Page 50 of Hold on Tight

“I can watch Sam.” He crossed his arms.

“I don’t think—”

“I can watch Sam,” he repeated. He used the voice he’d used when his guys had tried to argue with him. Thedon’t bothervoice.

“Mom—”

She silenced Sam with a hard look, then turned it on him. Eyes narrowed in a way that shouldn’t have made his heart rate pick up but did. “This is my decision.”

He wouldn’t want her to be any other way, he thought. He wouldn’t want his son’s mother to be meek and obedient.

“Of course it’s your decision,” he said quietly.

She turned away, into the corner, as if the answer were written there. Then she turned back. “Okay,” she said. “But it’s just for a few more weeks. The rest of the summer. After that, Sam goes back to school, and then he’s in before- and after-school programs.”

“Deal,” he said. “Now. Sit down and put your feet up. I’m cooking you guys dinner tonight.”

Chapter 15

She frowned at him. “Um, what ever happened to ‘Mind if I stay for dinner?’ or ‘Hey, Mira, how would you feel about me cooking you dinner?’ ”

“Not my style.”

“And rolling over and showing my pale white belly isn’t mine,” she said, and then was sorry, because he shot her a look that made her pale white belly, and parts south, flame.

The thing was, she wanted him here. She knew Sam would want him here. And besides, the stress of the day had exhausted her, and she loved the idea of not having to cook.

“Thanks for asking, Jake. I’d love it if you cooked us some dinner.”

He grinned, and she could see from his expression that he felt like he’d won a round.Damn him.

“My kitchen isn’t exactly well-stocked. I do have some cubes of beef in the freezer. I was going to make a stew at some point, and then I didn’t.”

“I’ll make chili.”

“Where’d you learn to make chili?” She was trying to picture him cooking for other soldiers.

“My mom taught me. When I was a kid. It’s been a long time, but I think I remember. We had it a lot in my house, and whenever we ate it, I made it. Besides, it’s one of those things you can’t ruin. You can throw in pretty much everything in the entire kitchen and it works out somehow. It has to simmer a while, though.”

“We could play a board game,” Sam offered.

Jake tilted his head to ask Mira,Okay?

“Sure,” she said.

“Monopoly.” Sam ran to get it.

Mira groaned. “He’s going to beat us.”

“I don’t believe it,” Jake said.

“He’s gonna take usdown.”

“Nah,” Jake said. “I might, though. Take you. Down.”

His eyes were still on her face. Considering. His smile spreading a little.

She felt color flood her face, sudden heat, and she saw him register it, his pupils widening, one eyebrow diving.

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