Page 49 of Hot Zone

“You’re pretty good at it,” he said. “How’s today’s crossword?”

“I’m just about finished,” I replied. “So, what are your plans for today?” I asked.

“Well, it’s the beginning of November, which means the crazy Christmas season is about to start. I’ll be decorating the shop for the holidays.”

“It’s not even Thanksgiving yet,” I pointed out.

“True, but unfortunately, most of the big box stores had their Christmas decorations out before Halloween. If I want to compete with them, I have to follow their timeline to some degree,” he said. “I’ll also be working late a few days because I have some holiday workshops coming up. One’s aMake Your Own Yule Logclass, and the other’s aWinter Solstice Wreathsession. Last year, I ended up doing the yule log class three times, so we’ll see how many people sign up this year.”

“Okay,” I said. “How about I swing by the office store and pick up a calendar for the fridge? That way, you can write your schedule on it so I’ll know when you won’t be here.”

“That sounds good to me,” Mars said. “You can do the same for your schedule.”

“Have you scheduled any of those classes yet?” I asked.

“No, not yet. I probably won’t do the first one until mid-month.”

“Good, because I’d like to take you out on a date Friday night,” I said.

“Like an actual date-date?”

“Exactly like a date-date.”

“Okay. Where are we going?”

“You don’t worry about that, Kitten. I’ll take care of everything.”

He carried his empty plate to the sink, rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher. I got up and did the same with mine before turning to look at him.

“Don’t forget a jacket today. It’s chilly out there, and it’s supposed to rain,” I reminded him.

“Is it really?” he asked.

“Yeah, it is. Maybe you should take a few minutes each morning to check the weather instead of just horoscopes or star charts.”

He chuckled and kissed me on the cheek. “I could, but why should I bother when I have a Daddy to do that for me?”

“True enough,” I said, grinning. “You can also grab an umbrella by the garage door if you want one.”

“Well, crap. I don’t have a jacket. I guess I need to make getting one a priority,” he said.

I hadn’t even thought about the fact that he might not have a jacket. I had a few, but he could practically swim in mine.

“You wait right here,” I said. “Let me see what I can find.”

I went to my closet and pulled out one of myVesper Fire Departmenthoodies.

“Here,” I said, handing it to him. “You can wear this until you find one for yourself. We probably need to sit down and make a list of exactly what you need for the season. Obviously a jacket, gloves, and probably some scarves.”

“Yeah, all of those,” he agreed. “Every time I think I replaced everything, something else comes up. Did you know I don’t owna pair of nail clippers? I had to go dig around in your bathroom for a pair the other day.”

I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug. “It’ll be fine. We’ll get you whatever you need. In the meantime, we’ll just share.”

“Like I said, you’re spoiling me.”

“Well, that’s a Daddy’s job.”

“Maybe you should’ve mentioned that part sooner,” he teased.

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