“You’re trying, and you love him. That’s what’s important. He’s doing better. Plus, you have me now.”
She rolled her eyes and yanked her hand away to cross her arms.
“Yes, I’m aware that Andy is happy here with you.”
He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. You’re not doing thisaloneanymore, Al.”
Her gray eyes shone, and she blinked hard. The anxiety, the worry, the stress she carried—he wished she’d let him take some of it from her.
“I promise that whether Andy stays with me or you find a place for the two of you, I’m here for you. Forbothof you. It’s not me versus you. It’s meandyou. We’re a team.”
“I’ve never had that before.” She uncrossed her arms.
Quickly, he linked his fingers with hers. “You have me.” He made the pledge, wondering if he meant more than just with Andy. “For as long as you need me.”
She lifted her free hand and tucked one of her curls behind her ear. “Andy has to come first.”
“Of course.”
She dropped her chin and studied the intercut drawing on the pad in front of her, slowly pulling her hand from his grasp. “What happened at my house…”
Oh. He finally understood what this whole conversation had been about. The easy thing would be to call it a mistake and let it go. That was what he should do, but those weren’t the words he uttered.
“It’s back-burnered.”
Her shoulder tightened slightly.
“But that doesn’t mean it was a mistake. I’d kiss you over and over, as many times as you’d let me.”
Shocked gray eyes shot to his. She looked floored.
He gave her a small smile. “I’m saying I understand why it needs to be back-burnered. And I respect that.”
And truthfully, he had his own reasons to pause whatever was brewing between them. Aly made him feel entirely too out of control. She was the type of woman he’d spent his lifetime staying away from. Maybe the exact one who could get under his skin and truly break him. She had the potential to be someone who could hurt him. So he needed this to stop. Not only for Andy, but to keep his own heart safe.
She searched his face, probably looking for a sign that he was lying, but she finally nodded. Then she went back to examining the paper in front of her. Swirls of blue in a variety of shades rippled across the page. The design was almost Tetris-like, with higher levels and lower ones, but with the right angles.
“What are you working on?”
She straightened before turning the paper to him. “It’s a backsplash design.”
With the new angle, the shapes made sense—the cabinets, the exhaust fan, the stove.
“It’s water.” Will could see it. The dark and the light. The ripples. Beautiful. Creative. But there was no denying that it was water.
She bit her lower lip again, fighting a smile. That might be one of his favorite expressions. Pride mixed with vulnerability. A shine in her eyes, a slight blush on her cheeks.
“What’s it for?” he asked. “Your mom’s house?”
Her shoulders tightened as she shook her head and chuckled. “Nothing I’m supposed to be working on.” She reached for a dark blue pencil and added more color to the design. “It’s been stuck in my head. I needed to get it out.”
He studied the Tetris shape again. It was familiar. With his chin lifted, he racked his brain for why the drawing felt so personal, and that’s when he caught sight of his own kitchen cabinets. Holy shit.
“Are you designing a mosaic for my kitchen?” His tone was harsher than he meant it to be.
She cringed. “I was just killing time because the idea won’t go away. I’m sorry.” She snatched the sketchpad back from him.
His eyes moved from the table to the rest of the room. This kitchen had always been the heart of his parents’ home. “The idea of remodeling this room overwhelms me. That’s what I always say.”