Page 39 of A Return For Ren

Zane had someone doing his books for his business. He’d asked her for references when he started. She didn’t have any. She helped him out doing his while he got started, but it got to be too much for her as he grew. She would have figured it out but was just as happy to let him take it back.

“I think it took up more room in my car than Max’s stuff. I’m still missing two monitors that I’ve got back home. I’m thinking of going there to get some more stuff soon.”

“Do you need more things for Max?” she asked.

“I do. I brought a few weeks' worth of things. I’ve ordered or bought stuff I forgot to get us through the two weeks, but I need more. I was thinking of seeing if my mother can take Max for the day so I can go this weekend.”

“I could take him,” she said.

“You have him every day. No,” he said. “I appreciate it. My mother wants time with him too. But if you don’t have anything planned tomorrow and my mom can take Max, what do you think about going on a trip with me?”

She grinned. “I’d like that. I’d like to see your house. You’ve seen mine.”

“I’ll check with my mother then. Give me a second and I’ll do it now.”

She got up and went to his kitchen while he called his mother. She found a bag of chips and grabbed a bottle of water. They’d had dinner over an hour ago, but she was still hungry for some reason.

Or maybe she was trying to find something to do with her hands and putting food in her mouth was good enough.

When she came back out, she opened the chips and took a handful. “I hope it was okay to help myself.”

“Of course,” he said. “My mother will take Max tomorrow. How early can you be ready?”

“I’m an early riser. I’ve always been,” she said.

“Same here,” he said. “More so with Max. I don’t know what it’s like to have the luxury of sleep anymore.”

“It will get better. But what I wanted to tell you earlier was that when Max wakes up and wants his bottle at night, you should start to wean the amount you give him until it’s just an ounce or so. At some point, he’ll realize it’s not worth getting up for. It’s a habit now. He sleeps with his pacifier. He has to learn to find it at night and put himself back to sleep.”

“Makes sense. We haven’t been here a full two weeks yet. He is just getting back on his normal schedule. Maybe that is something to try in the next week or so. Too many changes at once might confuse him.”

She snorted. “Like me.”

He put his hand out and reached for hers and gave her a little tug so that she was leaning against him, then she found herself under his arm. “I think we are both feeling that. Tell me about your friends now.”

She smiled. “I don’t have time to do too much with people. I see some around from school but don’t have much interaction other than those that might have kids and come to the daycare. It’s sad, but the bulk of my free time is normally spent with Lily and her sisters rather than friends from years ago.”

“There isn’t anything wrong with that,” he asked. “I didn’t have that with my family. Colin and Dee took over there. Neither of them was from the area either. Dee is pretty outgoing and has a big social network. Colin would rather not be involved.”

Close friends with big social networks. “So she tries to set you up with her friends?”

“It’s been offered but doesn’t happen,” he said. “I’m not one for being set up or going on blind dates.”

“The same,” she said. “It never works out.”

“Maybe because things need to take the natural course? Like us?”

She turned her head to look at him. “I’m not sure this is the natural course of things. Neither of us would have thought this years ago. I know I wouldn’t have.”

“No,” he said. “I’ve thought of you for years, Zara. I want you to know that.”

Her heart was racing. It felt both wonderful and hurtful to hear that. “The same,” she said. “Yet you never reached out?”

“Would you have talked to me if I had?”

“I want to say I don’t know, but the truth is, I would have. You know that.”

“Because you never get mad or hold grudges,” he said. “And I did know that.”