“Shit.”
Felix got in my way, and I lost my sense of direction. I heard him doing something and rushing around until the sizzling stopped. A light layer of smoke in the kitchen made River sneeze.
“There,” Felix said with a sigh. “Everything’s turned off and I removed the burning stuff.”
He must have seen the frown on my face because he added in a small voice, “Is everything okay?”
“Felix . . .” I sighed, rubbing my temple. “You don’t have to do that. I know my way around my own kitchen, all right?”
I imagined his expression falling. Guilt laced his voice when he said, “Oh . . . I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “If you’re gonna help, just ask. Or I’ll ask you first.” I tried to smile but it probably came out more like a grimace. “I’m not helpless, you know?”
“I’m so sorry,” Felix repeated, sounding genuinely remorseful. “I wasn’t thinking, it was stupid of me . . .”
My annoyance faded away at the shame in his tone. I knew he didn’t mean anything rude by his actions and that they came from a place of kindness.
“Nah.” I patted him on the back. “Sighted people do things like this all the time. I know your heart’s in the right place.” When I smiled at him this time, it was a real one. “Just things for you to know if we’re gonna be spending more time together, right?”
His voice lightened up a little. “Right.”
“Great. Did you put the burnt stuff on the counter?”
“Yeah, next to the grill.”
I found them and turned around to face River, who immediately stood up to attention.
Felix chuckled. “You’re gonna feed them to the dog?”
“Hell yeah I am. What, you want me to feed my omega a burnt breakfast? I don’t think so.”
He let out a tiny noise of surprise at being calledmy omega,which made me grin. He was unbelievably cute.
“River, sit.”
His butt hit the floor.
“Catch.”
I tossed a burnt pancake in the air, then heard a wet snap of teeth and the sound of River wolfing it down. He licked his lips and sat again, completely still as he waited for the next round of this game.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to feed dogs human food,” Felix commented. “Especially not a guide dog.”
“He’s a dog like any other dog,” I replied in amusement. “He just has an important day job and years of training, is all.”
As I tossed River another pancake, I laughed. “It’s funny you say that, though. The organization told me the same thing. Not to feed him from the table and stuff. I was pretty good about it for a while, but then I got lazy about it. He only gets treats like this when we’re at home, though, never in public when he’s working.”
Now it was time for the eggs. I was glad I couldn’t see what was probably a fountain of drool dripping from River’s lips.
“He was a completely different dog at the café,” Felix remarked. “So well behaved. Er, I mean, not that he’s badly behaved right now, but you know.”
“I get you.” With one burnt egg left on the plate, I held it out for Felix. “Here.”
“Huh?”
“This is technically against the rules, too,” I said with a grin. “Only the handler is supposed to feed the dog. But I think we can make an exception, since you spent the night.”
I heard the dry smile in Felix’s voice as he took the plate from me. “So you let every omega who stays the night feed your guide dog?”
