The Butterfly Effect (Boggy Creek Valley 1)

Willa rolled her eyes. “You just saw him yesterday, Mom.”

Mary waved off her daughter and turned to Ben. She frowned when she took him in. “He’s a mess.”

“He liked the alfredo sauce,” I said, chancing a quick look at Willa.

“Well, I’ll just clean him up. You pack up an overnight bag for him, dear,” Mary said, expertly retrieving her grandson from the highchair and making her way to what was probably the bathroom or Ben’s room.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Willa asked, following her mother.

Drawing in a deep breath, I exhaled and quickly got to work cleaning off the table and getting the dishes into the dishwasher. Willa’s house wasn’t big, and Ben’s room was not far from the kitchen, so I heard every word the two women said.

“Mom, I don’t need you to take Ben. He’s fine here. We want him here.”

“We?” Mary asked.

“Yes, we. Aiden wants to spend time with him. With both of us.”

“Nonsense, you need some time to yourself, darling.”

As I placed the last of the dishes into the dishwasher, Willa walked into the kitchen looking defeated. “She’s insisting they want to spend time with him.”

Leaning against the counter, I grinned. Willa opened her mouth slightly as she let her eyes roam freely over my body. Her cheeks turned red, and I really wanted to know what in the heck she was thinking at that moment.

She pressed her lips into a tight line as she pointed to her shoulder. I looked at it, and she shook her head, then pointed to me. When I glanced down, I saw that the dish towel was tossed over my shoulder.

“The towel? Do you want it?”

Willa slowly shook her head and walked up to me. “Why is that so sexy?” she whispered.

“The towel?” I asked, confused.

She nodded. “I have never been so turned on in my life. It’s been a long time, Aiden. A very long time, and clearly just a dish towel draped over your shoulder does it for me.”

A low growl came from the back of my throat, and I had to fist my hands together to keep from touching her. After all, her mother was still here.

We both jumped at the sound of Mary’s voice as she walked into the room. Willa took a step back from me and spun around to face her mother.

“Ben is all cleaned up and ready to go see his granddaddy and spend some time with us,” she declared.

Willa followed her mother through the house and to the front door. I was about to take the towel off of my shoulder when I decided to leave it where it was.

I followed both women into the living room.

“Mom, you really don’t have to take him.”

Mary stopped, turned slowly around, and eyed Willa. “I want to spend time with my grandson. That’s the only reason I’m here.”

Willa folded her arms over her chest. “Grace called you, didn’t she?”

Mary tilted her head and stole a glance in my direction. “That, and I might have run into Arabella earlier, who informed me of your little lunch date this afternoon. And I spoke to Hunter. He told me he saw Aiden heading into your house with flowers.” Mary gave me a dreamy smile. “All so romantic, Aiden,” she whispered, as if Willa wasn’t standing right there.

I felt my face heat. “Thank you, Mary.”

Willa sighed. “Can no one in this town keep their mouth shut?”

I raised my hand. “I can.”

Mary gave me another sweet smile before letting it fall when she focused back on Willa. She pointed her index finger at her daughter, then at me, then between both of us. “Just remember, the neighbors will talk.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Willa and I asked in tandem.

Mary quickly turned and was out the door before I could even register she’d left.

After the door shut, Willa stood there staring at it. “Oh my God. She knows we’re going to have sex!”

I laughed. “I would hazard to say all of Boggy Creek knows.”

Willa groaned and turned to face me. “Aiden, I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you sorry? I could care less what people think. Do you care?”

“Me?” she asked, pointing a finger at herself.

I took a step toward her and lifted her chin until our eyes met. “Do you want me to go?”

“No,” she softly said. “No, I don’t want you to leave.”

“Good, because I have plans for this dish towel.”

Her eyes went to the towel still tossed across my shoulder. “P-plans?”

With a nod, I leaned down and brushed my lips over hers. “Plans.”

“I’m intrigued,” she said with a giggle.

I cupped her face in my hands and stared into those eyes the color of the sky after a rainstorm. “I’ve thought about this moment so many times, I don’t want to rush things.”

Her hands came up and landed softly on my chest, and she pressed her fingertips into me. “This is going to be so forward, so I hope you don’t think badly of me.”