His frown deepens. “Have you eaten anything today?”
I frown right back. “No. Why?”
“Are you trying to make yourself sick?” He stomps over to the desk I’m still moping at. Rifling through one of the drawers, he pulls out a protein bar and hands it to me. “Here. You should eat something.”
“Where did those come from?”
“Eat one, and I’ll tell you.”
Rolling my eyes, I unwrap the bar and take a bite. Mostly, I do it because my stomach has been screaming at me all morning, but I didn’t have time for breakfast because I accidentally overslept.
“More,” he urges. He picks up another and unwraps it, like he plans to feed me like a baby once I finish the one I’m working on.
I continue eating until I’m left with only an empty yellow wrapper. “These are really good.”
“Thanks.” He grins. “They’re my favorite.”
I resist the urge to laugh. “And you…stuffed a bunch of them up here for later?”
“Yes. They’re delicious. Andsome peopledon’t enjoy masochism.”
My mouth falls open. “I’m not a masochist!”
“You’ve been starving yourself all morning. What do you call it?”
I open my mouth to answer, but I come up with nothing. Bash smirks and hands me his other unwrapped protein bar before he walks away.
I convince Addison to come back to church the next morning. She’s had a perfectly valid excuse for missing the past four months: her baby hardly being able to get through thirty minutes without shrieking at a high pitch, but I’m hopeful this time will be better.
“Alright, Marina. We’re going to practice staying calm today.” Addison gently rocks the car seat her daughter is napping in. We’re already in our seats near the back of the room. This way, it will be easy for Addison to make a hasty escape if Marina starts wailing during a quiet moment.
Her husband, Perry, is talking to Logan in one of the aisles after dropping his four other kids off at their Sunday school class.
“Have you ever thought about dating Logan?” Addison asks in a hushed tone.
I wrinkle my nose. “Me?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to imagine someone more perfect for you, to be honest.”
I want to laugh at her suggestion. “No. Logan is like a brother to me. Besides, I don’t want to date anyone, Addy. Ever again.”
A deep V forms between her brows. “I know things ended badly with Cole, but?—”
“I’m happy alone. Trust me. I’d rather have an extra groomer on staff than a man, any day. Maybe then I could take some time off work.” The words feel ridiculous as I say them. Because the things I used to dream of, like a husband and children, are what I used to want a surplus of free time for in the first place. Working has become my way offillingthat void, if anything. Without distractions, the loneliness always creeps in.
She worries her lip, staring past me. And then she squints. “Wait…who isthat? The blond guy Logan is introducing to Perry?”
I don’t even need to look to know who she’s talking about, but I peek anyway.
I see him standing there, his relaxed, hulking form, looking bored and mischievous. Those cuffed sleeves of his dress shirt straining against his muscled forearms, forcing my gaze to reluctantly linger on all his tattoos. His smirk. His eyes. His?—
“They’re coming over here.” Addison bounces in her seat. “Hurry and explain before they get too close.”
“What makes you think I know him?”
She gives me a withering look. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you spend more time at church than at home. You know everyone who steps foot in here.”
She has a point. “Fine. His name is Sebastian Black, but he goes by Bash. He’s my new dog bather at The Paw Spa.”
