Page 89 of The Falcon and the Foe

The Ettingers livedat the end of a cul-de-sac in a house that seemed way too big for two people. On the front steps was a fall harvest display of perfectly positioned pumpkins, mums, and hay bales.

I handed Josh his sleeping bag and clothing bag to carry up the front steps, and despite his hands being full, he still insisted on ringing the doorbell.

Russ answered, wearing an apron splattered with what was either blood or marinara sauce. I went with the latter. He had changed out of his all-green ensemble from earlier and into an adorable dad ensemble: college sweatshirt, loose jeans, and slippers.

“Hey, guys!” His smile sent a tingle down my spine. It didn’t help that he had a spot of sauce above his lip that I’d give my right arm to lick off.

Quentin poked his head from under Russ’s arm. “Hi, Scout Leader Cal. Josh, come in!” He waved Josh in with typical kid-like urgency. They ran off to play video games and discuss Pokémon.

Leaving me with Russ, who apparently my nine-year-old could tell was more than a friend to me.

“Are you cooking?” The aroma of whatever was happening in the kitchen made my stomach rumble with sudden hunger.

“Yep.”

“I thought the boys would order pizza. That’s what we did with our sleepovers.” Sleepovers were a time to stay up late and eat junk food. Leave it to Russ to still serve them healthy food at a sleepover. “Who wants a homecooked meal at a sleepover?”

“You say that, but you haven’t tried my homemade pizza.” Russ leaned against the door and shot me a cocky smirk, sending a wave of heat through me like I was the pizza in the oven.

I shifted my eyes away. “I would’ve been happy with Little Caesars.”

“I can’t believe you think that’s good pizza.”

“It’s better than a lot of the fancy stuff I’ve had.”

“I weep for your taste buds.”

Were we flirting again? I broke eye contact with him and got myself together.

“Thanks for hosting this,” I said, trying my damndest not to fall for the sexiness of Russ in an apron. He had this ability to be incredibly cute one moment and incredibly sexy the next. “I know the boys sprung it on you last minute.”

“Not a problem.” Russ seemed prepared to handle hosting any last-minute event. “Did you want to come in?”

“Uh, no. That’s okay. What do you all have planned?”

The corners of his mouth turned down slightly. “Weather permitting, we’re going to build a fire and make s’mores. You’ve gotten my son addicted to roasting marshmallows.”

“I do what I can to undo all of your good parenting. With any luck, he’ll have a mouthful of cavities in no time.”

Russ laughed and leaned against the doorpost. He traced a thumb down my chin.

I wanted to sink into his touch, which made me feel wanted and safe. But instead, l took a step back.

“Has Quentin ever asked about...us?”

Russ stuck out a lower lip. “No. Though he’s crazy about you. He thinks you’re the coolest dad.” Russ didn’t show any jealousy over the title, but I couldn’t help gushing like a beauty pageant winner being crowned. “Has Josh?”

I told him about our conversation in the car. Russ looked out into the night and nodded to digest. He seemed surprisingly serene about the whole thing.

“Huh. He’s a perceptive kid.”

The silence was broken up by my rumbling stomach. “You said you’re making pizza? Frozen pizza?”

He shot me a look. “From scratch. I made the dough, the sauce, and we’re just about to grate the cheese. The sauce comes from these special tomatoes that are imported directly from Italy.”

“That you just happen to have in your cupboards?”

“You never know when you need pizza.”

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