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“I couldn’t resist.”

She started out, then realized I hadn’t followed and looked back.

“Well? Come on. You’re the one insisting we eat, so you can help.”

She headed toward the kitchen, and I followed.

She wasted no time once she got there. While a generous amount of bacon crisped in the oven, she cracked eggs into a small frying pan and put me to work.

“Get the plates out for me and start the coffee.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And grab the butter and jam.”

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Very much.”

She scrambled the eggs and dropped bread into the toaster, and before long our plates were loaded with eggs, bacon, and toast.

Isabella didn’t even bother sitting. She stood at the island eating as though every bite cost her valuable snow time, while I took the stool across from her and enjoyed my breakfast at a reasonable pace.

“The park isn’t going anywhere. You can chew.”

She ignored me and finished her toast.

“You can clean up. I need to get ready.”

“Bossy.”

“Efficient.”

She deposited her plate in the sink and disappeared down the hall.

I laughed and started clearing the kitchen.

I hadn’t seen Isabella this excited about anything yet, and I fucking loved it. This playful, bossy side of Mouse was quickly becoming one of my favorites, and I had a feeling there was a lot more of her I hadn’t discovered yet.

By the time I finished cleaning up, Isabella was in the guest room going through the clothes Aria had stocked.

I headed into my bathroom and faced the mirror.

Five days without shaving had left me with more beard than I usually wore. I trimmed it close, ran a brush through my hair, and was about to leave when my reflection held me there.

Nearly a week ago, I hadn’t known Isabella existed. Now I couldn’t picture coming home and not finding her there.

Worse, my brain had already skipped several years ahead to Isabella and me sharing a home with a bunch of kids underfoot.

Christ.

That should’ve sounded insane after knowing her for less than a week, but it didn’t.

The image came too easily, and with it came everything ugly attached to the life I led. Every enemy who would see a wife or child as leverage. Every bastard who knew hurting the people I loved was the quickest way to hurt me.

For the first time, I truly understood why Mam and Da had walked away.

They hadn’t chosen the farm because it was easy. Farming was hard, relentless work, but it gave Lucian and me a childhood of sheep and chores instead of bullets, blood debts, and some family deciding Byrnes sons made useful bargaining chips. Mam and Da had done everything they could to give us a safe, ordinary life.