“What’s stopping you from getting one?”
“Needles and pain. My least favorite things.”
Lacing his fingers with mine, he kissed the back of my knuckles one by one. We left the master bedroom, descending the stairs slowly. The scent of bacon hit my nose as we neared the bottom, making my mouth water and my stomach grumble.
“If you want one, I’ll take you.”
“Shayne and Duncan both have offered and I’ve turned them down.”
“No offense, baby, but they’re not me. I’m exceptionally skilled in the art of distraction.”
“I can’t tell if that’s a threat or a promise, Mr. O’Lachlan?”
“Both, Agent Mitchell.”
“Good morning, you two.”
Noreen smiled from where she stood by the stove, cracking an egg into a bowl. On the counter, the ingredients to make our breakfast were lined up in an orderly fashion.
“Sorry for barging in so early. Reenie gets a little excited about cooking for someone who isn’t me.” Joel smiled lovingly at his wife.
Besides our first dinner, I hadn’t had the opportunity to spend much time with them. I knew they’d been happily married for over thirty years, but I wanted all the juicy details. How did they meet? Who fell in love first? Apparently, being deliriously happy turned me into a regular romance junkie. It was all Finn’s fault. He’d yanked my “feels” out of hiding.
"Coffee's ready.”
“You’re agod among women, Noreen.”
She snickered, transferring slices of bacon from the pan to a paper towel lined plate. It was cooked just the way I liked it, with a perfect crisp along the edges.
“Joel can be a real bear in the mornings. There’s no talking to him until he’s sufficiently caffeinated.”
“Same with Waverly,” Finn added.
He stole a couple pieces of bacon off the top of the plate, earning himself a scolding look from the cook. Handing me one, he shoved the other in his mouth, giving me a sexy wink. I moved quickly to the pot on the counter, filling two mugs, while he grabbed the creamer from the fridge.
We moved around each other with ease, like we’d been doing it for years rather than a few weeks. It was as comfortable as it was unsettling. No one, not even Shayne and Duncan, had infiltrated my life so fully, so quickly.
I carried our drinks while Finn and Noreen brought the platters filled with food to the table. The four of us dug in, devouring the delicious meal, keeping the conversation light as we filled our bellies.
“What are your plans for the day?” Joel asked when we began cleaning up.
“If Waverly’s game, maybe a hike later. Other than that, I hadn’t thought about anything besides getting away from the noise for a couple of days.”
“Speaking of noise, have you seen my phone? I should check in real quick.”
Usually, I kept better track of the device. It was my lifeline. Shockingly, I hadn’t thought about it once since we’d arrived.
“I plugged it in to charge when I took our bags upstairs last night. Do you want me to grab it for you?”
“No. That’s okay. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Excusing myself, I climbed the stairs and located my phone next to Finn’s on top of a long cedar dresser. No surprise, there were a multitude of messages waiting, mostly from Shayne.
Shayne: Don’t be mad. That sexy man of yours is hard to say no to.
Shayne: You deserved a break.
Shayne: I did it for your own good.
