Page 268 of Safe With You

I narrowed my eyes.

His smile widened before he followed us toward the kitchen.

The kitchen looked more lived-in than the living room. There was a backpack hanging from one of the chairs, two magnets holding a school calendar to the refrigerator, and a sheet of paper covered in spelling words sitting beside an open box of markers.

A pot simmered on the stove.

I leaned closer. “What is that?”

“Spaghetti,” Mila said.

“I was asking the person who cooked it.”

“I helped.”

“Apparently she stirred it twice,” I told her.

Her head turned toward the doorway. “Daddy!”

Ellis walked in behind us and put the dessert in the refrigerator.

“What?”

“You told her?”

“She asked.”

Mila folded her arms.

I looked between them. “I’ve been here less than five minutes.”

“Welcome,” Ellis said.

I laughed and moved toward the stove. “You really cooked.”

He leaned against the counter. “Why does everybody keep sounding surprised by that?”

“I’m not surprised.”

“You looked surprised.”

“I was checking it out.”

“For what?”

I glanced into the pot again. “Just making sure you knew what you were doing.”

Mila laughed.

Ellis looked at his daughter. “Whose side are you on?”

“Miss Luna’s.”

“Of course.”

I smiled and turned back toward the stove.

There was garlic bread on a baking sheet beside it and a bowl of salad on the counter. Nothing elaborate. Nothing that looked like he’d spent the entire afternoon trying to impress me.