Page 67 of A Twist of Faith
“Do you?” Reese rested his elbow up on the steering wheel.
“I’d like to thank you for helping me this morning. For taking Mom.” Dee swallowed down the lump of fear. “And was wondering if you’d let me treat you and the kids at Daphne’s tonight?”
“Well now.” Reese leaned back, his smile spreading to a full white-toothed grin. Sneaky. “Do you mean a date, Doc?”
Dee ignored the heat in her cheeks. “I don’t think it’s called a date when there is a seven-year-old and a two-year-old along.”
“Aww, hadn’t you heard? That’s the new type of family date. Besides, I’ll take it any way I can get it.”
The warmth in her cheeks upped a few notches, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she kind of liked it. “Then I’d advise you to meet me there after work. Maybe 5:30?”
He touched his finger to the bill of his cap. “You got it, Doc.”
“Good.”
“Now, I need you to domea favor.” Reese tapped Brandon’s nose. “Could you get this young’un up to the house? I just saw Emma’s car pull in. The boy’s about wore my leg out with all his wiggling.”
Dee stepped forward and opened her arms. “Okay. But the correct phrase ishe’s worn out my legnothe’s about wore out my leg, Mr. Mitchell.”
“Either way, my leg will be obliged to you if you take him.”
Reese lowered the boy and he wrapped his little arms around Dee’s neck in complete acceptance. His soft curls tickled her cheek and she hugged him close for a second. Poor, sweet baby. Left by his Mama? She buried her face in his curls and breathed in the scent.
“Hey, sweetheart,” she whispered.
She looked up to see Reese watching.
“And another thing,” Dee added, trying to distract her heart from the pitter patter Reese’s presence caused. “We need to go through your closet and figure out what you’re wearing for your interview. It’s a little over three weeks away.”
“You’re going to correct my clothes too?” He raised his hands in mock exasperation, but the slight tilt of his lips contradicted his overreaction. “Isn’t there anything about me you don’t want to fix, woman?”
She adjusted Brandon against her hip and examined Reese, taking her time to see if she could make him squirm a little. “Well, there’s a lot of work to do.”
He groaned.
“But, I wouldn’t change a thing about your eyes.”
His gaze met hers.
“Or your smile.”
He adjusted his cap, chin at a proud tilt. “At least there’s something.”
Dee controlled her laugh. “But if you could mow some of the hair around your face, I’d get a much better view of your smile.”
“First Emma, now you?” Reese gave his head a severe shake. “No doin’, Doc. I’ve had this beard so long, I don’t even know what my face looks like underneath.”
“Maybe it’s time to find out.”
“Nope.”
Dee sighed and pulled Brandon closer. “Fine.” She turned to make her trek back up to Mrs. Mitchell’s house.
“See you tonight, Dee.”
She tossed him a grin over her shoulder. “It’s a date.”
Reese tooka good look in the mirror and then ran a hand over his freshly trimmed beard. Shave it off? The very notion pounded a shudder through him almost strong enough to make his teeth chatter.
