“What else are we forgetting?” she asks.
“Silverware.”
“He can eat with his fingers,” she teases.
“Which of these looks like Holden to you?” I ask her, stopping in front of the shelf that holds silverware.
“These.” She points at the same set I was thinking of.
“Agreed.” I toss in two packs and move on down the aisle. “Grab some mixing bowls, and I’ll get a cookie sheet and pizza pan.”
“If you plan on doing any cooking, you might want to grab a casserole dish too.”
“He probably has them at his old place.”
“He was a bachelor who was never home.”
“But he knows how to cook. He made us breakfast, remember?”
“Just because he knows how doesn’t mean he did it. Besides, from what you tell me, it’s a big-ass kitchen. He has the storage space.”
She’s right. After I add the pans, I grab a glass casserole dish as well. I toss in some kitchen towels, a couple of serving utensils and decide that’s enough. “I think we’re ready for food,” I tell her. “I still feel like he’s going to have double of all of this stuff. It’s a waste of money.”
“This is what he asked you to do. He said it was all hand-me-downs, so maybe he wants all new for his new house, new start, new girlfriend.” She shrugs. “He’s on a new kick right now.”
“Stop.” I laugh. “Come on. Groceries, and let's get out of here,” I say as my phone rings. Fishing it out of my purse, I see Holden’s calling.
“Hey,” I greet.
“Hi. How’s it going?”
“Well, I have a trunk full of stuff for your house, and we’re at Walmart now getting some groceries and a few other small things.”
“I need it all, so I’m sure whatever you have will be great.”
“You might end up with a lot of duplicates when you move your stuff here.”
“It was mostly all secondhand anyway. I’ve been thinking about just donating it.”
“Okay. Well, is there anything specific you need or want to eat?” The question sounds very domestic, and it’s something I’ve heard my mom ask my dad and vice versa many times in my life.
“Yeah, can you grab some towels and body wash? Whatever you think smells good is fine with me, and some shampoo?”
“I already bought towels, but I’ll grab the other stuff. Food?”
“Water, milk, eggs, wheat bread, some fruit, really. Just grab what we’ll need for tonight and the next few days. We can go out and fill up the fridge and pantry after that.”
“Okay, well, I’ll figure out a couple of quick meals and some snacks.”
“Perfect. What time will you be here?” he asks.
“Well, we just started on the food, so probably an hour and a half to two hours. I still have to drop Autumn off at our place too.”
“That’s perfect. Thanks for helping me, Parker.”
“Anytime. I’ll see you soon.”
“Drive safe, babe,” he says before hanging up.
“What did he add?”
“Just some body wash and towels, but we’re already all over that. He said just to grab for the next few days, and he can worry about getting stocked up later.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m not sure. He said to grab whatever he thinks we might need.”
“We, huh?”
“That’s what he said.”
“All right then, let’s get to shopping.”
It takes us another hour and fifteen minutes to grab food, spices, a case of water, and the things that Holden added to the list. This close to the holidays, this place is a madhouse. I did grab more than a few days’ worth of food. I figured it was better to err on the side of caution.
Autumn and I had to do some shifting around, but we managed to get everything in the back seat without crushing the bread, bagels, and chips. I call that a success.
Now, to take Autumn home and drive to Holden’s and unload. I’m exhausted after a full day of shopping. I hope he doesn’t have any plans for us to go out tonight. I just want to stay in and relax. My place or his, I don’t care either way. As long as we’re together.
CHAPTER 20
Holden
I’m not usually someone who likes to throw his weight around where money is concerned. I get paid a fuckton to play the sport I love, and if living expenses were not an issue, I’d play for free. With that being said, today I used my name, my position on the team, and the balance in my bank account to get shit done. No way would I have been able to accomplish everything I have without it.
First, I called a cleaning company. The house was spotless other than our mess last night, but I’d feel better about the fridge and the bathrooms being cleaned before we use them, and if all goes well, we’ll be staying here.
Together.
Soon.
Second, I ordered some pictures to be developed online, so all I had to do was run in and pick them up. I grabbed a couple of frames while I was in there. Thankfully, the pharmacy is a one-stop shop.