Page 58 of Mine For The Winter

“Sounds good.” Paul nodded. “Cole and I were going to make burgers on the grill.”

“In winter?” Kris asked.

Paul shrugged. “Best time to grill.”

“Kris and I will do it,” Kelly said.

Kris lifted a brow. Well that was unexpected.

“You’re staying, aren’t you?” Kelly asked him.

He smiled, pleased that she’d asked him. “I haven’t had a better offer.”

“Mom!” Cole ran into Kelly’s arms. “Kris is here.”

“Yeah, I know.” Kelly ruffled his hair and Cole wriggled out of her grasp. Even though Cole was wrinkling his nose, Kris could tell the kid loved it. Heck, he’d love it too if she touched him like that.

“Go finish your homework and I’ll call you when dinner’s ready,” Kelly told her son.

“Does Kris have to go?” Cole asked, a frown in his voice.

Kelly’s eyes met Kris’. “Kris is staying.”

Cole’s smile widened. “Yes.” He did a fist pump. “Okay, I only have math left to do. I’ll be back soon,” he told Kris. “Don’t go anywhere.”

He ran back out and Kelly inclined her head. “Come with me to the kitchen,” she told Kris.

He pushed himself up, his long legs unfurling from the uncomfortable position after sitting in the easy chair. “I’m right behind you.”

It was funny how familiar it felt following her into the kitchen. When they were kids it was the first place they’d head after school. He had the appetite of an elephant back then, his body growing so fast his stomach could barely keep up with it. But now as he watched her hips swing and the way her dark hair tumbled down over her shoulders it was an altogether different kind of hunger he felt.

“Can you close the door?” Kelly asked once he’d followed her inside the kitchen.

“You don’t want anybody else to see the way you can stuff three Twinkies in your mouth at the same time?”

Kelly’s eyes widened. And damn if the ghost of a smile didn’t pass her lips. “I’d forgotten about that.”

“It was your party trick.”

“And that’s why I got all the guys,” she joked. And then the smile dissolved from her lips. “Why are you here?”

“I told you, I came to talk to your dad.” He leaned back against the counter, running his hand through his hair.

“About the loan? Why? I thought we talked about it last night.”

Kris swallowed. “I didn’t actually come about the loan. Not entirely, anyway. I wanted to talk to him about something else.”

Kelly gave him a searching look. “About what?”

“That’s between him and me.”

“Oh no you don’t.” She stepped toward him, her eyes narrowing.

“Kel!” They both stopped talking at the sound of her dad’s shout.

“Yeah?”

Kris tried not to smile at the way she shouted back.

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