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The girls ran off together. It felt very good to watch them scamper up the rope ladder which I had helped Cole secure.
"Power outage?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.
Cole shook his head with embarrassment. "Right. Well, as you know, the electricity in my trailer can be a little temperamental. Turns out the girls love it when I have to get the candles out."
"Is Rhea doing okay?"
"Something happened at school. It's why I went to pick them up early. She won't say what it was."
"Teacher didn't tell you?"
He shrugged, frustration evident in the set of his jaw. "Said it was a sensitive issue involving other students."
"That's crazy! They don't tell you?"
"Just a disagreement, apparently. And on the way home, she told me she wants to cancel her jujitsu grading again. It’s confusing. I'm sorry to drag you into it."
"Don't apologize. I don't feel dragged into anything. Plus, a free dinner sounds very good to me."
He grinned. "You haven't tried my chili yet. I can guarantee you it won't be as tasty as what we had last night."
There it was. That dark look that made my heart gallop.
"I better go get things ready. See you in a couple hours?"
I nodded. "Sure." Then, just as I was about to turn, I said, “I’ve been thinking about last night.”
He swallowed. “Me too. A lot.”
There was a moment. Silence. A look.
Cole cracked his knuckles. Quietly, he added: “Shame the kids are here.”
I stared at him. “Shame.”
***
"I gotta warn you, when it comes to chili, I don't mess around."
Cole set the pot down at the table where, less than twenty-four hours ago, he'd kissed me with so much passion my panties had almost combusted.
"We like spice!" Rhea declared.
"Just how spicy are we talking?" I asked.
"Spicy enough to blast your butt into outer space," Lexi said matter-of-factly.
"Language, Lex."
"But Pedro says swearing is a natural painkiller."
Cole raised an eyebrow. "I think that only works if you're actually in pain. Plus, who is Pedro?"
"My boyfriend."
"No, he's not." Cole's eyes hardened.
"Uh-huh. We're getting married."
