Page 44 of Everlasting Promises

She couldn’t be more wrong. I work, exercise, and spend time with Rex, occasionally hanging out with Seb or the boys from the precinct. “You didn’t ask. I offered, and it’s no problem. I wouldn’t mind stocking up on some home-baked goods,particularly cookies, and if the money goes to a good cause”—I shrug—“all the better.”

Her expression turns to disbelief. “You eat cookies?”

I pat my trim stomach. “Of course! Who doesn’t eat cookies? They’re my favorite. I’m not a weirdo, you know.”

My playful response garners a genuine chuckle, and I feel like a king. “Good to know.”

“Anyway, I can bring Evan after we finish here.”

Does she trust me enough?

She looks out the windshield for what feels like an eternity, and I don’t like that her eyes are no longer on me. “It would certainly help, if you don’t mind.”

Yes!I clear my throat. “I don’t mind at all. As I said, I wouldn’t mind stocking up. I miss Tahlia’s mom’s baking, so it’ll be a treat.”

Her shoulders relax. “Okay, thank you so much.” Her clear eyes land on me again, and I stand a little taller. “I guess I’ll see you at school.”

I tap the top of the roof. “I guess you will.” I give her my best smile. “I look forward to it.” Hope nods, and I take a step away from the car, then call out as she pulls away. “Oh, and Hope.”

She stops. “Yeah?”

“Save me a cookie or two, yeah?”

Blotches instantly cover the entirety of her neck, her eyes widen, and she chuckles awkwardly.

I grimace when I realize how that sounded. “Sorry, that may have come out wrong.”

She waves off my concern with a flick of her wrist. “What’s your favorite cookie?”

You.

I do have a favorite, but I find I want to drag out our conversation for as long as I can. “Hmm, tough to choose just one.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Top three?”

My lips tip up. “Chocolate chip cookies come in at number three. Number two would have to be white chocolate macadamia nut, and my number one favorite cookie is the humble sugar cookie.” My mouth salivates at the thought of eating half a dozen warm sugar cookies straight out of the oven. “Crispy around the edge and thick in the center.” I make a chef’s kiss. “Perfection.” My eyes almost roll into the back of my head at the thought.

Hope chuckles warmly. “I’ll see what I can do. I need to get going or I’ll be late.” She grips the steering wheel. “I need to bake three more batches, have a shower, and put some makeup on. I don’t wanna scare away prospective customers.”

“You needn’t worry, you look beautiful as you are.” I tap the top of her roof again. “See you there.” I walk away before she can respond. The compliment flew out of my mouth before I could stop it, and I wince slightly as I walk inside while the engine of her car revs and she pulls out of the parking lot.

21

BEN

“I wishwe could have brought Rex with us,” Evan pouts as we pull into a parking spot on the street. The school parking lot was overflowing, and it took some time and patience to locate a place we could park.

I turn off the engine and angle my body toward him. “Me too, but it isn’t always appropriate to bring him with me. There will be a lot of kids and excited energy here, not to mention loads of sweet treats, which are Rex’s favorite. He’s a big dog, and even though he’s well-behaved, not everyone is comfortable around dogs like him. I need to consider the comfort of others and the situation.”

His shoulders sag. “Yeah, I guess. I just love him so much.” He looks up at me, his eyes overflowing with love for Rex.

“I know you do. He loves you too.” And he does. He took to Evan like a duck to water. “C’mon, let’s go find your mom.” We climb out of my truck and head across the street to the school. Even though I’ve never been here, it’s easy to find our way to the gym with the number of people heading in that direction, as wellas those walking toward us with bags of baked treats. “It looks like the school has a good turnout.”

“Evan!”

Evan and I turn toward the voice, and I see a young kid, probably the same age as him, jogging toward us. “Oh, hey, Elliott,” Evan greets the boy. “I just got here.”

Elliott’s gaze slides to me, his eyes full of questions. “You’re lucky. I’ve been here for three hours already, and it doesn’t look like I’ll be outta here anytime soon.”

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