Salt sat.
Pepper wiggled his butt harder.
I sighed and checked the clock again.Six thirty-three.
I hadn’t expected Saint to say yes so easily.Or to pivot from drinks to dinner without missing a beat.Most men would’ve shrugged, saidanother time, and meant it.Saint had simply adjusted, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The thought made my chest feel… warm.
A knock sounded at the door right at six thirty-five.
Five minutes late, but I really couldn’t hold it against him since he didn’t have much time to figure out dinner.I was going to be thankful for anything edible and not gingerbread.
Pepper barked like we were under attack.Salt rose smoothly to his feet, his nub slightly wiggling as he headed toward the door.
“Okay, okay,” I muttered and pulled the door open.
Saint stood on my porch with two paper bags in his hands and that steady, unhurried presence that seemed to fill space without demanding it.He wore a dark Henley and jeans tonight with his leather cut.My god, the man was a damn smoke show.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” I replied, suddenly very aware of my socked feet and the faint smell of gingerbread that lived permanently on me this time of year.
Pepper launched himself forward, nose-first.
Saint laughed and shifted the bags to one hand so he could crouch to greet Pepper with a firm scratch down the chest that earned immediate devotion.
“Good to see you too,” he said.
Salt approached more carefully, sniffed Saint’s hand, then leaned into the scratch behind his ears like he’d already decided this man was acceptable.
“I think he finally likes you,” I said.
Saint glanced up at me, a corner of his mouth lifting.“About time.”
I stepped back to let him in, and he paused just long enough to wipe his boots on the mat before crossing the threshold.
Small thing.But I noticed.
“I thought we could eat in the living room and watch a movie,” I suggested.
Saint nodded.“Whatever you want sounds good to me, doll.”
I closed the door behind him and led him over to the couch.Pepper hopped up on the couch, and Salt plopped his butt on the recliner.
Saint worked on taking the food out of the bag, and I sat next to Pepper with my legs tucked under me.“It smells amazing.”
“Chuck’s Diner.The best hot beef sandwich within a hundred miles.Nothing fancy, but delicious.”
My mouth watered at the mention of Chuck’s.“Please tell me you got the breaded mushrooms, too.”
Saint pulled out the last container and popped open the lid.“You know it.Did you go to Chuck’s if you didn’t get the breaded mushrooms?”
He held the container out to me, and I grabbed the biggest one.I popped it in my mouth and couldn’t help but moan.“This is perfect,” I said honestly.
“Told you,” Saint replied.“Didn’t need fancy.”
Pepper hopped off the couch and parked himself at my feet.It was at optimal eye level to see everything I put in my mouth.Salt settled in front of Saint’s feet, close enough that his front paws touched Saint’s boots.
