Coco let out a long, exhausted-sounding sigh. “That Madison and Uncle Sten prob’ly wanted to fix their own breakfast.” She parroted her answer as if by rote and then added hopefully, “But you didn’t ’zackly say no.”
“You didn’t give me a chance.” Karin glanced up from her daughter. “Sorry, you guys. She snuck over here while I was busy frying eggs.”
“No problem.” Madison tried to keep her expression serious, though everything Coco did just seemed completely adorable to her.
“So can they just come over, then?” Coco asked, raising her arms out to the side and then dropping them so hard her palms made twin slapping sounds against her pink jeans.
“Not this time. Your food’s on the table. Go on back to the house and eat. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“But, Mom...” Coco whined.
“Now.”
Dragging her feet, Coco trudged to the stairs and started down.
Karin said to her brother, “When you didn’t come down for breakfast, she just knew you were over here. She started in on me to let her invite you both to join us. I put her off, but you know Coco.”
Sten did know. “She took matters into her own hands.”
Karin turned to Madison. “Holding the line on my little girl? Talk about a full-time job.”
By then, the little girl in question was out of sight. Still, Madison pitched her voice low against the chance that the child might overhear. “I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t refuse her anything.”
Karin made a humphing sound. “With kids, it’s learn fast, or die—and now I can’t invite you two over for bacon and eggs this morning without encouraging her to get sneaky when things don’t go her way.”
Sten’s arm still rested across Madison’s shoulder. She reached up and wrapped her hand around his, leaning into him, because it felt natural to do that. It felt utterly right.
“We get it,” he said. And he nuzzled her hair, which she’d piled on the top of her head in a haphazard bun.
Did life get any better?
Doubtful.
“How ’bout this?” suggested Karin. “Just come over at breakfast-time any morning the mood strikes. That way, when Coco starts in on me, I can tell her you have an open invitation, that when you can make it for breakfast, you will.”
Madison thanked her and Sten said, “Works for me.”
Karin started for the stairs—but then stopped and turned back. “I have to say it.” She pointed a finger at Sten then at Madison and back to Sten again. “I like where this is going. I truly do.” With a low laugh, she left.
Sten shut the slider. “Ignore my pushy nieceandmy matchmaking sister.”
She stepped right up to him and kissed him with a quick press of her lips to his. “Maybe I like where this is going, too.”
He was silent. But his expression told her way more than she wanted to know. As far as he was concerned, this special magic between them was just for now.
And no way was she ruining an absolutely perfect morning by getting into it with him about what might happen next. There didn’t need to be a next—scratch that. There definitely did need to be a next. Therewouldbe a next.
But they didn’t have to talk about that now.
She gave him a slow smile.
He put a finger under her chin. “Those dimples. You could finish a man off with those dimples, you know that?”
She kissed him again, taking her time about it, resting her palms on his warm, hard, bare chest.
He said, “Oh, and by the way. Just so you’re aware. Liam told Karin why you’re here, that you’re a long-lost Bravo sister. Karin has promised to keep it to herself.”
“All good,” she said. “Want some breakfast?”
