We talk about the night I found Echo and Raven, and then the time Kit found a family of raccoons in the old mill building on the other side of town.
“Do you remember that time that Kit came home with that huge gash?”Bailey says while I’m pouring the first round of batter onto the waffle press.
“Yup.”I smile down at her, knowing exactly where this is going.
“I still don’t know how it happened.”She looks up at me expectantly.As if just because we’ve slept together now, I’m going to unravel one of the biggest secrets of our childhood.
I mean, I totally am.
“We were at the mill building?—”
“Of course you were.I already guessed that part.”
I laugh.“—and we’d just seen that episode ofThe Officewhere Michael Scott does the ‘parkour.’”I use air quotes, the spatula in one hand, which drips batter on the floor next to me.I grab a paper towel and wipe it up.
Bailey groans.“What did you do?”
The old mill building was full of abandoned furniture and pipes of dubious usage and a lot of twisty, turny corridors.Hell, it’s still full of all of that, as far as I know.“What didn’t we do?We jumped all over that place—badly I might add—and Kit grabbed on to a window frame and the wood splintered.The glass broke, he fell down.It was a big mess, and fucking terrifying.”The cut was on his thigh, missing his artery, thank god, but it bled like hell and we knew enough not to pull it out on our own.But Hunter took charge, calling for help, talking Kit through the pain, keeping him with us.
Hunter’s always looking out for what’s best for us.
The first waffle is done, so I flip it off the griddle and onto a plate.“Toppings?”I ask.I’ve already pulled out options and laid them out on the counter.
“Butter, maple syrup, and some of those strawberries.”
“Classic.”By the time I’ve fixed Bailey’s waffle for her, the bacon is done, so I put two pieces on the plate and hand it down to her.
Echo has settled into the V between Bailey’s legs and is now kneading the soft spot between her hips.Bailey holds the plate up over Echo’s head and digs into her waffle.
A few minutes later my plate is done and I sit down next to Bailey, my back against the cabinet too, careful not to jostle my two favorite ladies sitting on the floor.
“You spoil her,” Bailey remarks.
“Me?”I say, my mouth full of waffle.I swallow.“You’re the one who’s not pushing my cat off your lap.”
“She’s so warm and snuggly,” Bailey protests.
“She’ll be just as warm and snuggly after you eat,” I point out.My cat does not withhold her attention.
Bailey looks down at Echo, considers her, and then shrugs.We both resume eating and I shift closer to Bailey, letting my shoulder brush against hers.
Even though we’re sitting on the floor, this is nice.Really nice.
But it also holds a temporality.After breakfast, Bailey is going to leave.
There’s a puddle of maple syrup on my plate when I’ve finished.Bailey’s already carefully put her plate up onto the countertop.I shift myself to face her, planting a leg between hers and rising to my knees.Echo meows, already upset at whatever’s coming.
She’ll get over it.
I swipe my finger through the syrup and put my plate next to hers before I touch Bailey’s neck.Her hair is up in a messy bun, and she squeals.“Hey!That’s cold and?—”
I replace my finger with my mouth, angling my head to suck the sweetness off her skin.Maple syrup and Bailey—my new favorite flavor.
Her protest shifts into a moan, her hands fisting my hair.“We don’t have time for?—”
“We have exactly enough time,” I murmur against her throat.If she’s leaving today, I’m making every minute count.
Fur brushes my forearm as Echo removes herself from between us and I pull Bailey toward me, easing us down onto the floor of the kitchen.I trail hot wet kisses everywhere I can reach, peeling her top and bra off quickly before sticking my finger back in the syrup and drizzling it on her nipple.
