I give her a cheesy grin as I gobble it down. “Damn, this is good.” The beaming smile I get from Kat makes my chest hurt just a little bit.
And that hug she gave me last night? Yeah, that killed me too.
I meant what I said the other day. If we had met in Boston, I’d be pursing her like a fly ball at Fenway. But we’re not in Boston.
As tempted as I am to take her up on her offer, she’s a sweet girl. A good girl. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t sleep around, not that I have a problem with that, but I know enough to see she’s not a casual sex kind of woman even if she seems to be willing to try it for me.
None of this stops me from wishing things were different. I can’t stop thinking about her. How I could feel her heat when she straddled my lap. How she writhed beneath me when I pinned her down. How she moaned and gasped my name when she came against my mouth.
The truth, though? I’m going to be thinking about her long after I’m back home. And not because we never had sex.
Boston seems like a different world, and for a fleeting instant, I wonder what it would be like to stay here.
My eyes travel to Kat, where she makes our Thanksgiving dinner, and a strange, raw emotion cuts through me. I hoist Izzy higher, trying to shake off this absurd idea of remaining in Texas because there’s no way I can afford it.
Kat waves that wooden spoon at me. “Dinner won’t be ready for another half hour. You know, there’s a camera on Cal’s laptop if you wanted to Skype with your parents. Is your dad still in the hospital?”
She has this little apron wrapped around her tiny waist and that gorgeous hair all tied up on top of her head. Her glasses are perched at the end of her nose.
Looking over her shoulder at me, she lifts an eyebrow, and I realize I still haven’t spoken. “Um, yeah, he’s still there, but I think my mom has her laptop. She likes to play Candy Crush.” I place the baby on the counter, keeping my hands on her waist so she doesn’t take a tumble. “That’s a good idea. They’d probably like to see the baby.”
“And you too, silly. I’m sure they miss you.”
Yeah, they probably do. Inwardly, I groan.
As if sensing my reluctance, she asks, “You haven’t talked to them about adopting Izzy yet, huh?”
“No, I’ve pussied out the last few times we’ve spoken.”
“Brady,” she says sternly, shooting me a look. “Let’s not use that word around the baby.”
“Oh, shit. You’re right.”
She sighs and shakes her head.
Okay, so I have a little ways to go when it comes to using age-appropriate language around Izzy.
“Go call them if you’d like. You don’t have to talk about anything serious. Just say hi. And oh! Be sure to tell them that Bandit nearly ate you for breakfast this morning.”
She laughs. Like it’s funny that little raccoon fucker tried to bite me. Again.
“He’s a menace.”
“He’s a baby.” She turns to look at me so I can see that she’s rolling her eyes.
I swing Izzy into my arms, and she giggles and grabs my face. “Bray, Bray, Bray!” I don’t think hearing her say my name will ever get old.
“What do you say, kid? Wanna call Granny and Gramps?”
“Gwamps!”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
As we head for the hall, I catch the smile on Katherine’s face as she stirs that giant wooden spoon into a pan. “Hey.” I wait for her to turn to me. “Have you had a chance to call your parents yet? We can hold off on dinner if you want to do that first.”
Her smile falters, but she pastes it back on. “Um, yeah. Maybe.”
It strikes me then that she could have gone home for Thanksgiving, but she chose to stay here instead. And make you dinner.
I rub the stubble on my chin. “Everything okay back home?” She half nods, half shrugs. “I know you said your dad is pretty conservative. Is he okay with you living alone here with me?”
Her chest heaves with a sigh. “He is definitely not okay with me living here with you, but it’s really not any of his business.”
Shit. That doesn’t sound good.
Her shoulders slump. “Don’t worry about it. My dad is never happy with any of my decisions. Or at least that’s how it feels.” Another deep sigh leaves her. “Go Skype. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”
I squeeze her arm, feeling somehow responsible for whatever is going on with her parents.
After a quick phone call home, Izzy and I return to the kitchen. I hear Katherine’s voice. She sounds tense.
Her back is to me while she faces the sink. “Tori, seriously, tell Dad I’m fine. Brady is completely normal. He’s not a serial killer or anything.”
I pause at the mention of my name. Izzy squirms in my arms, and I tighten my hold on the little ninja.
Kat shakes her head. “No, and for the millionth time, I am not going back to that job in Austin. I don’t care if that makes me the biggest loser on the planet, it’s not happening. And if Eric calls again, tell him—” Her whole body stiffens. “Ugh. He’s such an asshole. Just hang up on him next time. I’m serious. You cannot give him my number.” She sighs. “Yeah? You think he’s such a great catch? Fine. You date him.”