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“I like it.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.The colour is gorgeous.Sort of all tawny blond,” she said admiringly.He loved her accent, the crispness of it.
The coffee machine beeped to signal the coffee’s readiness.“Milk, sugar?”
“A little of each, please.I’m not sweet enough to forgo sugar yet.”
Rick let his gaze linger on Maddie’s face.“Really?I ain’t sure about that.”
He was gratified to see her cheeks flush a rosy pink.She ducked her head away from his scrutiny, but her face lit up when he settled the doctored coffee before her.
She breathed in deeply.“This is thesuperexpensive stuff.I can tell.”
“Ethiopian beans.They’re the best, and I consider myself an expert in coffee.I drank shitty U.S Army brews for years.”
“I love coffee, too.Every time a new place pops up in London, I make sure to try it.For a long while my best friend Emma and I had a spreadsheet running.”
“Who doesn’t love a spreadsheet?”Rick deadpanned.
“I know!”Her face brightened.“They’re just so useful for logging stuff like recipe outcomes, storing info like ideal ratios for sauce thickeners—” She stopped, narrowing her eyes at him.“You’re making fun of me.”
“A little bit.”He settled himself into the chair opposite her, enjoying her company immensely.“Sorry.”
Their eyes met for a moment, and Rick wanted to lose himself in her warm honey-brown eyes, her entire countenance dancing with amusement.She was beautiful.
“Okay, you guys are up!”Jenny announced, carrying a squealing Toby into the kitchen.“He’s bathed, and nowIam finally going to have a long soak.Thanks so much, Maddie.”
Maddie opened her arms to receive Toby.He squirmed and reached for Rick instead.
“That’s my little guy!”Rick wrapped his arms around his nephew, giving himself one more minute to drink in the silky fall of Maddie’s raven hair, and the sweet curve of her cheeks.
Then Toby stuck a little finger up Rick’s nose and the moment was lost.
“Hey, little dude!Careful with the merchandise!”
“Nose!”Toby cried, going in again.Rick held him at arms’ length, laughing, occasionally making his eyes really wide, which sent Toby into peals of adorable baby laughter.He settled the baby on his lap and faux pinched the little boy’s nose.
“Now I gotyournose.”
Toby found this pant-wettingly hilarious.
They continued the game for another few minutes.
Rick loved this time with his nephew.If he’d stayed in the Army, he might never have experienced this, or, at least, Toby would never have grown so close to him.He’d be that uncle who worked away and came home on leave sometimes, a family member who was recognised but not well known or loved.
He’d never have wished such an awful break-up on his sister, sweet, caring Jenny, but he couldn’t bring himself to be sorry, ever, that her pain had, in part, led to him knowing Toby so well.
Across the table, Maddie sipped her coffee, leaving a faint imprint of rosy lipstick on the cup.If he put his mouth right there later, Rick thought suddenly, it’d be like they had kissed.
He mentally rolled his eyes at himself.When did he become such a sap?The guys in his unit would rip the shit out of him for being so soft.
Toby interrupted his thoughts with a cry of “horsie!”
Rick winced.“Whoa, little dude.Maddie doesn’t wanna see that.”
Maddie crossed her legs, a devious little smile slowly curving her delicious mouth.“Maddie really, really does want to see that, cowboy.”
