Saved by the Cross (Cross 3)

27 - Wow

Gray put Ana in the car, while Sofia placed the full diaper bag behind her seat. "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?"

"Don't be silly. I can drive to Wellesley to have lunch with my friends." She kissed his cheek. "You can tap tap on your keyboard with no one to bother you."

"If she's asleep when you come home. I can carry her in."

"Last time she fell asleep on a blanket and I stayed and visited. It was like naptime at a daycare. They all conked out."

"Okay. Have fun. Let me know if you change your mind. You don't need to carry her sleeping up all the steps."

"You're too good. I'm sorry things didn't work with Doyle."

"Who said that?"

"Monty said you went away and haven't seen her since."

He loved him like a brother, but even family members disagree. "I might see her when I testify."

"We should go to support you."

"Sof, I don't need the support. Doyle was the victim. I was the witness."

"You care about her."

"I do, but your husband is making it hard."

Her eyes grew wide. "Does that mean you haven't ended it?"

"Is he still determined to tell her brother? He sure has changed."

"It's the father in him. He knows how worried her family was."

"Why should they be worried if we are together? Only if they think I'm not good enough like my friend clearly feels. Remember how hurt you felt when your sister thought Monty was not good enough for you."

She nodded and kissed his cheek. "We'll talk to him."

Maybe Gray said too much, but he needed to make Monty understand this was not like all his other flings. In fact, it wasn't a fling at all. As soon as Sofia drove away, he texted Doyle. Finally, with the entire house empty, they were going to see each other. His palms were sweaty as he drove to pick her up by the Public Garden.

When he approached the spot in front of the entrance to the subway, his heart sped up. Nerves and excitement were a dangerous concoction. It had been months since she had been in his apartment. In that time, his feelings had changed. Maybe they had always been there, but he had changed to recognize them. He breathed when he saw her. It wasn't a dream.

She climbed in the passenger seat and smiled at him. "Are you real?"

He laughed. "I was wondering the same about you." She reached over and pinched his arm. "Ouch!"

"Sorry. Did it really hurt?" She leaned over and kissed it.

"It feels better now."

She laughed. "You were teasing me."

"Well, it didn't tickle."

"So he's really at work all day?"

Gray nodded. "With a board meeting tonight."

"I hate those."

"You sit on the board?" Another reason he would never be good enough.

"It's a family thing. We earn a seat when we graduate from college. My parents' generation hold all the clout, except my brother because he runs the company."

"You know I didn't go to college."

"I don't care. You are self-made."

"As a chauffeur."