AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Pounding footsteps on the staircase alerted me to Toby’s arrival. “Whoa, you’re all wet!”
I smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, it’s raining hard outside. This is why it’s always important to remember your umbrella.”
“Always ready with a lesson,” Hunter said with a tiny smile that made me shiver for a reason other than the damp shirt still clinging to my shoulders. “Toby, go grab one of my sweatshirts for Clark to wear.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
I cut off with a gurgle when Hunter grabbed the hem of my T-shirt—it was a weekend, so I’d opted to dress casual—and pulled it up. I had just enough time to whip my glasses off and fold them into my palm before the material cleared my head.
For a heartbeat, I was too startled to do anything but stand there, shirtless, while Hunter looked at me. Without my glasses, I couldn’t see him clearly enough to make out his expression, and by the time I’d returned them to my face, Toby was back.
I pulled on the sweatshirt, which was warm and dry—and much too large. I inhaled the scent of laundry detergent, cedar, and what could only be Hunter himself as I tugged it on. It swam around my thin frame, hanging to mid-thigh with sleeves that reached my fingertips, but it sent a wave of comfort through me.
“Thanks. This is much warmer.”
Hunter was giving me a strange look. I ran a hand through my hair. “Am I a total mess?”
He stepped forward and smoothed my hair, our gazes catching. “Your chaotic hairstyle works in your favor in this case.”
I huffed a quiet laugh. “Are you saying my hair always looks a mess?”
His lips quirked. “In a good way.”
Hunter stood close, reminding me of the kiss at the pub and lighting up my nerves. I couldn’t seem to look away from his light blue eyes, my heart stuttering in my chest.
Toby tugged one of my sleeves. “So, are you really going to cook tonight, Clark?”
I glanced down, Toby’s words freeing me from my moment of insanity.
This was fake. Hunter was straight.
Kisses were for the public, not Hunter’s living room.
“I’m not cooking tonight.” Toby’s face fell, and I couldn’t torment the poor kid, so I added, “Your dad will have that honor.”
Both Rhodes boys looked at me with surprise.
“I’m a teacher, remember?” I told Hunter.
He chuckled. “How could I forget?”
In the kitchen, I unpacked the ingredients and started Hunter on cubing chicken while I got Toby to wash and peel carrots.
“What are we making?” Toby asked.
“A chicken pot pie casserole,” I said. “We’ll cook the chicken and veggies, then mix it all into a casserole dish with cream of chicken soup and some spices and herbs, and then we’ll eat it over biscuits.”
“I haven’t had that before,” Toby said, sounding dubious.
“Well, it’s one of my favorites,” I said. “I used to beg Nana to make it once a week.”
“Oh, well, if Nana makes it, it has to be good,” he said.
I grinned. “You’re not wrong.”
When I checked in on Hunter, I was alarmed to see the way he was wielding the knife. I grabbed his wrist. “Where did you get these knife skills?”
“What knife skills?” he said with a laugh. “I’m more of an omelets and pancakes kind of cook. Breakfast was the only meal Holly let me make. She kicked me out of the kitchen when I tried to help with dinner.”
