stood and moved directly in front of her. He didn’t touch her, but his eyes locked into hers. “I’m going home. I have to gather a few things. And then I’m coming back here to stay with you. And when you move to the other house I’m coming with you.”
Vivian stared at him for a long silent moment. “You’re moving in with us?”
“ Just for a little bit. I want to be here. When you’re working, you’ll have Penelope and Amelia around. Amelia would kill anyone who hurt any of you—or my girls.”
She felt her lips tremble. “You’d do that for me? For us?”
Clayton lifted his hand to her cheek. “Remember, I’m bad with hints. I’m very interested in you. I’m not just looking for someone to make me forget Linda. I’ll never forget Linda. You’ll never forget Adam.” He kissed her softly. “You should never forget Adam.”
Chapter Nine
Clayton had left the girls with Vivian and headed back to his house to collect his school bag for tomorrow, as well as some clothes for the girls. And dare he forget the pink blanket for Stephanie and Boo-Boo Bunny for Charlotte.
There was no way he’d tell Vivian he was worried about Adam’s mother, but he was. What kind of woman keeps a man and wife apart? What would she have done if Adam hadn’t have died?
It was natural for him to second-guess everything now that Linda was gone. He’d met the young man she’d taken care of a few times. He’d just been a sad young man. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that the boy would become some murdering lunatic.
You never knew when someone would snap and he was going to be there just in case something happened with Adam’s mother.
Clayton scrambled through the hallway picking out items for the girls to wear. He backtracked to the bathroom and collected brushes and toothbrushes.
In passing through the living room, he stopped cold in his tracks and looked at the picture of their family. Linda’s smile seemed to catch him and he moved to it.
“ Oh, what am I doing?” He reached out and touched the picture. “I miss you so much,” he said as he traced the outline of her beautiful face. “When I’m with Vivian the hurt isn’t quite as bad.”
There was an ache in his heart. He needed to say the words aloud so that he heard them. Maybe she’d heard them too.
As he stood there in his meek little home, staring down at his wife’s face, Vivian crossed his mind and he felt a smile form on his lips.
It was okay to feel this out with her. It was time to move on. In his heart, he knew Linda understood.
Vivian was frantically unpacking bags from the girls’ room. They each wanted Stephanie and Charlotte to have certain stuffed animals to sleep with. They wanted to sleep all together on the floor of their bedroom with certain blankets. And of course, she had begun to freak out. A man was coming to spend the night.
She’d only ever slept with Adam, both sexually and literally.
Could she have a man in her bed?
Did she snore? Did she drool? God, what other things might she do that she didn’t know about.
Was she ready to have sex with the man? He hadn’t offered sex, she reminded herself. He’d offered her protection and security. And he wouldn’t do that kind of thing with his kids in the house, or hers. Her mind was getting away from her. She was in no position to be thinking about sex from a man—this man. He’d said they were friends. She needed to keep thinking of it in that way. But his kisses had said differently to her heart, which had been aching for years.
It still meant she needed to find the clean set of sheets she’d packed and put them on the bed. She was going to be prepared for anything.
When Clayton walked through the front door carrying Barbie backpacks and a duffle bag, he was nearly mauled by the four little girls grabbing at him.
“ We staying?” Charlotte burst out in question.
“ Yes. One big slumber party.”
“ Swumber party!” she joyously added as if
Vivian stared at him for a long silent moment. “You’re moving in with us?”
“ Just for a little bit. I want to be here. When you’re working, you’ll have Penelope and Amelia around. Amelia would kill anyone who hurt any of you—or my girls.”
She felt her lips tremble. “You’d do that for me? For us?”
Clayton lifted his hand to her cheek. “Remember, I’m bad with hints. I’m very interested in you. I’m not just looking for someone to make me forget Linda. I’ll never forget Linda. You’ll never forget Adam.” He kissed her softly. “You should never forget Adam.”
Chapter Nine
Clayton had left the girls with Vivian and headed back to his house to collect his school bag for tomorrow, as well as some clothes for the girls. And dare he forget the pink blanket for Stephanie and Boo-Boo Bunny for Charlotte.
There was no way he’d tell Vivian he was worried about Adam’s mother, but he was. What kind of woman keeps a man and wife apart? What would she have done if Adam hadn’t have died?
It was natural for him to second-guess everything now that Linda was gone. He’d met the young man she’d taken care of a few times. He’d just been a sad young man. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that the boy would become some murdering lunatic.
You never knew when someone would snap and he was going to be there just in case something happened with Adam’s mother.
Clayton scrambled through the hallway picking out items for the girls to wear. He backtracked to the bathroom and collected brushes and toothbrushes.
In passing through the living room, he stopped cold in his tracks and looked at the picture of their family. Linda’s smile seemed to catch him and he moved to it.
“ Oh, what am I doing?” He reached out and touched the picture. “I miss you so much,” he said as he traced the outline of her beautiful face. “When I’m with Vivian the hurt isn’t quite as bad.”
There was an ache in his heart. He needed to say the words aloud so that he heard them. Maybe she’d heard them too.
As he stood there in his meek little home, staring down at his wife’s face, Vivian crossed his mind and he felt a smile form on his lips.
It was okay to feel this out with her. It was time to move on. In his heart, he knew Linda understood.
Vivian was frantically unpacking bags from the girls’ room. They each wanted Stephanie and Charlotte to have certain stuffed animals to sleep with. They wanted to sleep all together on the floor of their bedroom with certain blankets. And of course, she had begun to freak out. A man was coming to spend the night.
She’d only ever slept with Adam, both sexually and literally.
Could she have a man in her bed?
Did she snore? Did she drool? God, what other things might she do that she didn’t know about.
Was she ready to have sex with the man? He hadn’t offered sex, she reminded herself. He’d offered her protection and security. And he wouldn’t do that kind of thing with his kids in the house, or hers. Her mind was getting away from her. She was in no position to be thinking about sex from a man—this man. He’d said they were friends. She needed to keep thinking of it in that way. But his kisses had said differently to her heart, which had been aching for years.
It still meant she needed to find the clean set of sheets she’d packed and put them on the bed. She was going to be prepared for anything.
When Clayton walked through the front door carrying Barbie backpacks and a duffle bag, he was nearly mauled by the four little girls grabbing at him.
“ We staying?” Charlotte burst out in question.
“ Yes. One big slumber party.”
“ Swumber party!” she joyously added as if
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