“Cole told me about it when he visited me,” Liam explained. “Why don’t you call Jake and tell him you’re in town. We spent the afternoon picking out dishes, a new coffeepot, and serving dinnerware. I can pick up a pizza while you check on your baby,” he suggested.
“You’ve done enough already,” she said, taking out her phone.
“I’m enjoying myself,” he assured her. “We still have to carry everything in and wash it. Rumor has it I’m pretty handy with soap and water.”
“I have a dishwasher,” she said, laughing. “All right, I’ll call Jake.”
Knowing the old vet, Liam headed toward Jake’s house.
“Hi, Jake, it’s Addyson Parker. I’m in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by and see Zeus. Do you mind?”
She beamed as Jake welcomed her to stop by.
“He said we can,” she turned to Liam.
“I’ll drop you off and order pizza. Do you have any special requests?”
“I like it fully loaded, but without anchovies,” she told him as he pulled into the driveway.
Liam nodded. “What about pineapple?”
“Duh. Is it even a question?” she asked, opening her door. Liam went around to help her down from the high step.
Grimacing, he replied. “We’ll have to agree to disagree. It’s disgusting. When does fruit belong on pizza?”
“Tomatoes are a fruit,” she reminded him. “Can you imagine eating pizza without it?”
“Touche,” he said, watching her run up the steps. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Jake welcomed her inside, and Liam doubted she heard him. After spending the day with her, Liam surmised Zeus took the place of the baby she and Sam never had. Addyson spent too much time working and then returned home to mother her dog. Seeing her come out of her shell today delighted him. Addyson seemed to enjoy his company as much as he did hers. But did he have a chance with her if he needed to compete against Sam’s ghost?
CHAPTER 13
Liam tookthe last of the boxes to the recycling bin outside and entered the kitchen.
“I can’t believe we got all those done,” he said, picking up the drying towel and wiping off the counter.
“It didn’t take as long as I predicted,” she said, amazed at how much they accomplished. Her new, sparkling-clean dishes sat in the cabinets, and they put the new glassware and serving dishes in the dishwasher.
“It’s good teamwork,” he boasted as he folded the wet towel in half and hung it on the stove’s handle.
“Do you want some dessert? I have ice cream,” she offered.
“No, thanks. It’s best if I return to the facility. Did Jake say what time you can pick up Zeus?”
Addy sighed, appearing miserable. “The swelling in his leg hasn’t gone down. Jake may keep him an extra few days to ensure it doesn’t get infected. He’ll call me in the morning.”
“I’m sorry. I know how much you want him home,” he said compassionately.
“Do you want some coffee?” she asked, searching the kitchen.
“It’s getting late. I don’t want to stay up all night,” he said, staring at her.
“What about a movie?” she suggested, biting her nails.
Approaching her, he took her finger from her mouth and placed it in his, sucking on it. Heat pooled in her belly, and a warm glow came over her.
“You’ve nibbled on those poor things all day. If you continue, you’ll chew them down to stubs,” he said, his voice sounding husky.
