Page 25 of Always My Love

“Do you have some sweats I can pull on?” she asked as he climbed out of bed.

“Sure.” He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a gray army sweatsuit. “Will this do?”

She took it and smiled. “Thanks, I’ll be just a minute.” She motioned towards the bathroom while he pulled on a matching pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.

They stood inside the back door and watched the dogs play in the snow and do their business. Neither of them wanted to come back in so they let them play outside while he went and made himself a cup of coffee and then offered her one. He slid open the drawer under the coffee maker to show her all the different flavors he had.

She picked one and then took a cup from the hooks above the counter.

“Creamer?” he asked, opening the fridge. “I have French vanilla and pumpkin spice. Kate left that one over here at Thanksgiving.”

“Pumpkin spice sounds good.” She took the container from him. “Are your days off always like this?”

“Like what?” he asked, leaning on the counter to sip his coffee.

“So… quiet?” She glanced around the house.

He chuckled. “Now that I have Blue, nothing is quiet. But no. Normally, I’m working on one project or another. I’m helping Kate and Tom fix up their place. They’re rebuilding a deck during nice weather and tiling a bathroom. I like to keep busy.”

She took a sip of her coffee and smiled. “Oh, I like the pumpkin spice.” She held up her mug and then took another sip.

“How about I make us some breakfast?” he suggested.

“I could eat.” She smiled and set her mug down, then walked over and wrapped her arms around him. “I think I forgot to thank you for yesterday.”

“There was no need.” He then brushed his lips across hers. “If you want, you can head up and shower while I cook and let the dogs in.”

She smiled. “I’d love that. I’ve been dying to see how it feels to take a shower in something larger than a coat closet.”

“Your shower is that small?”

She nodded. “I’d like your help in rectifying that. When you get around to it.” She kissed him.

“I’d be happy to see what I can do.”

She kissed him again and then turned and headed up the stairs.

He let the dogs back inside and left them in the laundry room, since they were once again covered in snow. He figured they were just going to get dirty again when they went to the beach in a while. He fed them their breakfast, then got to work on theirs.

Nick liked to cook. It allowed him time to think. Think about Harper and how much she’d changed in the past few weeks.

For as long as she’d been in town, she’d jumped whenever she saw him. But since the day he’d invited her to go with him to get Blue, she’d been different. Maybe it was because she was seeing him as something more than just a cop?

Whatever the reason, he was thankful he’d decided to finally ask her out.

When she came back downstairs, her long hair was wet and she was back in the same clothes she’d worn the day before with the exception that she was still wearing his army sweatshirt.

She looked good in the thing. Looked good in his clothes.

“Wow, something smells wonderful,” she said, sitting at the table. “You just made all this?”

“Not the quiche. My mother made a bunch of them, and I keep them in the freezer. She knows they’re my favorite.” He set down the pan containing the cheese, egg, ham, onion, and jalapeno quiche. “I did chop up the fruit and poured the yogurt. Not to mention I heated the quiche up.” He wiggled his eyebrows, trying to impress her. “Still, I do love to cook. Actually, baking is my favorite. My aunt does own a bakery. I spent plenty of summers lending a hand in the kitchen. I can probably make muffins with my eyes shut.” He groaned. “Not to mention cookies and pies.”

“How did you, Kate, and Brook not grow up weighing a ton? Every time I go into the bakery, I come out with more than I should.”

“Well, Kate had her dance. Brook and I had sports. We both played softball, basketball, and soccer.” He shrugged. “Plus, for the most part, we grew up eating like this.” He motioned to the table.

Suddenly, Harper’s smile disappeared as she looked down at her plate.