Page 40 of Go Cook Yourself

My heart drops, and I close my eyes. Of course. The competition. The one thing that gives her hope is the same thing that destroys mine.

“Yeah, cool. We’ll do everything we can to get you that win,” I reply, stumbling over my words.

“Team Grumpy Sunshine.” I swear I can feel her smile against my chest.

She sighs softly, and eventually, she stills. Her silence turns to soft snores. As my eyes flutter closed, I pray for sleep so I can stop overthinking.

???

The vibration in my pocket wakes me. I struggle to open my eyes.Where the hell am I?The scent of strawberries fills me as a snoring, warm Ruby cuddles me tight. I hum my joy. Ruby is the reminder that I’ve missed out on something important for years. With one hand, I extract my vibrating phone from my pocket while holding her close. Her curves are soft against me, and I don’t know if the need to kiss her can outweigh the one to keep her safe.

She stirs slightly at my jostling, and I freeze while looking at my phone screen. It’s Flora. My watch reads six thirty in the morning. Since she graduated in the summer, Flora usually stays out until late, presumably partying, although I’ve never asked, and then sleeps for most of the day.

“Flora?” I whisper with a croak. Ruby continues to sleep. The hospital is busier, with staff moving around the waiting room and corridors. I can’t believe we slept so soundly together on this poorly engineered sofa. “What are you doing up?”

My eyes strain against the lights that are slowly coming on.

“I have news,” Flora exclaims as if the early hour means nothing to her. “And it’s the best news.”

“Can you say it a little quieter?” Ruby isn’t snoring anymore, but her eyes are closed.

“Where are you? It doesn’t matter. Me and Brine—”

“Who is Brine?”

“The law guy from university.” What parent looks at a baby and thinks “Brine”? They must be fish fans. “We’ve worked on this all night… well, when we weren’t doing other stuff.”

“I don’t want to know about my pseudo–baby sister doing anything besides studying hard.”

“Oh, it was hard.”

“Flora,” I hiss as she laughs. I bloody love that girl and her dodgy sense of humour. Her brother doesn’t deserve her.

“You know me. I’m not the kind of woman that men want in that way.” I bite my tongue. Any guy would be lucky to have her, but I don’t think me saying that will help. “Anyway, Brine’s read the contract in detail. The only reference to a dog is that when one is purchased for the restaurant, it’s legally owned by the person who owns the restaurant. Except you didn’t purchase Cookie. You got him from a rescue centre, and although you gave them money, it was a donation. It wasn’t payment of an invoice. You didn’t purchase him, so there’s a loophole.”

I gasp, and the sudden blast of emotion overwhelms me, leaving me choked. “Are you serious?” I whisper.

“You can have your baby back, Garett. We need to work out how to get him away from Shit Pants.” This is her nickname for Clive when she’s pissed off with him because he once got so drunk that he shit his pants. “But once we do, Cookie is coming home.”

My lower lip trembles, and I close my eyes. Tears collect in my eyelashes. “Your friend Brine is a genius. But how can we bring Cookie home without being stopped? I want him with me as soon as possible, but if he stays at mine, Shit Pants will find him and take him.”

“I need time to work it out, but we can do it.”

“I can help, too,” Ruby murmurs, and I nearly drop her.

“Is that Ruby? What are you doing with her at this hour? Are you returning to your bad boy ways?”

I fumble my response as Ruby looks up at me, smiling. She grabs my phone and tells Flora, “He was helping me with something.”

“I bet he was,” Flora jokes, and my face heats as Ruby laughs.

“Get back to Brine and let me devise a plan,” Ruby replies, proving she heard enough. “I might have to get some details out of him, but I’m certain that Garett needs Cookie. I’ve never believed anything more.”

“Yes, Ruby,” Flora shouts down the phone. “Catch you both later.”

The phone goes dead, and I prepare for questions, but instead, Ruby hands me back my phone and wipes my forgotten tears away from my eyes. “You should have told me someone took Cookie from you and that’s why you didn’t have him. We’ll get him back and keep him somewhere safe so no one can take him from you again. I promise, Garett. Now tell me everything.”

My heart bottoms out.Oh fuck.This woman has found the way to my heart, and there’s nothing I can do about it except hide the fact forever. Now, I need to tell her everything while avoiding every mention of Clive. I can’t ruin this competition for her.

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