Echoes from the Past (The Agency) by Alexandra Ivy

Author:Alexandra Ivy [Ivy, Alexandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2022-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Gray strolled back to the library, taking a second to appreciate the sight of Mel seated at the desk. It didn’t matter that she was in a pair of cheap sweats, or that her hair was tousled from standing in the breeze before it was completely dry.

Just being able to walk into a room and see her there was enough to ease a hunger he hadn’t realized was gnawing at him. A knowledge that would have unnerved him two years ago. Now . . .

Now it only deepened his determination to earn his way back into this woman’s heart.

He cleared his throat. “Time for breakfast.”

Mel jerked her head up in surprise. Obviously, she hadn’t realized she was no longer alone.

“I’m not done,” she protested.

“They’ll be here after you eat,” he assured her. “Plus, I have a fresh pot of coffee brewing.”

Her eyes brightened at the mention of coffee. “I could use a break,” she admitted, rising to her feet. “The faces are starting to blur together.”

Gray waited for her to join him before he led her out of the office and toward the breakfast bar. She climbed onto a high stool, her eyes widening at the sight of the fluffy pancakes, eggs, bacon, and bowl of fresh fruit.

“You made this?” she demanded, not bothering to hide her shock.

“Yep.” He poured coffee into a large ceramic mug and slid it in front of her. “I’m a handy guy to have around.”

She filled her plate, dousing her pancakes with the maple syrup he’d warmed in a pan, and hungrily dug in. He’d always loved the fact that she had a healthy appetite. With Mel there was never any pretense. She was who she was. Period.

“I don’t remember you cooking before,” she said between bites.

He piled his own plate and started to eat. “I didn’t. But after I moved to Spokane, I got tired of eating out,” he told her. He’d also needed a way to distract himself from his regrets over his hasty flight from Seattle. “Surprisingly, I discovered I enjoyed spending time in the kitchen. It helps me de-stress.”

“It’s delicious,” she assured him, finishing her meal and then sipping her coffee. “Did you call Ian?”

“I did. Donny is fine and currently being bullied into playing hide-and-seek with Lily. I could hear him laughing in the background.” A smile curved his lips at the memory. There’d been something in the echoing laughter of the children that had tugged at his heart. “Plus, two of Ian’s cousins flew in this morning to provide extra protection.”

Relief darkened her eyes. “Thanks.”

He held her gaze. “You’re not in this alone, Mel.”

“It feels strange. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”

“Yeah, me too. I called it independence, but if I was being honest with myself, it felt like loneliness.”

She shoved away her empty plate, her expression impossible to read. “Independence isn’t a terrible thing.”

“No, not terrible, but nothing replaces a family,” he said, thinking again of the happy laughter of children. “Even if it is messy and painful and occasionally infuriating.

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