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“Yes,” he answered.
I stepped closer and told him, “I know he’s not a stranger or anything, but you really should’ve woken me up first. Okay? Please, wake me up first next time.”
Eli slouched in his chair and nodded.
“What’s the problem?” Sean grated at my back.
I turned to him. “Nothing. I just think he should’ve let me know you were here.”
“You got an issue with me helpin’ you out?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Then what’s it matter?”
“Well, for starters, I would’ve put on pants,” I snapped, bringing my arms across my chest and cocking my head.
Sean’s mouth twitched. Even with his beard, I didn’t miss it.
“You know you got a mole on your butt, Shay?” Dominic teased.
“I’m aware, Dom. Thank you.”
Eli snickered. Dominic was laughing under his breath. Sean didn’t make a sound, but his mouth kept twitching.
“Anyway,” I continued, wanting to get my ass off the table for discussion, “I didn’t need to sleep in. I could’ve helped you make them breakfast,” I told him.
“Didn’t need help,” he returned. “I can cook this shit in my sleep.”
I was sure he could.
This meal was probably nothing for him, and I understood why he was playing it down, but I couldn’t do that, and not just because he’d done me another favor either.
I knew what was in my pantry.
“You made pancakes from scratch,” I stated, knowing he must have, since I didn’t have any pancake mix.
“And?”
“You could’ve just made eggs and sausage, since I had both on hand, and the boys would’ve been happy with that. You didn’t have to go through the trouble of making pancakes from scratch, but you did. Just like you didn’t have to let me sleep in. And you can play that down too all you want, but it’s not nothing to me. I like sleeping in, but I would’ve really liked helping you make them breakfast, whether you needed it or not. Then I could’ve been thanking you this whole time instead of waiting until right now.” I dropped my arms and stepped closer, watching his body straighten off the doorjamb as I got in front of him. Then I tipped my head back and said what I needed him to hear. “Thank you, Sean. Today would’ve been a little stressful. Possibly a lot stressful, considering my luck lately, and now, because of you, it won’t be. Thank you.”
He looked from my mouth to my eyes, then nodded his head once.
“I have a feeling I’m gonna need to stock up on stationery,” I added.
His brow pulled tight.
I raised my finger to halt him from asking questions, spun around, walked over to the couch and bent over it to dig through my purse, then returned to my spot in front of him with the thank-you note I hadn’t been prepared to deliver until my next shift at Whitecaps, but I was more than happy to deliver now.
I held out the card, and Sean took it.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“A thank-you note.”
“For what?” He lifted his eyes off the card and looked at me. “You already thanked me.”
“I know.”
I turned around and spotted bites of pancake left over on Dominic’s plate. He was finished eating and messing with his phone, so I stabbed two bites with his fork and stuffed the triangles into my mouth.
“Oh, my God,” I moaned as the deliciousness of the pancakes slapped my taste buds awake.
Eli giggled, watching me, and licked syrup off his thumb.
“So good, right?” I asked him.
He nodded fast.
I ate two more bites of pancake plus the rest of Dominic’s sausage, then straightened up and collected the empty plates. “Okay. Are you guys ready to go?” I asked my brothers.
“Yep,” Eli said, standing from his chair.
“My stuff’s already in Sean’s truck. He’s taking me,” Dominic informed me as he stood.
“Oh, okay.” Wow. He even came prepared with a vehicle to transport sports equipment. That was incredibly thoughtful. “I’ll probably catch the end of your game. So, good luck! Score some goals or whatever.”
Dominic snorted. “I play defense. I don’t score.”
“Okay, well, good luck defending.”
He rolled his eyes.
I was secretly grateful to be on Eli duty today.
“You ready?” Sean asked at my back.
Dominic nodded.
I turned, still carrying the plates, and watched Sean and my brother make their way toward the door.
“We’ll see you guys later!” I called out.
Dominic walked through the door, saying nothing.
Sean looked back when he hit the entryway, gave me a “Later,” and then pulled the door closed behind him.
My thank-you note was sticking out of his back pocket.Eli’s practice lasted forty-five minutes, which was just enough time for us to catch the end of Dominic’s game.
When we arrived at the field, I anticipated Sean being there, but what I hadn’t expected to see was him standing along the sideline in the area parents were seated, watching my brother play.
That made me smile, for two reasons.
