Page 88 of Made for Mayhem

“Yeah.” My voice came out low as I rested my forehead on her shoulder. “Okay.”

She slid out from under me, then bent to grab her clothes. Through the open window, the breeze carried the sound of the car door slamming and voices outside—Stevie’s laugh, Junie’s chatter.

I turned toward the wrecked kitchen, dragging a hand over my face. My pulse still thundered, my body aching with everything that had almost happened.

“Hell of a time to be early for once, Stevie,” I muttered.

With a sigh, I forced myself to pick up the mess.

By the time I had the remnants of the demolished cabinets discarded in the garage and the floors swept, Stevie had left, and Junie and Daisy were back at my house. I toed off my shoes, then lifted the hem of my tee to wipe the sweat off my forehead as I walked into the kitchen.

When I looked up, Daisy’s eyes were zeroed in on my abs before realizing I was staring right back. She jerked upright, but not before I saw the flash of heat in her eyes.

“Sandwich?” she asked, her voice sounding a little odd. “We’re making grilled cheese.”

I couldn’t help but smirk, glad she was just as flustered as me. “I want anything you’ll give me.”

Daisy choked on the sip of water she’d just taken, coughing into her hand.

“Wrong pipe?” Junie said, her little feet kicking back and forth where she sat at the island, oblivious to the tension simmering between us.

Stoking the fire was just too easy, though, and I couldn’t seem to stop. “Sorry. I should have warned you I can be a choking hazard.”

“Oh my God.” Daisy fanned her face, her cheeks still bright red. “Stop.”

“That’s true,” Junie chimed in, chin resting on the counter as she waited for her food. “One time he made me laugh so hard, milk came out my nose.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Daisy said, then scooped a grilled cheese onto Junie’s favorite plate and slid it across the counter to her. “He’s a pretty talented guy.”

It was my turn to choke on air. Sensing her eyes on me, I snapped my gaze to Daisy’s, catching the glittering mischief in those blue eyes right before she held out her glass of water.

“Thirsty?”

“Did you run this morning, Ty?” Junie asked, her mouth full of grilled cheese. “I was reading an article in the library this morning about altitude and electrolytes. You should be drinking 24-48 ounces per hour that’s a mix of water and electrolyte supplements. Otherwise, you’re at risk for hyponatremia. Or, at least, I think that’s what it was called.”

“You’re so smart.”

Daisy’s hand trailed across my low back as she walked behind me, Piggie following a step behind. And holy shit, that one touch had no business setting me on fire again.

“What other fun facts did you learn today?”

Junie launched into an enthusiastic explanation involving protein and stretching and something about bananas, while Piggie sniffed every corner of the kitchen.

The girls ate their grilled cheese at the island, chatting like the world hadn’t almost tilted off its axis ten minutes ago. Meanwhile, I spent an unreasonable amount of time in the laundry room, standing in front of the spare freezer with the door open, pretending I was looking for something.

Rowdy stood beside me, his little black face tipped up in question.

“Didn’t see that coming, did we, boy?”

He chuffed, then nudged the stash of bones I kept in the freezer. I grabbed one and handed it over, and he trotted off toward the fireplace.

“Ready for your sandwich?” Daisy said when I wandered back into the kitchen, only to be cut off by the doorbell.

“Knock, knock!” a woman’s voice called through the open windows. “It’s Sandra Diaz with CPS.”

Daisy and I froze, staring at each other. Panic flashed across her face before she mouthed, Oh, shit.

“Anyone home?” Sandra called again.