“Are you for real right now?” I ask her. “Was that because it’s his clothes, or because you think I’ve gone to the dark side?”
She lifts her head in the air and doesn’t answer me as she trots past me and demands entrance to the kitchen.
When we step inside, Holt’s there.
Disappointment slithers through me.
He’s only wearing shorts, balancing on his crutches again, and there’s evidence that he’s still semi-hard dancing under the fabric as he pulls food out of the fridge and sets it on the counter.
He glances over at me. “Baby’s not going hungry on my watch.”
How the hell could my dad object to this?
I blink hard and fast against the joy threatening to leak out of my eyes. “Thank you.”
Jessica grumbles to herself.
I get her breakfast and fresh water, then shoo Holt away from the food. “Go put your foot up. I’ve got this.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for you to eat eggs?” he asks as he backs away. “I’m wary of you and chicken products.”
It takes me a hot minute to process what he means, but when I do, I crack up. “Understandable. I’ll try to keep it down.”
“We’re out of saltines.”
I blink at him while he settles onto a stool across the island, then I start chopping vegetables for our omelets. “We are, aren’t we? I took the last sleeve to work. I’ll grab more at the store after I’m done with Mom. You can text me if you need anything else.”
“What if someone sees your phone?”
“I changed your contact info. You’re nowCole Webber.”
“Boring. You’reHellbeast Dogsitterin my phone.”
“That’s more letters than your average text response to people.”
He cracks a short laugh. “I text long.”
“Do you, now?”
“I do, but not to women I have crushes on when I know it can’t go anywhere.”
There’s that warm glow again. And I think I’m blushing.
The man had his face between my thighs last night. I drooled on him in my sleep.
And I’m blushing at the confirmation that he has a crush on me.
“You make the list. I’ll order it for delivery,” he says. “So we can still go see the movie. If you’re up for it. And have time.”
Yes. “I’ll make sure I’m done in time.”
We stare at each other.
We’re doing this.
We’re going to date under my dad’s nose.
See if this is real.
