Make Me Yours(35)

Her statement should not make me feel jealous. Ruby had a social life before I met her. She isn’t a nun.

“Last I checked, dating isn’t against the law.”

“How do you know she’s not after your money? She definitely has you in her sights. It’s very obvious from the way she’s always touching you.”

“I haven’t noticed.” Has she been touching me? Not enough, if you ask me. She mostly stays away from me, which I hate.

“You would be wise to keep your head around that girl. Her kind aren’t known for being the most trustworthy type of people.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” My voice could cut glass. I’ve done my best to maintain a calm environment for Lillie, but I won’t have her grandmother being a racist bitch meddling in my private life.

Her hands go up. “I’m simply saying, Remi. How well do you know her?”

“Well enough to trust her with my daughter. Based on our first week, I think she’s doing a damn good job with Lillie. I have no complaints. So what if she’s a friendly person?”

She’s also a kickass kisser with amazing tits.

“Friendly, ha!” She gives me a disgusted glare. “When Dr. North said how he’s interested in hiring a nanny if they all look like that, Whitney Flagstaff was appalled.”

It takes all my self-control not to say that old bastard had better keep his eyes to himself. Instead, I give Eleanor exactly what she’s after. The truth.

“I received an invitation today to a very important business event in Manhattan next week. It’s an overnight trip, and I have to take a date. I’m considering asking Ruby to go with me.”

My mother-in-law’s jaw drops. “Remington! I forbid it. What will people say?”

“It’s a business event, and I need an escort.”

“That’s exactly what they’ll say. She’s your escort.”

My jaw tightens. “In the literal sense. I need you to watch Lillie for me while we’re gone. Provided Ruby says yes. Will you do it?”

“I will not.” She straightens her shoulders, crossing her arms again. “I will not aid you in committing sin.”

“You’re saying you plan to live in this house and you won’t watch your granddaughter while I’m out of town?”

“Not if you take that woman. I will not let you shame my daughter’s memory by carrying on in this manner. What will people say?”

My throat tightens, and I literally see red.

Striding forward, I speak close to her face, my teeth gritted. “Do not ever bring up Sandy like this to me. I have been faithful to her memory a long time, and if I choose to date someone, it’s not an insult to her past… to our past. She will always have a special place in my heart.”

The words are difficult, but as I say them, I feel calm.

Drew said the words to me almost a year ago, and I wasn’t ready to hear them. Now I know them to be true. I can’t die because Sandy did. I have to go on living, and I have to see what the future holds for me—if only for Lillie’s sake.

Eleanor doesn’t seem to agree. “If you take that woman on an overnight trip, I will not stand idly by.”

“You’ll be moving. I’ll have my realtor begin the search for your new place today.” I make a move for my phone, but she’s across the room quicker than me, her voice changing to some sort of damsel in distress.

“Remington! I can’t move out. I need to be near my granddaughter. She’s all I have left. She’s the only thing I have.”

Hesitating, I cross my arms over my chest, studying her. I try to decide how much I feel I owe this woman. She did step in and help me at my lowest point. I don’t want to be cruel. I’m not a monster.

At the same time…

“You will watch Lillie if Ruby agrees to go with me to the gala, and you won’t say a word about it.”

She closes her eyes and bows her head as if she’s being martyred. “I will.”

Her behavior is so over the top, but it’s what I needed to hear. Now I’m ready to end this infuriating conversation. The sound of Ruby and Lillie downstairs distracts me, and I turn on my heel, leaving the room and jogging down the stairs.

As I get to the landing, I see the two of them bustling into the house. It makes me smile, and all that tension melts away.

“Dad-day!” Lillie launches into a run, and I catch her, lifting her in my arms. “My broccoli has furry little middles that look like real broccoli! But the beets just look like lettuce leaves with red stems. And Ruby showed me how to pull weeds and give them just a little bit of water. Not too much water!”

Ruby hangs at the door, but it’s too much distance between us. I carry my daughter to where she’s standing. Two pairs of gardening gloves are in her hands, and she looks down at them when I smile. Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink under my gaze.

“An artist and a gardener?” I grin, letting my eyes roam her face. “I feel like I’m getting a bargain.”

She’s still ready with the snark. “You’re paying me way too much, but I’m worth it.”

No argument here.

Lillie starts to wiggle, so I put her down. She races toward the stairs, and Ruby calls after her. “Wash your hands. No, get in the tub. You’ve got dirt all over you.” She glances at her hands and does a little frown. “I’m kind of a mess myself.”