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She struggled to sit up. "You did?"
"You said you weren't feeling great this morning. And Sloane makes mean chicken and dumplings."
Her eyes welled up with tears over his thoughtfulness, and she had to fight hard to not start blubbering all over the place.
Fucking pregnancy hormones.
"Thank you." She started to stand, but Eli waved a hand.
"Sit. I'll bring you a tray."
"You don't have to do that."
He gave her a stern look. "You can get up after you eat your chicken and dumplings. Relax for now. What do you want to drink?"
"Iced tea, please."
A few minutes later, he came in with a tray of food. On the tray was a beautiful pink lily in a small vase.
"I thought you might like something pretty to cheer you up." He kissed the top of her head and placed the tray over her legs.
"Eli, it's lovely," she murmured, kissing his cheek. “But you have to throw it away. Wrap it up and get it out of here, pronto."
He stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "Um, what? Why?"
"Because lilies are deadly to cats. And you know this cat tries to eat everything. It's not safe to have in the house."
"Jesus," he muttered. "Seriously?"
"Seriously. I'm sorry. It was really sweet, but I can't risk Moo's health."
Miss lifted her head, looking up at them sleepily and giving them a polite meow.
"And on that note, this thing is out of here." He picked up the vase. "I'll put it in a garbage bag and bury it deep in the trash. I'll take the bag out after we finish our meals. I don't want anything happening to my second favorite girl."
"Thank you. We appreciate it."
Holly took a spoonful of the chicken and dumplings, then made an appreciative noise as he walked back into the living room with his lunch. "Wow, this is good, Eli."
"Told ya." He took a bite of his sandwich, then washed it down with a gulp of water. "So, my sisters and my—well, Troy—are coming in for the game tomorrow. I managed to get the girls tickets. I guess he bought his own."
"I’m glad your sisters are coming. And Troy is making an effort, I see."
"Apparently he's going to visit my mom before he goes to the game."
"That's good." She paused. "What if you win tomorrow, Eli? Do you want Troy to be down on the ice with you afterward? Maybe you should find out where he'll be sitting."
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Not gonna think about it right now."
“True, I guess you'll know if and when the time comes."
"When," he said confidently, then winked.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before she worked up the nerve to ask him what had been on her mind for most of the morning.
"Eli, do you mind answering a few more questions for the feature?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
