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I just thought Saturday Sutton was a dream, until I see Sunday Sutton. When Owen excitedly opens the door and high-fives me, I look up to see Sutton standing in front of a long griddle flipping pancakes with an apron that has an emu on it saying,Do I lookemused?His hair is messier than usual, and that scruff is even more pronounced today.
I feel like a cat flopping around in catnip with every new look he rolls out.
“That apron is fantastic,” I say, laughing.
He makes a face. “My sister-in-law Ruby gave it to me for Christmas, and Owen loves it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very fond of Ruby and her emus, but I’m not sure this is my look.”
“Oh, it’s definitely your look,” I tell him.
His eyebrows lift as he smiles at me. For the briefest moment, his eyes sweep down the length of me and back up, sending heat flickering through me, but then his jaw clenches and he looks down at the pancakes. His next pancake flip looks more like a slam dunk.
Well, that was weird.
“So, when you say Ruby and her emus…is that her clothing line or something?”
“Sort of,” Owen pipes up. “She has emusandemu merch!”
Sutton laughs. “Listen to you, all up on the influencer lingo…merch.” He chuckles again.
“Wait. Are you talking about Ruby Sunshine, the influencer with the emus and lumberjack boyfriend?” I ask.
“Yep, she’s married to my brother Callum,” he says. “The lumberjack.” His smirk is so sexy I stutter on my next words.
“So, so c-crazy. I’ve followed her for a while. I can’t believe that’s your family. Small world. I’ve never seen an emu in person before.” I let out a sharp exhale.
“They’re my new favorite animal,” Owen says. “We’ll have to go over there so you can meet them. They’re so funny when they run like this.” He weaves across the room, looking like a drunk person.
He looks so pleased when I laugh at him, he does the same thing toward me, laughing and coming to an abrupt stop when he reaches me.
“You’re hilarious. I’ve gotta see that,” I tell him.
He nods happily. “They have cows and goats too, and Aunt Sof’s got horses.”
“And Aunt Scarlett has the dogs?” I attempt to get it right.
“Yep, and Uncle Theo does too.”
“Does…who’s left—Uncle Wyatt? Does he have pets? Or Grinny?”
“Nope. Uncle Wyatt says he takes care of too many people in the hospital to come home and take care of a pet—he’s a doctor—but Dakota wants a pet real bad, so Dad and I think it won’t be long before they get one.”
He looks back at his dad and Sutton smiles at him.
“And I dog-sit sometimes,” Owen adds. “Dad’s making sure I’m able to take care of dogs before we get one of our own. Do you love dogs?”
“I do,” I say. “But I’ve never had one of my own.”
“She loves dogs,” Owen yells back at his dad.
“I heard,” Sutton says, amused.
“I bet you’d be a good pet owner,” Owen says, nodding. “I mean, if my dad trusts you to take care of me, I bet you’d be even better with a dog.”
I laugh. “Well, thanks for your vote of confidence. I’d like to think I would be.”
I glance at Sutton again and his eyes meet mine, more serious than I’d expect, given this conversation. I feel overheated in my fluffy white sweater and jeans. He clears his throat and holds up a plate piled high with pancakes.
“Who’s ready for pancakes?”
