I force a smile. “I didn’t expect you to wake this early.”
He holds up the baby monitor. I drop my chin to my chest. I’m busted.
“Please don’t kill me.”
“You think I’m going to kill you because your dog jumped into the crib with Adele?”
There goes any hope he missed the entire episode.
“Yes?”
He barks out a laugh and I dare to lift my gaze to his. “I don’t know what’s funnier. How panicked you were when you found Boozer in the crib? Or how guilty you appeared when I walked in here?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “My guilty appearance isn’t funny.”
He throws his arms around me. “Wrong. It’s hilarious. Don’t ever play poker with my brothers. They’ll clean us out of house and home.”
I push him away. “I happen to be an excellent poker player.”
“And you didn’t look to the left just now either.”
“Ugh!” I throw my hands in the air. “I haven’t had enough coffee for you this morning.”
He snags my coffee cup before threading his fingers through mine. “Let’s get you some coffee, sweetness.”
I practically melt. I love how he calls me sweetness. Not babe or darling or some other throwaway term. Zane makes me feel special in everything he does.
“Why don’t I make you breakfast?” I offer.
His eyes widen. “You’re going to make breakfast?”
I bristle. “I can make breakfast.”
He raises an eyebrow. “And you didn’t set off the smoke alarm toasting a bagel?”
“It was a Pop-Tart, not a bagel.”
He chuckles. “Did the smoke alarm go off or not?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Yes, but only because Adele had a blow-out and I forgot about the Pop-Tart.”
“You’re using our baby girl as an excuse.”
No fair. He can’t say our baby girl. It’s cheating.
I glare. “Do you want breakfast or not?”
“What are you making? Burned bagels or burned Pop-Tarts?”
“I was going to make eggs and sausage, but I guess I can burn you a bagel.”
“You can make eggs and sausage?”
I roll my eyes. “Who do you think made breakfast for Mom and all her boyfriends? It wasn’t Mom.”
He catches my hand and draws me onto his lap. “I’m sorry your mother didn’t care for you the way she should have.”
“It’s okay. I’m over it.”
