"Maybe, but I needed this hug." He lifted his head. "And a kiss."
I smiled at him, but I kept the contact light when I touched my lips to his. He didn't need to suck face with me right now. He needed comfort. Even if he didn't admit it.
"That's a little better," he said.
I touched his cheek. "It'll be okay."
"And a little better again." He leaned into my touch.
"Think you can eat?" I asked.
He nodded and released me so he could divvy up the takeout boxes. He also removed a cupholder from another bag with two big Styrofoam cups.
"Let's eat back here," I suggested. People tended to peer into the windows when they walked by the shop and I didn't want either of us to be under scrutiny. Especially since his day wasn't going well.
There were two chairs against the back wall of the kitchen. When I moved to grab them, Brody intercepted me and picked them up instead.
"Where do you want them?" he asked.
I gestured to the end of the stainless steel island in the center of the kitchen. Though most of the island was waist-height, a small square at one end was set lower.
As we ate, I could see the tension drain out of Brody. He seemed calmer. Once our food was gone, he leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"Feel better?" I asked.
"Yeah. But I have a feeling it won't last."
I took his hand in mine. "Then, I'll be here for you to vent to. Or to give you hugs. Whatever." I squeezed his fingers. "But if you want me to cut a bitch, I'll need time to formulate a plausible alibi."
Brody laughed, which is what I was aiming for. "I don't think that will be necessary."
"Let's just keep your options open, okay?"
He laughed again but I could still see the lines of stress and anger on his face. His chuckles faded. "I'm going to spend all my free time with Jacks this week. I have a feeling that Monica will start playing the perfect mother soon and insist on having all of her weekends with her daughter." He frowned a little. "She's also supposed to have her for two weeks at the end of this month for vacation but, after today, I'm worried that she'll take her off to Europe somewhere and refuse to return."
I didn't say anything, but for Monica's sake, I hoped she wasn't that stupid. Sierra might have given up hacking after college, but I could probably talk her into tracking the woman down and fucking up her life. Financially speaking, of course.
"I'll be here if you need to unload. Or eat a shit ton of ice cream. I mean, that's how I deal with my problems sometimes."
Brody gave me some serious side-eye. "Sometimes?"
"Sometimes can mean all times."
"By definition, it can't," Brody argued, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Look it up in the dictionary."
I sneered at him. "Whatever. I'm right and you're wrong. We both know it."
He laughed and reached over to tug my ponytail the way he'd done a million times when I was a kid. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed his teasing until I had it back. He irritated me and made me laugh all at the same time.
"I gotta get back to work," he said with a sigh.
"But what about dessert?" I asked, aghast.
"I didn't buy any."
I gestured to the kitchen. "You are in an ice cream shop. One that serves incredibly delicious ice cream and sundaes made with from-scratch baked goods."
He leaned back and let his head fall against the top of the chair. "I'm never going to be able to stay awake this afternoon," he groaned.
