Erin loved the endearment and she paused for a moment to absorb it. She crossed to drop a kiss to Luca’s mouth. “My mother is here. She wanted to catch us together, and she’s done exactly that. I have to go do damage control.”
Striding into the bath she cranked the shower on. There was no way she was facing her mother with the remnants of lovemaking on her body. She took her time, too. If Mom was that determined to catch them she could damn well wait for her daughter to get cleaned up.
Erin dressed quietly, hoping that Luca could get some more sleep in, then she let herself out of the bedroom.
Linda sat at the kitchen island sipping steaming coffee, looking smug. Erin poured herself a cup, with a heavy dose of creamer, then leaned against the counter. “What were you thinking coming over here at five a.m., Mom?”
“I know it’s a little rude but I thought I could catch Luca before he left for his run. I haven’t had a chance to meet the man yet, and if he’s sleeping with my daughter I feel like I should have some kind of idea what sort of man he is.”
Erin sighed in frustration. “Mom, whether you believe me or not, we weren’t sleeping together before last night,” she snapped.
Her mother’s eyes widened. “Really? This is the morning after? Oh, maybe I’d better get out of here then and let you all hash it out. I thought you were lying to me when you told me there was nothing between you.”
“Yes,” Erin told her sarcastically, “because I lie to you all the time. Are you serious?”
Her mother looked a little crestfallen. “I’m sorry, dear. I’ll go.”
Erin refused to feel bad as she watched her mother walk out into the predawn light. Maybe next time she could ask her mother when she planned to introduce her to the man friend that had been taking her to the country club, recently.
She let the dogs out to go pee, then left the big dogs in the laundry room chewing bones. Wicked, Greta and Sophie she let into the bedroom when she returned. She crawled back into bed and checked that her alarm was set for her normal six-thirty.
Luca murmured something in his sleep but didn’t rouse. She laughed softly to herself. Normally, Luca was up by this time and working out with Wicked.
No need for Mom to know that, though.
* * *
In the morningErin woke to the beautiful smell of bacon being cooked. She dressed and headed out to the kitchen. Luca stood in front of the stove, looking dark and delicious. His curls were long enough now that they were hanging over his forehead a little. Crossing to him she swiped her hand back through the curls, getting them in line.
“I need a haircut,” he murmured.
She wanted to ask, ‘for the interview?’, but kept her tongue. Yes, he’d told her he loved her but she wanted him to decide the path his career took. In these times maybe she didn’t want her significant other as a cop.
Well, she thought, it’s probably less dangerous than being a SEAL.
They cooked breakfast together, laughing and teasing, and getting used to interacting as a couple. it was very strange for Erin because she’d been alone for so long. She’d never had anyone live with her before, either.
“Are you exercising today?”
He grinned at her, arching his spine. “You know, I’m a little sore right now. I might take a day off and help you.”
She laughed with him, taking the words as challenge, and led him to the barn.
* * *
By the timethey headed back to the house Luca was whipped. Caring for the smaller animals wasn’t hard, but the horses were a pain in the ass. Erin had had a feed delivery that day and he happened to be there when the truck needed unloaded. Hauling fifty pound bags of food around was not as easy as he’d thought, but she did it like a pro, stacking the bags in the tack room. Then she’d had him carry her a couple of bales of hay. Twice, he’d fallen, because of the uneven weight distribution and not being able to feel his right foot. At least the feed bags he’s been able to foist over his shoulder so that he could see where his feet were landing.
Larry, the bastard, bit the shit out of his good arm, leaving Luca cursing. But as he’d sat in the exercise barn and watched Erin move on the animal’s back, guiding him through a complicated set of moves, he’d realized how much he enjoyed what they’d done that day. He loved watching Erin. The joy she took in riding the animals almost made up for what pains in the asses they were.
After she’d worked her ass off there she headed to the kennel. She’d fed and watered the dogs before her horse work, and by the time she was done in the barn the kennel dogs were ready for attention. One by one she went down the line, letting the dog out to play in the center aisle while she cleaned the room. This was familiar territory for Luca. When they were on-base they all took shifts caring for the kennel where their animals were kept. It was a dirty, stinky job, but it needed to be done.
“This board tells me who’s doing what when,” she said, leading him to a giant whiteboard. “It keeps me on schedule and if someone has to come in to cover for me they can see right there what needs done. Sometimes even with the board I still lose track of things,” she laughed.
The board itself looked confusing to him.
She broke for lunch at one. Luca wanted to go shower and take a nap, but she shook her head and kept going, returning to the kennel for training. A few of the animals that had been brought in needed obedience training in addition to being boarded. And he realized that she did basic training with all of the dogs. When he asked her about it, she shrugged. “It’s good to help them remember, and they want to do some kind of job. So, I give them little tasks. I also have enrichment treats that keep them busy for a long time, like Kongs and treats frozen into ice cubes. If I believe that a couple of the dogs can go in together I’ll let them do that occasionally just for socialization. It’s my responsibility to take care of the animal, and I don’t feel like that ends with the physical.”
Luca loved her even more for that sentiment. It was how he felt as well. He remember seeing a meme recently. There was a guy sitting on the end of a boat dock and he had all these worries floating around his head. There was also a dog sitting beside him. The only thought in the dog’s head was ‘how do I make him happy?’ They were such giving, self-effacing beings.