He could see Dorothy stand from her seat. “I know a good person when I see one. You’re a good person. I don’t want Clayton alone forever. Linda wouldn’t have wanted it either. I can tell, you make him happy.”
“ I haven’t known him long.”
“ How long do you really need to know someone to love them?”
He thought his heart might explode. Quickly he stepped into his bedroom and waited for Vivian.
She was wiping her eyes as she walked toward him. “She’s lovely,” Vivian said.
“ I know.”
“ This still seems awkward. Me sleeping here with you.”
“ You’re only sleeping. And if you want me to I can…”
“ You can sleep in here with me.” She moved to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I watched Amelia and Sam fall in love and thought they were moving too fast. But it worked. I watched Penelope and Brock fall in love in a few weeks and thought this doesn’t really happen.”
“ And now?”
She rested her head against his chest. “I’ve been so lonely for so long I’m afraid I’m doing the same thing, but now I wonder if it’s real.”
Clayton pushed back from her to look at her. “Honey, it’s real.” He moved his hand to her cheek. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“ I’m not used to things feeling right. This feels right.”
He chuckled softly. “What could possibly be wrong with that?”
Vivian shrugged. “Amelia and Penelope ran off and married Adam on a whim. They just took a chance. And then they each took another. I’ve never taken a chance in my life.”
He pulled her in again. “Maybe you should.”
“ Maybe I should.”
Chapter Fourteen
Clayton settled Vivian into his room and closed the door as he walked back to the living room with sheets and a pillow in hand.
“ I hope I didn’t put you out,” Dorothy said as she stood from the couch.
“ I promise, you’ll never put me out. I’ll always open my door to you—anytime.” He set the sheets on the couch. “My tea is cold. Can I offer you another cup?”
“ Oh, I’ll be up using the bathroom all night, but you know, I’d really appreciate another cup. I’ll come in with you.”
She followed him to the kitchen and made herself at home at the kitchen table.
“ She’s lovely, Clayton.”
He smiled to himself as he filled the teapot. “She is, isn’t she?”
“ Very strong willed I think.”
Now he
“ You would miss your water.”
“ I would.” She grinned. “I love my rain.”
“ I should let you two catch up,” Vivian said setting her mug on the table and standing. “I’ll go pull up some floor in the girls’ room.”
Dorothy shook her head. “Oh, I’m no prude. Don’t you sleep together?”
Clayton could feel his cheeks heat and he assumed they matched the red in Vivian’s.
“ We haven’t gotten to that stage in our relationship yet,” he said. “I’ve been staying with her because of her mother-in-law. She’s a little unstable.”
Dorothy nodded. “She told me about that.”
He figured they’d hit it off in those five minutes of him in the kitchen. They’d discussed everything .
“ Well, I’ll take this couch. It always was comfortable,” she laughed. “Tonight would be a good night for the two of you to figure out who steals the sheets.”
Vivian’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. Clayton couldn’t say he’d ever seen her at a loss for words.
“ Let me get her settled then and I’ll bring out bedding for you.”
He stood and reached for Vivian. She gazed up at him. “Can I have just a moment?”
“ Yes.” He kissed her cheek and headed to his bedroom.
“ My mother-in-law seems to have tried to ruin my life. We were never close. She never really cared for me much. I just wanted to say that you are delightful,” he heard her say from the hallway. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. And to be gracious to me when I’m here with Clayton…well…”
He could see Dorothy stand from her seat. “I know a good person when I see one. You’re a good person. I don’t want Clayton alone forever. Linda wouldn’t have wanted it either. I can tell, you make him happy.”
“ I haven’t known him long.”
“ How long do you really need to know someone to love them?”
He thought his heart might explode. Quickly he stepped into his bedroom and waited for Vivian.
She was wiping her eyes as she walked toward him. “She’s lovely,” Vivian said.
“ I know.”
“ This still seems awkward. Me sleeping here with you.”
“ You’re only sleeping. And if you want me to I can…”
“ You can sleep in here with me.” She moved to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I watched Amelia and Sam fall in love and thought they were moving too fast. But it worked. I watched Penelope and Brock fall in love in a few weeks and thought this doesn’t really happen.”
“ And now?”
She rested her head against his chest. “I’ve been so lonely for so long I’m afraid I’m doing the same thing, but now I wonder if it’s real.”
Clayton pushed back from her to look at her. “Honey, it’s real.” He moved his hand to her cheek. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“ I’m not used to things feeling right. This feels right.”
He chuckled softly. “What could possibly be wrong with that?”
Vivian shrugged. “Amelia and Penelope ran off and married Adam on a whim. They just took a chance. And then they each took another. I’ve never taken a chance in my life.”
He pulled her in again. “Maybe you should.”
“ Maybe I should.”
Chapter Fourteen
Clayton settled Vivian into his room and closed the door as he walked back to the living room with sheets and a pillow in hand.
“ I hope I didn’t put you out,” Dorothy said as she stood from the couch.
“ I promise, you’ll never put me out. I’ll always open my door to you—anytime.” He set the sheets on the couch. “My tea is cold. Can I offer you another cup?”
“ Oh, I’ll be up using the bathroom all night, but you know, I’d really appreciate another cup. I’ll come in with you.”
She followed him to the kitchen and made herself at home at the kitchen table.
“ She’s lovely, Clayton.”
He smiled to himself as he filled the teapot. “She is, isn’t she?”
“ Very strong willed I think.”
Now he
Similar Books
