Caitlyn glanced into the other room, seeing Bjorn talking to Margaretha, and she lifted on her toes to whisper in return. “Knowing him, I can’t even imagine!”
They moved into Caitlyn’s living room, everyone settling comfortably on the sofa and chairs. Margaretha claimed the comfy chair, and Bjorn sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table, his back near Terri’s legs. This left the sofa for Griffin and Caitlyn. Conversation flowed, and Griffin relaxed.
By the time the platters were almost empty, Caitlyn stood and scooted past him, walking into the kitchen. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I’ve got several types of desserts. I’ll bring them to the coffee table, and everyone can help themselves to whatever they’d like.”
Bjorn turned around and looked up at Terri. “Babe, go get the brownies you made yesterday!”
Terri’s eyes widened and she clapped her hands. “But, Bjorn, we ate them all!”
Caitlyn had walked over and set several platters on the coffee table. Griffin tried to keep his thoughts PG, but with her ass so close to him, it was hard not to fantasize. Considering she had set up residence in his brain, his fantasies were explicit.
Bjorn’s face fell and he sighed heavily. “Oh. They were so good.”
Terri smiled at the others and patted his shoulders. “We added some of our special ingredients, and they truly were fabulous.”
Griffin’s gaze snapped over to Caitlyn.
Margaretha lifted a brow and said, “I don’t think those would be right for tonight. Those are probably best for you and Bjorn.”
Caitlyn shot a glance toward Margaretha and then over to Griffin, making big eyes at him as she tried to stifle a giggle.
Finally, after all the food had been consumed, Margaretha stood and said, “Well, young people, this has been delightful, but I’m afraid it’s time this old lady went to bed.”
“Let me help Caitlyn clean up, and we’ll walk out with you,” Terri said as she and Bjorn stood as well.
“You go on, and I’ll stay and help Caitlyn,” Griffin said, thrilled at being able to spend extra time with Caitlyn when no one was around. Saying goodbye to the others, he closed her door and turned, seeing Caitlyn already in the kitchen rinsing off the dishes. “Let me help.”
“You don’t have to, you know.”
“Hey, you fixed the food, so the least I can do is help clean. Plus, I was hoping to spend a little extra time with you anyway.”
A smile played about her lips, but she remained quiet as they worked side-by-side. It didn’t take long till the kitchen was spotless. Not wanting to leave yet, he couldn’t think of a reason to stay. Squeezing the back of his neck, he lingered near the counter.
“Would you like to stay for a little bit and have another beer?” she asked.
The air rushed from his lungs, and he chuckled. “I was hoping to stay longer but didn’t want to overstay my welcome.”
She handed him another beer before pouring a glass of wine for herself. “You won’t overstay your welcome, Griffin. I was hoping to talk to you, anyway.”
They walked over to her sofa, and he hesitated, waiting to see where he should sit. He wanted to be close to her but wasn’t sure of her intentions. She sat on one end and immediately bent one leg underneath her as she twisted to face the other end of the sofa. Her gaze landed on him and she smiled, inclining her head toward the space next to her.
He sat closer to the middle, twisting his body to face her as well. Holding onto his beer bottle, he waited to see what she wanted to talk about.
“First of all, I want to thank you for talking to Russ. I never imagined that you’d offer him a job! And I realize he’s limited in what he can do for you, but I know he’ll be a hard worker.”
“I have no doubt about that. And that’s why I wanted to take the time to talk to him. If he was just looking for something to pass his time, I would have had him stop by occasionally to see what we were doing. But it was obvious he has a real interest and, I think, real aptitude for being able to learn construction as well as the specialty of restorative woodworking.”
Her smile widened, and it was impossible to not notice the dimples that popped out in her cheeks. He had no idea why he’d never noticed dimples before. He couldn’t even say if any of his family members had dimples, but Caitlyn’s snagged and held his attention. It was hard not to reach out and touch her soft cheeks, so he focused on what she was saying instead.
“That’s the other thing I wanted to say, Griffin. Your work is so beautiful. I had no idea! I’m embarrassed to say that even what you’re doing here on this house had mostly caught my attention just as I came and went, but until I watched what you were discussing with Russ, I had no idea what went into what you do. The drawings. The understanding of historical architecture. The desire to recreate art.”
Confident his work was quality, he nonetheless warmed under Caitlyn’s praise, but she wasn’t finished.
“And it struck me as you were talking to Russ how you combine art, geometry, algebra, and history. So many subjects that students struggle with because they think there’s no practical application.”
“Thank you.” Uncomfortable with her effusive praise, he shrugged. “I’m a lucky man, being able to combine what I love with what I do.”
“Yes, you are.”
He took another swig of his beer, then said, “I really like being here. I’ve never had a caring landlady before, and the Sorensons are crazy.” He wanted to add that meeting her had been the highlight, but she jumped on his comment about the others first.
She grinned. “Yes, they are! And who knows what they add to their brownies?”
“Does it worry you about the special ingredients that Bjorn puts in them?”
Her brows scrunched together, only making her cuter before she chuckled, making her dimple pop out again.
“Honestly, I’ve never been offered their brownies before, so I have no idea exactly what they put in them.” Shrugging, she added, “Sort of don’t-ask-don’t-tell.”
“Makes sense.”
She held his attention as she leaned forward, and he met her actions, leaning in to focus on whatever she was about to say.
“Not only was my dad in the FBI, but I attended a Catholic elementary school. You might think that would only give me a strong sense of right and wrong, but actually, both my parents and teachers instilled in me a sense of nonjudgmental reality. It’s not my place to judge other people, especially when I have no evidence. It’s my place to make sure I make the choices that I believe in. That I help others.” She tilted her head to the side, her nose scrunching a little once again. “Does that make sense?”
“Yeah, I think it does.”
“That doesn’t mean that if I saw a crime that I would turn a blind eye any more than I would ignore injustice. Terri and Bjorn are nice to Margaretha and me. They help whenever they can. And, in turn, I try to help them, as well. On weekends, I’ll pack some of their wares so that they can keep their costs down by not having to pay another employee.”
His fingers traced along her shoulders. “You’re a good friend.”
“I like them. They’re funny and nice. I’ve never seen them use any drugs although I have to admit there’s been a few times they were definitely more mellow than others. But I know many who abuse alcohol and I’ve seen what drinking does to many people who become angry, belligerent, or downright mean.”