"Cam?"
Still a little hazy from kitchen envy, I glanced up at the sound of Brody's voice. I also kept petting the counter. Smooth counter. Clean counter. Want. Want. Want.
"Earth to Cameron McClane," Brody called.
"Hmmm."
"Do you like my counter?" he asked.
"Yep. It's so pretty...and shiny."
Brody stifled a laugh. "Do you think you'd like to admire it from afar while we eat dinner?"
"I guess so," I answered with a sigh.
Jacks was grinning when I finally sat down at the table. "I like our kitchen too," she stated.
"It's my dream kitchen. Down to the color of the cabinets and the tile on the backsplash." I glanced at Brody. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I want to move into your house. I mean, I could just visit the kitchen, but I think we'd all be happier if I lived here. The kitchen included. Do you have a room available for rent? I'd even take something under the stairs."
Brody just shook his head and started cutting up the enchilada casserole.
"Under the stairs?" Jacks asked, confused.
"Like Harry Potter," I clarified.
"Who's Harry Potter?"
If this had been a sitcom, there would be the sound of a record player screeching inserted in that moment. I stared at her. "You don't know who Harry Potter is?"
She shook her head, wide-eyed.
I turned to Brody. "You have fallen down on the parenting job, Brody Murphy. How does your child not know about the Boy Under the Stairs?"
He shrugged. "I was worried the books and movies were too scary for her."
I frowned at him. "Hmmm. You may have a point. We could try the first one and then decide if we should continue. How does that sound?"
"Movie or book?"
"Both."
He shrugged. "It's up to Jacks. I don't mind if she's interested."
I turned toward his daughter to find her watching us with serious eyes and I understood one thing. If this relationship between Brody and I continued to grow, if we were going to get anywhere close to what I wanted, we would need to handle Jacks and her feelings with care. She was the most important person in his life and I never, ever wanted to come between them.
"Does that sound okay, Jacks?" I asked her.
She considered me carefully for a few moments before she nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."
"Then, the next time I have a couple of evenings off, we'll watch the first movie. And I'll loan you my copy of the first book before then. You and your dad can read it at night before bed." I lifted a hand. "But you have to promise me you'll take good care of my book. No dog-earing pages or coffee stains."
"I don't drink coffee," Jacks said with a laugh.
"Okay, then. I guess I'll trust you."
Father and daughter both gave me the same look, an expression I couldn't decipher on either of their faces.
But I felt warmth rather than disquiet, so I decided not to obsess. Especially since my stomach was growling non-stop from the scent of the casserole in front of me.
To break the spell, I asked Brody, "Are you gonna feed me or what? I have to get back to work before Sierra walks off out of sheer frustration."
He grinned at me. "Then I guess I'll feed you. We'll save the 'or what' for another night."
Oh, holy shit. The man was trouble.
