He glanced over his shoulder and found her grinning.
“Can I tie you up this time?”
His hand spasmed around hers. Fuck.
Routine
“Is Tinker coming over for dinner again?” Olivia asked from the high counter where she was working on her homework.
Abby glanced up from the pork chops she was breading. “He’s planning to. Is that okay?”
Olivia nodded. “Yeah.”
Grabbing a paper towel, Abby wiped her hands. “Is everything okay? I can tell him there’s a change of plans if you don’t want him here. This is your house too, and I want you to feel comfortable.”
“I like Tinker,” Olivia said. “You know…he doesn’t have to leave at night.”
Spit went down the wrong pipe and Abby went into a coughing fit.
“What?” she choked out.
Olivia shrugged. “I mean, he’s been here almost every night since we all got sick. I know he doesn’t leave till late.” She shrugged again. “I’m just saying if you guys are at that stage, it’d be okay if he stayed.”
Abby did her best impression of a goldfish. “I…I…uh, we’ll talk about it.”
“Cool.”
This was not a conversation she’d ever expected to have with Olivia. To be honest, it wasn’t a conversation she’d expected to have at all since she’d never anticipated being in this situation before Will left for college.
Abby slid some cutlets in the hot oil as the doorbell rang.
“I get it!” Will yelled from the living room.
“Shoot, can you grab him?” Abby asked.
“On it.” Olivia hopped down from the stool. “Willy Nilly, you’re not allowed to answer the door.”
Abby smiled at Olivia’s nickname for Will.
“But it’s Tinker,” Will said.
“You don’t know that. It could be a door-to-door salesman, and you don’t have any money.”
“You’re not the boss of me, Olly Bolly!”
“Am too.”
“Am not!”
Abby chuckled as she put the last cutlets in the pan. She heard the door open and close and Will say, “See! Told you!” A few seconds later, Tinker rounded the corner, holding a giggling Will upside down. Olivia trailed behind them, shaking her head as only a too-cool preteen could.
Tinker flipped Will right side up and set him on his feet, holding him steady until he wasn’t dizzy.
“Hey.” He leaned down and kissed her quickly.
Abby smiled up at him. “Hey.”
“Yuck.” Upon that proclamation, Will ran back to the living room.
