Shit, I hadn’t thought of that. I was already attached to the little rascal, but I knew Travis was right.
“You’re right. I’ll do that. But if no one claims him, we can keep him?” I asked hopefully.
“Yeah.” Travis chuckled. “Man, this will piss Buster off.”
I laughed. “Oh, he’s pissed all right. I’d be surprised if he graces us with his presence anytime soon.” I rose to my feet, stepping close to Travis. “Thank you, honey.”
He leaned in, kissing me softly as the puppy wriggled between us. “Well, my answer isn’t entirely selfless.” He grinned against my lips. “We can consider him practice for when I put my baby in you.”
My heart thudded in my ears as I took a step back to regard him with wide eyes. He’d never mentioned children. “You want kids with me?” I breathed.
He grinned. “Baby, haven’t you been paying attention? With you, I want it all.”
****
I pressed the doorbell, shifting my weight nervously from one foot to the other. The cherry pie I’d made felt heavy in my hands as I listened to footsteps approach from the other side of the door.
Travis stood a few paces back, giving me space all while making it clear he was there.
Detective Harris opened the door with a wary glint in his eye. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, and it was the first time I noticed the man and not the detective. I realized with a jolt that he was handsome and not much older than Travis.
He looked down at the pie in my hands and then back at me, his head tilted in confusion.
“This is for you,” I blurted, gesturing to the pie. His less-than-friendly nature had always made me nervous, but I was determined to thank him. He had been a part of saving my life, and I felt guilty for how badly I’d misjudged him.
His brows lifted, and I swore I saw a smile threaten at the corner of his mouth. “Cherry?”
I nodded.
“My favorite,” he mumbled. “Come in.” He gestured inside. “I suppose you can come in too, McAllister,” he added dryly.
Travis chuckled at his surliness and followed us inside.
His bungalow was small but impeccably neat, and had large windows that let a lot of light in. It had a warm, lived-in feel to it. I looked around curiously as I followed him into a galley-style kitchen.
“Your house is lovely,” I complimented sincerely.
“Thanks,” he muttered as I placed the pie on the counter. “Coffee?”
“Sure, thanks,” I said as Travis nodded in agreement. “Can I dish you up some pie?”
“Sure,” he replied, and I got to work.
“Want any, honey?” I asked Travis, knowing the answer.
“No thanks, babe,” his deep voice replied. I still couldn’t believe my man genuinely didn’t like sweets.
I plated two pieces as Harris poured our coffee. The three of us sat in the small eat-in kitchen. Harris eyed me expectantly, still wondering, I was sure, why I’d showed up on his doorstep.
“I wanted to thank you,” I murmured. “I know you were a big part of how Trav and the guys were able to find me.”
He shrugged, looking uncomfortable with the praise. “I just did what anyone on the force should have.”
“But not all of them do,” I argued. “You were trying to do the right thing all along. I didn’t realize it. I misjudged you, I’m sorry.”
He sat back in his chair, clearly taken aback by the apology. After a moment, he cleared his throat and took a bite of pie, before regarding me again. “Don’t worry about it,” he said finally. “Lots of people do. I know I don’t always give off the most approachable vibe.” He smiled then, and I was surprised again at how handsome he was. I’d never noticed before.
“Plus, I really didn’t do much. I knew your man had reach,” he continued, cocking his head toward Travis. “I was happy to be able to help how I could.”
