Chapter 105
Grace sighed in relief after making sure she had cleaned Ethan’s hand and that he wasn’t upset. She gently lowered his hand, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked, “Mr. Henderson, are you alright?”
Ethan glanced down at where her fingers still rested against his wrist. Her hand was delicate, its warmth seeping into his skin.
Needing to be sure he was okay, Grace asked again, “Mr. Henderson, did the medicine help at all?”
This time, he lifted his eyes and hummed in response, flexing his wrist slightly in her grasp. Grace let go right away, not wanting to push her luck.
“Sorry about that. I guess I got carried away. I’m glad you’re fine,” she said quickly.
The back seat of the car fell into silence.
Grace couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Was he upset or not? She straightened
in her seat and, this time, made sure to buckle her seatbelt.
Ethan kept his gaze on the window, a fleeting smile passing over his lips.
As soon as the car rolled to a stop at Palm Bay, Simon jumped out and yanked open the back door, ready to help Ethan-only to find him fast asleep, his head resting against Grace’s arm.
Simon had driven with unusual care the whole way. For a guy who used to have a lead foot, it must have been torture to go this slow. But because he did, the trip stretched to 40 minutes-long enough for Grace to nod off too.
She hadn’t leaned into Ethan. She had stayed on her side, her head resting against the window. Yet somehow, he had ended up slumped against her shoulder, dead to the world.
The creak of the door woke her. She opened her eyes, about to say something, but Simon stopped her.
His voice was quiet, the sharpness from earlier gone. “Let him sleep. He’s been dealing with insomnia for a long time.”
Insomnia?
That explained the red streaks in Ethan’s eyes. He looked like he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks.
Grace stayed perfectly still. In her periphery, she could make out the tousled strands of his hair and the faint shadow of his eyelashes against his skin. It was strange to see someone as unshakable as Ethan looking so at peace.
She tensed, about to shift her shoulder, when Simon muttered a low warning, “Wake him up, and you’re dead.”
Grace’s throat went dry. Simon was seriously the worst. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to relax. Time blurred. Maybe it was the oddly soothing silence, but she started nodding off again.
The next time she stirred, she heard the crisp sound of a page turning. She wasn’t in the car anymore. She was sprawled out on an expensive-looking couch in the living room of Palm Bay.
Grace jolted upright and scanned the room, only to hear Simon scoff. “What are you, a bear? Hibernating or something?”
She checked her phone. When she saw it was already 9:00 pm, heat crept up her cheeks. Ignoring Simon, she turned to Ethan instead. That short nap must have helped. He looked more alert now.
“Mr. Yule told me you’ve been dealing with insomnia, Mr. Henderson. Have you thought about trying alternative medicine?” Grace asked.
It might help, and typically without any unpleasant side effects.
Ethan paused. “Can’t say I have.”
“I’ll look into a good alternative medicine practitioner and have something prepared for you. It might be worth giving it a shot.”
This wasn’t about winning favor. She had assumed Ethan took her to the cemetery to make things difficult for her, only to realize she had gotten him all wrong. Now, she just wanted to do something decent in return.
Ethan’s brow lifted slightly, his lips tightening as he let out a quiet hum.
Grace stood, keeping her tone polite. “If that’s all, I should get going.”
She had barely turned when Simon cut in, “What’s the rush? If he actually sleeps when you’re around, maybe you should stick around and be his personal sleep aid.”