Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
He tried to frown but ended up grinning instead. “I never realized you have a cruel streak.”
“Maybe I just liked the idea of you turning to me for comfort when the movie got too scary.”
He rolled his eyes, but he returned to the couch and picked up the remote. I grabbed a blanket and draped it over both of us, and he selected a generic action movie with a lot of car chases and explosions.
Five minutes into it, he fell asleep. When his head dipped onto my shoulder, I muted the movie and pulled up the blanket to tuck him in.
Outside, the rain had picked up again. It was tapping steadily on the windows and turning the city lights into a soft bokeh pattern. Phil jumped onto the couch and settled in with us, and I tilted my head, so my cheek was resting against Tracy’s hair.
I didn’t want to like this as much as I did.
10
Ever
Thanksgiving Day started early, especially for Tracy. By the time I got up at six-thirty, the apartment already smelled like fresh baked goods. I’d been planning to go for a run since the gym was closed, but instead I quickly showered and got dressed, then went to see if I could give him a hand.
Every surface in the kitchen was covered with cooling racks full of cinnamon rolls, muffins, and miniature pies. “This is impressive,” I said, as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Is it all for the kids at the shelter?”
“Mostly, but I’m planning to take some of the pies to Vee’s house tonight, too.”
“Have you been up all night?”
“No, I got up at five. I’d pre-made some of the individual components over the last couple of days, so all I needed to do was let one of the doughs rise, then assemble and bake everything.”
The timer on his phone started to play a tune, and he tapped the screen to shut it off. Then he stuck his hands in a pair of oven mitts, pulled two more muffin tins full of mini pies out of the oven, and looked around. There was no place to put them, so I tried to help. “I’ll put some of these in another room, so you have more space.”
I brought two cooling racks of tiny pies into the living room and put them on the coffee table. Phil eyed them from the sofa, so I warned him, “Don’t even think about it.” We stared each other down for a few moments. He ended up winning the staring contest, so I picked up the racks and moved them to the dresser in my bedroom, where they’d be safe behind closed doors.
I returned to the kitchen and asked Tracy, “How much more do you have to do?”
“The last batch is in the oven. After it’s done, I can pack everything up and head to the shelter.”
“Have you eaten anything this morning?” He shook his head, so I reached for my blender. “Healthy smoothies for two, coming right up.”
“Will they contain algae, or anything else I might find horrifying?”
“Since I’m making them for both of us, I’ll stick to normal stuff like bananas, blueberries, and Greek yogurt. Full disclosure—I’m going to put in a handful of spinach and kale too, but I promise you won’t even taste it.” He frowned, but he didn’t argue.
I shifted some things around to make room for my blender on the counter. Then I started pulling things from the fridge one by one and adding them to my concoction before putting them right back.
When I finished blending up breakfast and handed him a glass, I noticed a smudge on his face. “There’s some flour on you,” I murmured, as I reached up to brush it away. Somehow, that touch turned into a caress.
What was it about Tracy that made me want to take care of him? Sometimes the feeling was overwhelming. So was the urge to kiss him. My gaze dropped to his full lips. What would he do if I gave in to temptation? Would he respond, or pull away? Right now, he was frozen in place and watching me closely, waiting to see what I’d do.
Then his timer went off and jarred us out of the moment. I dropped my hand from his cheek and stepped back, and he glanced at me one more time before turning his attention to the oven.
It was the second time this week that I’d come close to kissing Tracy. Next time, I’d have to make sure there were no distractions.
The next several hours were hectic. Tracy had offered to work a twelve-hour shift so a couple of his coworkers could have the day off, and he was determined to make the day special for the shelter’s young residents. He served a delicious brunch, which included the fresh baked goods he’d brought, and he organized several games and activities throughout the day, before getting the residents involved in cooking. It was all capped off with a huge holiday feast in the late afternoon.