Buttons and Grace (Buttons 6)

When I walked in the door, Adelina was sitting at the kitchen table eating a piece of toast. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, looking over at me in my running shorts and t-shirt. I had a line of sweat around my neck from running six miles. “Hey.”

“Hey.” I walked over to her then leaned down and kissed her.

She softened visibly at my touch.

I opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of eggs. “I’m making an omelet. You want one?” I cracked the eggs into a bowl then got a pan going.

“No, thanks.” She held her coffee between both hands, a small smile on her face. “I already ate.”

“You ate a piece of toast,” I said sarcastically. “That’s not much.”

“The coffee filled me up.”

I made an egg white omelet with veggies then sat across from her with a hot cup of coffee.

“Where did you go this morning?”

“To the gym in Florence.” I spoke between bites. “Then I stopped by my apartment and picked up a few things.”

“You still have that place?”

“Yeah. I bought it a few years ago. Haven’t decided what to do with it.”

“So you like being away from the city?”

I liked having my privacy when I shared my space with this woman. I liked seeing her walk around in just her panties since there was no one to spy on us through the windows. I liked seeing her topless by the pool on a summer day. None of that could happen in the city. “It’s nice. I understand why my brother prefers it.”

* * *

“You own a lot of land. Are you going to grow grapes like your brother?”

“Probably. May as well use the space. Besides, it’s got great landscaping.”

“True.”

“I think I’ve selected a butler for the house.”

“Yeah?” She set her coffee down, visibly excited. “Who?”

“There’s this older guy from Florence. He works in a high-end restaurant, but he says he wants something quieter. Both of his kids moved to France, and his ex-wife is remarried. So he says he’s a bit lonely but doesn’t want the crazy crowds anymore.”

“He sounds perfect. Have you tried his cooking?”

“No, not yet. But he’s been a chef his entire life. I’m not worried about his talents. He says it’s important where he gets his products. Apparently, he’s picky about those sorts of things, but they’re important. I know Lars is the same way. He drives all the way to another town just to pick up his tomatoes, and then he goes to this other farm because of their asparagus…”

She smiled. “Wow. That’s commitment.”

“But the food is so good. Have you eaten over there?”

“No, I can’t say I have.”

“I’ll rudely invite us over for lunch when Crow is feeling better.”

She chuckled. “That’s the nice thing about family. You don’t need manners.”

“Exactly.” I leaned back against the wood of the chair and looked at her as I ate. I lived for the moments when she smiled like that. Her feelings for me in those instances didn’t seem important. Maybe she didn’t love me, but she was obviously fond of me. I had to have a special place in her heart after everything we’d been through together.

I finished my plate and placed it in the sink. “He’ll be here later today. I’m gonna hop in the shower.”

“Can I join you? You know…to save water.”

I grinned at her then nodded toward the stairway. “Water conservation has always been a turn-on for me.”

* * *

Gerald was a good fit the moment he stepped through the door. He was polite and right to the point, but he didn’t overstep his boundaries by talking too much. He’d live in the downstairs bedroom with a private bathroom and living room, but he wouldn’t make himself at home in the rest of the house.

He stuck to doing his job.

The place was spotless from the moment he arrived, and the first meal he made was tremendous. Succulent lamb chops and rice pilaf I hadn’t had since my last visit to Greece. He kept the place immaculately clean, and as a result, it even smelled a little different.

It smelled better.

Now I wished I’d hired someone a long time ago. I wasn’t a criminal anymore, so I had nothing to hide.

Gerald served dinner in the dining room, and the large window overlooked the front of the house and vineyards that stretched far into the distance. The closest house was a few miles away. The lights from their windows could be seen, but only subtly. Unless you already knew they were there, it would be difficult to make out.

Adelina sat across from me in a black dress with her straight hair curled at the ends. She did her makeup every day and seemed at ease in the house. She wasn’t shaken and disturbed like she had been when she first returned to me. She made herself right at home.