Page 15 of Honor ’N’ Duty

The remote for the chandelier still sat on the tub surround, and she picked it up, watching the faux flames flicker back and forth. She might have to take Kade up on his offer to use the tub after all. Like the tub in her former Rumson home, this one could easily fit two people. But Josh had never once joined her in a sexy bubble bath. If he had, maybe their marriage wouldn’t have crumbled, and maybe he wouldn’t have made the dire choices he had.

Loud giggling came from downstairs, followed by Kade’s deep laugh. Gratitude was what she ought to be feeling toward her husband’s brother, and she did. After all, he’d given them a roof over their heads, and he’d left a friend’s wedding—not his—to do it. She tugged her cell from her pocket and phoned Alvita, who answered on the first ring.

“Are you okay?” came Alvita’s concerned voice.

“Yes, I’m fine. Rosa and I are staying with fa—” She’d almost said “family,” but she’d never really considered Kade in that category. “We’re staying with a friend,” she corrected, realizing that was a misnomer, too. Kade had never been her friend, either. Men and women can’t be friends… She’d heard that line in some famous movie with Billy Crystal.

“Do you mean that guy in the tuxedo? The one who looks like he just stepped off the cover of a magazine?” Alvita made a catcall whistle. “In that case, girl, I approve.”

Laia smiled. Alvita had been trying to get her to start dating for over a year now. Not only couldn’t Laia wrap her brain around dating again, but between Rosa, Laia’s online courses, and attending the required in-person bio, organic chem, and zoology labs at night, there’d been no time for a man in her life.

Quickly, she recapped what the police said, leaving out hers and Kade’s suspicions that this had something to do with Josh. Alvita only knew Laia by her maiden name, and she’d never confided in her friend about what had really happened to her husband.

“When will you be back?” Alvita asked.

“I don’t know.” The thought scared her to death. Staying with Kade—in his bedroom, no less—made her so anxious and confused her belly had long ago twisted itself into a pretzel.

“I’ll pick up your mail for you and hold it at my house. Call anytime if you need me to do something or if you just want to talk.”

“Thank you, Alvita.” Not only was Alvita the best next-door babysitter she could ask for, but she’d become a dear friend.

After ending the call, she turned to head downstairs but stopped and stared at the king-size bed. The second half of that Billy Crystal quote popped into her head. …because the sex part always gets in the way.

Laia rolled her eyes. Why even think in that direction? There was no chance there’d ever be a “sex part” between her and Kade.

She headed downstairs, following the giggling then an odd, squirting sound. Inside the kitchen and next to the stainless-steel refrigerator, Kade held a can with a nozzle to Rosa’s open mouth. Beside them, with his tail swishing on the tile floor, Smoke licked his lips.

“Press harder,” Kade said, and Rosa wrapped her tiny hands around his. The squirting sound grew louder, then Rosa’s mouth filled with whipped cream.

“Mmm,” Rosa mumbled, then licked her lips.

“Here you go, buddy.” Kade held an identical can above Smoke’s head, and he opened his jaws while Kade gave the can a squirt. A long strand dripped into the dog’s mouth. Smoke chewed, then swallowed, licking his lips just as Rosa had.

Rosa began hopping up and down. “Again! Again!”

“No, not again!” Laia narrowed her eyes on Kade. “What in the world are you doing?”

“Having a little snack while we waited for you to come down.” He put one of the cans to his mouth and pressed the nozzle. After swallowing, he held out the can to her. “Want some?”

“No, I don’t want some.” Though why she was so annoyed, she couldn’t exactly say. It wasn’t the whipped cream. Maybe it was seeing them together so naturally and having so much fun. Josh had loved Rose but aside from reading to her had never actually taken the time to have fun with his daughter. He’d have to have been home for that to happen. A year after Rosa was born, he rarely was.

“Uh-oh.” Rosa’s tongue darted out to lick away a tiny gob of cream on her lower lip. “Mommy’s mad at both of us.”

“Is there a problem?” Kade arched a brow, but his attempt at being genuinely confused failed when a corner of his mouth lifted.

“Whipped cream?” She stared at him in disbelief. “You’re feeding a five-year-old whipped cream directly from a can?” And right before dinner, no less.

“Yeah, I am,” he answered with zero remorse, then threw Rosa a conspiratorial look that made her giggle again. “It’s our thing.”

“Your thing? What does that mean?” She grabbed the can in his hand, somewhat gratified to see this one had Smoke’s name on it written in black marker. At least Kade hadn’t been feeding Rosa from the same can.

“Relax.” He held up his hands, palms facing her as he tried to calm her down. Instead, it only irritated her more. “Considering how the day started out, I thought Rosa could use a little fun. We’ve been doing this for years. Right, Cream Puff?”

Rosa nodded emphatically. “Right, Uncle Kade. Smoke, too.”

Smoke stared longingly at the can with his name on it.

She looked from her daughter to Kade, wondering what else they’d been doing at her in-law’s house when she hadn’t been there. Now she knew where the nickname he’d called Rosa earlier had come from. Cream Puff. Laia opened the refrigerator door. “Do you have anything healthy in here that we can cook for dinner?”