She bursts into laughter and shakes her head at me. “There he is, the sexy Dr. Monroe we all know and love.”

My heart clenches at her casual mention of love. I’ve already scared her enough for the night. So, I bite my tongue in professing more heartfelt shit that might have her diving off the pier and swimming away from me and my diarrhea of the mouth.

The waiter brings us Italian heaven that wafts with the aroma of garlic and cheese. Soon we’re lost in the comfortableness that is us, laughing and teasing. And of course eating.

“I think since I’m helping you paint, again, that I get a free pass from group tomorrow,” she says as she brushes the thick paint along the taped off edge of the ceiling.

I chuckle and cast a glance her way. Now comfortable in our relationship, she only wears a white T-shirt of mine, sans bra and no pants. Each time she reaches with the paint brush, the shirt rises over her sweet little ass and gives me a delectable view of her black panties that barely cover her cheeks. She’s fucking distracting as hell.

“Nice try, Tori. You’re going to group. We both need it. You know that.”

She pouts and climbs off the chair, dropping her brush onto the tray. “I hate it. I’d much rather spend all day with you. You’re all the therapy I need,” she purrs and wraps her arms around me.

I inhale the sweet scent of her that somehow makes its way through the strong odor of the paint.

“You vixen,” I say and grab her ass with my free hand. “You’re attempt to distract me is working but I’m not giving in. We’re going. Besides, the gang will miss us.”

She sighs. “They’ll miss you. Nobody likes me there. I made a fool out of myself and now they all hate me.”

I chuckle. “First of all, nobody could ever hate you. Hating angels is a sin.”

She lifts her chin and accepts a kiss from me.

“Second of all, the only way to build relationships with those people is to open yourself up to them. They’re all in the same boat we are, dealing with the crippling loss of loved ones. If you give them a chance, they can help mend your heart with their own stories and experiences. And, Tori, you can help them too. Like you help me.”

Her smile is beautiful as she considers my words. “Okay, fine. You present a good case, Dr. Monroe. Tomorrow, I’ll go work my magic on the people.”

Laughing, I toss my brush into the pan on the floor. “Come on, Samantha, you can practice your Bewitching on me in the shower.”

She giggles and wriggles her nose to mimic the gal on the old television show.

I slap her cute ass and then haul her over my shoulder, bellowing at the way she squeals at me to put her down.

There’s no doubt in my mind Tori will bewitch them all in the end. She’s certainly performed her magic on me because I’m fucking spellbound when it comes to her.

And I’m not complaining one bit.

Chase is practically dragging me behind him as he walks down the hall of the community center and I fight the impulse to dig my feet into the ground like a child. However, I’m not successful at keeping my mouth turned down into a pout. I’m irritated that my attempt to seduce Chase into staying home this morning failed, and on top of that, he hid the clothes I’d packed for today and instead pulled out a women’s pair of jeans, T-shirt, and Sketchers, throwing them at me and telling me to get my ass ready. I glared daggers at him, a fiery sensation, a need to punch something overwhelmed me.

He’d laughed and it only made me angrier, there was nothing funny about him having some random woman’s clothes in his house and even worse, expecting me to wear them.

“They are my sister’s, baby.”

Feeling foolish, I felt my cheeks turn pink. I bundled the clothes up in my arms and attempted to walk swiftly into the bathroom. He’d grabbed my arm, swinging me into his embrace and kissing me soundly, “Damn, you’re adorable when you’re jealous.”

I scoffed and came up with the brilliant comeback, “As if.” Go ahead, roll your eyes. Then, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me, I ran to take a shower. Not that I stayed alone in there for long. A smile plays at my lips, remembering the steam which had nothing to do with the hot water.

Chase continues to clutch my hand and leads me to the front of the room, seating me right next to the podium facing the circle of hodgepodge people. My spine straightens, and I bristle before I realize I’ve done it. I feel the calming sensation of a palm running down my hair and some of my tension leaks out.

Chase begins by asking what everyone has been up to this week, and I am surprised to find my ears perk up, curious what other people do with their lives.

The older man, Bill I think, raises a hand, his face lit up like the fourth of July. “Glenda and I are moving in together.” Glenda giggles and blushes. While seeing a woman in her sixties giggling is a bit weird, it’s also kind of cute.

“I brought treats to celebrate!” Glenda announces enthusiastically, walking over from the refreshment table with a dish of brownies. Everyone but Bill seems to turn a little green, but they all smile and make positive comments. I’ll be honest, it’s pretty funny. “We’ve certainly been practicing the horizontal tango enough, might as well make ourselves available to it twenty-four seven.” At that, Bill smacks her ass. Eeeeeeew, not so cute.

“That’s great, guys. It’s a big step but it’s a positive one. You’re committing to each other and to your relationship.” Something in Chase’s voice draws my attention from the happy couple. He’s staring at me. “It’s a sign that you are in the acceptance stage, ready to move forward with your life. Finding happiness with someone, just as your loved ones would want you to.”

I squirm in my seat, uncomfortable with his scrutiny and the words which somehow seem directed at me. I want to get defensive and yell “Baby steps, damn it!” Instead, I’m distracted when Nate speaks.

“It was a tough week for me. My girls are starting to have new experiences and are recognizing that their mom isn’t there to share them with. My oldest had her first date last night and afterward, she cried in my arms for hours. That should have been so special, but boys are something that a teenage girl wants to gush over to her mom.”

My throat gets a little tight and I ache for his daughters, seeing the crushing pain on his face, I wonder if maybe I was wrong and he feels as much hurt as I do. I glance at Belinda and remember that she has lost a child as well, and her husband as a repercussion. Bill lost his wife to sickness, he had to watch disease ravage her body until she passed. Glenda lost her parents and sister in a car accident, and being single her whole life, she has been left entirely alone.

I sneak a glance at Chase as he focuses on Nate, encouraging him to talk, and to find creative solutions. Who has he lost? He doesn’t talk about it and it has started to bother me. In fact, I know very little about his life over the last decade or so. The only glimpse I get is through his vague comments, and that repetitively painted wall. I’ve opened myself up to him, bared myself and become vulnerable, and though he has given me care and support, I want more. I want to see inside of his darkness too.

Laughter breaks out and I realize I’ve missed a part of the discussion with my wandering thoughts. “I don’t think killing my daughter’s boyfriend is a viable solution, no matter how tempting it might be,” Nate says, and the rest of the group chuckles. Suddenly, all eyes are on me.