Page 55 of My Promise To Keep

The bastard just grins. ‘You’re damn right, and Zoe’s taking Bo on Friday, so I can show my girl just how much.’

Hmm… interesting.

‘Taking her where?’

‘Nowhere, just to her place for the night. I’m going to grill us a couple of steaks, open up a bottle or two of wine, and rattle the walls of that old house.’

‘That kind of talk will have you putting a baby in her before long.’

‘I’d do it tonight if she’d let me.’

‘Damn. Who are you?’ I laugh, and he shrugs.

‘I love her. I love our little family. It’s too soon, I know that, but we can practice, right?’

‘You sure can, man.’

I smile, and we fall quiet, him thinking about Cara, me thinking about my plan. Bowie’s staying over at Zoe’s. This could work…

‘Leo Bennett, what canI do you for?’

I grin as I walk into Bree’s office and lean down to kiss her cheek.

‘Shrimp, look at you, queen of the castle.’

I drop down into the chair in front of her desk, and she laughs, a sound I’ve heard a million times but one that will never fail to make me smile. Campbell women don’t hide a damn thing. Lynnie taught her girls to love who they are and show that to the world, and I adore her for it.

‘You want somethin’, spill it.’

‘Man, you’re good. You ever consider police work?’

‘Baby, I’m about to read you your rights for wasting my time,’ she smirks, ‘what do you need?’

‘I just heard that Bowie is spending the evening with munch, and I don’t get a lot of Bo time, so thought I might stop by, but I don’t want to interrupt girl time if you’re hanging out there too.’

‘Girl time. You don’t want to interrupt girl time. That’s what you’re goin’ with?’

I laugh. I can’t help it because the look in her eyes is pure mischief, and I love finally talking to someone who, even if neither of us is saying it directly, knows what I’m getting at.

‘What else would I go with, chief?’

‘I don’t think you want to get into that, Leo.’ She pulls up her phone, and my heart races. Please don’t tell Zoe I’m here. ‘Well, would you look at that,’ she widens her eyes at me, then her cell phone, ‘I was going to hang out at Zoe’s tonight, but something just dropped into my schedule.’

She smirks, and I grin widely.

‘I love you, Breanne Campbell, you know that, right?’ I stand and head around to hug her and kiss the top of her head.

‘You better,’ she calls out as I back out of her office. ‘Don’t waste this opportunity, Leo,’ she points at me, ‘get her on board.’

With a last smile, I turn and walk away, knowing two things for sure: Zoe has talked to Bree about us, and Bree wants it to happen. I can work with that.

You’re Not Pizza

Zoe

‘Bowie, go, wash yourhands, baby. Pizza’s here,’ I call out as I make the short walk to the front door. I know there’s going to be water all over my bathroom if I’m not there to supervise the hand washing, but I also know the second this pizza box enters my house, that child will be on it like locusts on a cornfield, and I don’t need her toddler germs on my pepperoni.

I grab my purse from the shelf I dumped it on when we came in and am digging for cash when I open the door.

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