Page 36 of Shortcake
“Harper’s going to hate me even more if I kick her out of her bedroom. She already seems to blame me for calling you last night.”
“Correction: Harper’s going to hateme. I’m the dad. It’s my call. And I’m the one booting her from her bedroom, even if you weren’t moving into it. Also, she’s sixteen. She’ll get over it.” He paused, full lips pressed together in thought. “And I know it’s not your job to keep an eye on her, but it makes me feel better that another adult will be in the house with her, too. It would actually be helping me out knowing you were down there.”
Being under the same roof as this man that I wanted to simultaneously throttle and straddle was going to make for one hell of an interesting summer.
I shifted my weight to the other foot and Eleanor chittered from where her cage rested at my feet. “If you’re sure it’s not too much trouble, that would be really great.”
His eyes fell to Eleanor. “Although, we have a dog. Is your, um, guinea pig going to be okay?”
“She’s a hedgehog. And I don’t know. Is your dog Cujo?”
He snorted. “Definitely not. More like Benji.”
I shrugged. “Then she’ll be fine. She used to live with sixteen dogs.”
His eyes bugged out. “Sixteen?”
“Yeah, it’s a long story.”
For the first time all morning, his smile was back. It was small. Just the tiniest uptick at the corners, but the sight of it made my pulse race.
That smile. I did that. I made him smile, even if just for a moment. It felt like I could claim it all for myself. “Go on and grab your things,” he said, raising his chin toward my apartment. “I’ll be inside with some breakfast for you.”
“Breakfast?”
“Word has it, I’ve got some of the best shortcake in all of New England inside that house.”
He didn’t wait for me. Simply turned and made his way back into the house.
Eleanor chittered again, this time, her gaze locked onto Conrad as he walked away.
“Down girl,” I whispered.
ChapterFive
Conrad
It wasn’t my place to be jealous. I knew it. I fucking knew it, and yet seeing Addy there as Warren cupped her jaw, ready to kiss those full, wet lips that I’d been thinking about all goddamn night… and every night for three years, I couldn’t help the creeping envy gnawing at my gut.
I was jealous. Inexplicably, stupidly jealous.
The worst part of it was, IlikedWarren. He was a good guy and a damn fine deputy sheriff. I hadnoright or claim to Addy.
Or her lips.
As much as I wish I did.
I had walked away. Chosen not to call her every day for three years even though she had given me her number, had slipped the ball into my court, knowing full-well that I was walking away from the only person since Meghan who had made me laugh.
It wasn’t that I never used her number… I did.
Once.
After Addy had packed a bag of things from her apartment, I led her around my house, giving her a tour of the place as my French bulldog gave one low bark and spun in circles around Addy’s feet.
“Gus, enough,” I said, trying to usher him away from Addy.
“Oh, it’s okay,” she said, bending to greet him. “I love dogs.” She set down Eleanor’s cage and Gus immediately lost interest in Addy and went nose to nose with the hedgehog, his nub of a tail wagging so hard and fast that it moved his whole rear end.
