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“The larger brown one is Cocoa; she’s the oldest. The smaller gray one is Dove.”
“Color-coded names are easy to remember. Guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah. Thanks again for doing this. I’ll text you after my last appointment. Should be done about three.”
Famous last words as my day went to hell by noon, and I didn’t finish up until after seven. Brooke had been a good sport—at least over text messages, but I felt awful. She’d been with the dogs all day—while caring for a baby. As an apology for my later-than-expected arrival, I showed up at the house with a bag full of sushi. Hopefully she ate it, otherwise I’d be ordering pizza.
She opened the door dressed in the same outfit I’d seen that morning, only her ponytail was askew and her shirt spotted with stains. “Hi.”
“Oh, shit. I’m so sorry.”
She started laughing. “Are you saying I look as bad as I feel?”
“You look like you’ve had a long day,” I mitigated.
“It’s fine aside from the fact every living thing in this house wishes I was someone else. Henry misses his parents. Hell, I miss them too. The dogs miss Myrna. But they’re all fed and healthy, so I must be doing something right.”
She opened the door wider to allow me inside.
“Do you eat sushi?”
“I love sushi. Is that what you have in the bag?”
“It was the least I could do for such an unexpected late night.” The dogs rushed to see me, wagging their bodies as if they’d missed me. Then again, they’d probably act this excited about anyone who visited. We went into the kitchen where Henry was in his swing, appearing as though he was about to doze off.
“I had a vision of taking the dogs for a long walk with Henry in the stroller, but suddenly scaling Mt. Everest seemed easier. I don’t know how these moms do it. I didn’t even get a chance to shower today.” She looked down at her shirt as if realizing she was showing her day in stained form. “I smell like banana, formula, and dog food. But at least no one is crying or howling, so I’m calling it a win.”
“How about you go upstairs and shower while I watch the baby and the dogs.”
Her violet eyes narrowed. “Don’t tease me, Lucas Brennan. Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll keep an eye on Henry and the dogs. Go.” I chuckled at the way she sprinted up the stairs.
As I laid out the food on the oversized kitchen island, I tried not to think of how domestic this felt. I also tried, less successfully, to avoid imagining her stepping into the shower.
She came back downstairs in less than fifteen minutes changed into shorts and a clean T-shirt, and her hair, still damp, had been left down.
I turned away to keep myself from staring. She was so naturally beautiful it caused an ache in my chest not to touch her. “That was quick.”
“You have one of my favorite meals as incentive. Thanks for bringing dinner. Let me put Henry in his bassinet.” When she came back, she offered, “You want a beer? Or I have wine?”
“Beer would be great.”
She pulled out two glasses. Once the drinks were poured, the sushi dished up, and the two of us were sitting on stools at the counter, she lifted her glass for a toast.
“What are we toasting?”
“How about to Myrna? She’s missed.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and clinked my glass to hers. “Yes, to Myrna. I laughed last night when I took them for a walk with their girly collars and sparkling leashes. Thought she might be looking down with a chuckle.”
Brooke grinned, taking a sip of her drink. “I bet she was.”
At her first bite of sushi, she groaned. The erotic sound made my cock stand up and take notice. “God, this is good.”
“Yeah.” Jesus, watching her eat was quickly becoming my favorite thing. The way she enjoyed her food unapologetically reminded me of the night we’d met. She’d done the same with her burger.
As we finished up, Henry started fussing. Brooke immediately jumped up and glanced at the time. “Time for his before-bed bottle.” She went over to the bassinet and picked him up, snuggling him close. “Someone needs to be changed. Be right back.”
