As much as he wanted to follow up on the hint of melancholy he’d picked up on, he had a feeling it wasn’t territory that he’d be welcome exploring. There was something precious, and magical about this time that he was sharing with Grace, and he didn’t want to ruin it. He wanted to protect it. He was scared if he pried, she’d put walls up. So instead, he gave her space.
Instead of asking more about her mom he chose a topic that he knew would put the twinkle back in Grace Noelle’s eyes. It seemed whenever she spoke about her sisters, she lit up. “Christmas and Hollywood themed names, huh? I’ve gotta know… What are your sisters’ middle names?”
Just as he’d predicted, Grace’s lips curled up in a warm smile. “Ava Bell, Vivien Star, which if you knew her totally fits, and then Audrey Faith.”
“Do you see them much?”
“I’m going to. They all live in Hope Falls and I decided this morning, that I’m moving there.”
“Hope Falls? That’s where I’m headed, too.”
The smile that lifted on her face felt like the sun shining down on him after a cloudy day. It radiated and warmed his soul. He hadn’t really allowed himself to think about what would happen after tonight but knowing that they would both be living in the same town was exciting. Very exciting.
“Wait, you said you decided this morning?”
“Yep. I got offered partner at my job, and also closed a real estate deal which meant I hit a financial milestone I’d been working toward and instead of being happy or celebrating, I felt…empty. Sad. So, I turned in my resignation, packed up my life, and here I am.”
“That’s…really…” He was trying to find the right word to use, but nothing truly encapsulated his sentiment, so he finally settled on, “brave.”
She let out a forced laugh. “I thought you were going to say really stupid. Who walks away from a partnership at the highest grossing entertainment law firm in Los Angeles?”
“Someone who knows money and titles don’t equal happiness.”
Her shoulder shrugged as if she wasn’t so sure, and she glanced down. He could see that she was still wrestling with the life changes she’d made. He understood. She’d just walked away from her entire life.
When she looked back up at him, he thought she was going to continue to explain her decision but instead she asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”
He blinked, wondering what had inspired this left turn in the conversation.
His expression must have revealed his internal question because she quickly clarified, “I’m just asking because I need to know if anyone is going to be upset about our sleeping arrangements.”
“I wouldn’t have agreed to these sleeping arrangements if I was with someone.” Then a thought hit him. Had she asked because she had a boyfriend. “What about you? Is there going to be someone who is upset about these sleeping arrangements?”
His chest tightened at even the thought of her being with someone, which made no sense. He’d just met this woman. Up until a minute ago, he hadn’t even known her name. But that didn’t change the fact that thinking of her with someone else just didn’t feel right.
“No. I don’t really do committed relationships.”
He had a million follow up questions to that statement but before he could she asked, “How many serious relationships have you had?”
He told her about Alicia, Risha, and Carrie and why each one of them hadn’t worked out.
“So how long have you been single?”
“A couple years.”
“Have you dated a lot in that time?”
“No.”
“Why not?” she asked as if he would have no problem getting a date.
“I’m not really a casual dater.”
“We’re quite a pair, huh. The poster child for commitment issues and the poster child for serial monogamy.”
He’d never thought of himself as a serial monogamist, but he supposed that’s what he was.
“But I think we’re doing it right.”