Page 54 of When You Saved Me

I laughed. “I’m pretty sure knocking things off a table is a predictable cat move.”

Deacon showed the puzzle piece to Casper and said, “This is notyoursto play with you little rascal.”

I nearly snorted into the mug of hot cocoa as Casper just swished his tail back and forth, scattering a few more pieces around the table. Several were nearly knocked off the edge again.

“Okay.” Deacon lifted Casper into the air and placed him in his lap. “If you’re going to misbehave, you go to cat jail.”

I burst out laughing. “Cat jail?”

Deacon’s bright eyes met mine. “Yes. He can’t knock any more pieces off the table while he’s in my lap.”

Casper settled down until I could only see the tips of his ears poking up from the edge of the table. “I’m pretty sure you just gave him exactly what he’s been wishing for all along.”

Deacon just looked at me with his brows scrunched together.

“Your affection.”

His brows rose as he looked back down at Casper who was now purring in his lap, eyes closing and opening lazily. “You sneaky little fucker,” Deacon admonished him in a whisper.

“I can’t believe you were outsmarted by such a tiny creature. Your brain has to weigh at least four times as much as his.”

Deacon grunted as he glared at me.

The grump makes another striking appearance, I thought to myself but thought better of saying it out loud.

We finished spreading out the rest of the puzzle pieces, turning them all over so disjointed puppy parts were all over the table.

“Did you do puzzles growing up?” Deacon asked after we’d completed the left border.

“My parents and I used to do one every year at Christmastime. It’s one of my fondest memories with them. We’d stay up late and make copious amounts of hot chocolate until we all got stomach aches and couldn’t drink anymore.” Images of those times filled my mind, and I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me as I thought of how lucky I was to have such an amazing childhood.

“Eventually we turned it into a competition though. We all came up with words we’d use to say loudly every time we got a piece in. When someone else would say their word, it made you want to try harder,” I laughed. “It also messes with your head if you haven't placed a piece in a while.”

“Hm,” Deacon huffed. “I kinda like the idea of that. What was your word?”

I beamed at him. “Boom.”

“Boom?” he chuckled, and I blushed.

“Yes. Boom.”

“Like an explosion.”

“Listen, I thought I was a hot-shot kid and boom seemed like the appropriate word at the time.”

“I like it.” He nodded with a smirk.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I sat back in the chair. “Well, it’s mine. You have to pick your own.”

“A little protective over your boom?”

Deacon was teasing me. He was actually poking at me and not because he was grumpy and irritable. He was actually trying to joke around.

My heart fluttered as I leaned across the table and pecked his cheek.

“What was that for?” His grin was lopsided and adorable, making him look younger than he usually did.

“For being cute,” I replied.

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