Page 111 of Doc Rock
“Ford. It’s okay. Iknowyou had girlfriends while I was gone,”Sie said quietly.
“Yeah.”Ford wished he hadn’t. Now that he had her again, he wished he had waited for her to come back to him, and he had to stop himself from blurting that she was his; she always had been, and she always would be. And now she was back, he was never letting her go again.
He wished hecouldstand up, take her hand, and lead her to his room. He needed her back in his arms like he needed oxygen and music.
Sie cracked a yawn and covered her mouth.“On that slightly awkward note. I’m exhausted. I’ve got work tomorrow. Is it okay if I head to bed?”
“You’re taking my room,”Ford quickly said.
“Iknow. I already agreed to it.”She gave him a rueful grin.
“Good. I’ll show youthere.”He stood up and nearly held his hand out to her, but instead, he clenched his fist by his side to stop himself.
“Thanks, Ford. Night guys. I’ll be quiet in the morning.”
The three men waved to Sie—but mercifully didn’t comment—as she followed Ford away from the table and along the corridor to his room.
He took deep breaths as he led her, telling himself not to let itgetawkward. To act chill. To not grab her and kiss her. Although heknewif they had been alone in the house, he would have done it by now.
Ford opened the door to his room and gestured for her to go in.“Oh shit. I need to change the sheet.”
He dashed forward to strip the bed, but Sie’s voice stopped him.
“Ford. You don’t need to change the sheets. As long as you don’t have bedbugs. I’m not worried.”
“Oh. Okay. Sure. I’ll grab you a clean towel.Feelfree to use anything of mine in the ensuite. I’ll justgetmy toothbrush.”He strode across the room and through the open bathroom door.
Ford quickly looked around and made sure he hadn’t left anything embarrassing out. He snatched up his face creams and swept them into his wash bag. He wasn’t ready to admit to Sie quite how much time he spent each day on his skin regimen.
Stuffing his toothbrush in, he zipped up the bag. He stepped back into the bedroom and stopped abruptly when hesawSie unpacking her bag.
His mind flashed back to all the hotel rooms they had shared over the years. He leaned against the door frame andobservedher as she went through a routine heknewso well.
She emptied her bag entirely onto the bed, then looked around for a chair to stack her clothes on—she politely didn’t open any of the cupboards or drawers. Then she took her phone charger and plugged it into the socket behind the left bedside table, which had always been her side of the bed. She laid her pyjamas on the pillow, placed her shoes neatly by the door, and picked up her bathroom bag to take into the ensuite.
When she turned around, she took two steps and stopped, meeting his eyes as hewatchedher. A flush rose up her cheeks, and Ford answered it with a small smile.
“You still do your routine,”Ford said.
Sie flushed harder and glanced over her shoulder, then back at him. Her eyes clouded, and he thought she might be recalling all the times he’d teased her about needing to set up her stuff in each of the hotel rooms exactly the same.
“Yeah. I guess I do.”She shrugged and dropped her gaze.
Ford stood for a long moment, but she didn’t say anything else, so he pushed off from the door frame he’d been leaning against.
“I’ll leave you to it. Night.”He forced his legs to move and walked out of the door, closing it behind him.
He hesitated outside the room, warring with himself.It wouldbe so easy to turn around, walk back in, and pull Sie into his arms.
A burst of laughter from the living room stopped him. He didn’t need Joel and Scotty with their ears pressed against the bedroom door, trying to work out what was happening between him and Sie.
He strolled to the living room and took his place back at the table.
“Sie all settled?”Donnie asked, as Joel and Scotty wiggled their eyebrows at him.
“Yeah.”He picked up his half-full beer and took a small sip.
“So when are you telling her?”Donnie asked.
