Page 109 of At First Catch
“He’s happy for you.”
Mom’s voice startles me.
I glance up to find her wiping down the counter, watching me with the kind of quiet smile only mothers seem capable of.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
She folds the dish towel neatly over the sink.
“Holt’s been worried about you for a long time.”
My brows pull together.
“Worried?”
“You spend so much time taking care of everyone else.”
She says it gently.
“So when someone finally starts taking care of you”—her smile grows just a little—
“it’s hard not to notice.”
Emotion catches unexpectedly in my throat. Because it seems he saw it before I did.
Before I can answer, my phone vibrates against the table.
One new message.
Nolan
Survive breakfast?
I laugh despite myself.
Me
Barely.
Nolan
Still worth difficult?
I smile down at the screen.
Me
Especially worth difficult.
I slip the phone into my pocket and finally stand.
For the first time all morning, the knot in my stomach is gone.
Chapter Fourteen
NOLAN
