“Okay,” she said, her gaze meeting his. “Maybe you could swing by and check on her later?”
Hunter stared at her then. He was more than willing to make a house call for Sprinkles. But he’d expected Carl to make the suggestion, not Jo, not after their exchange the other night. Did he dare smile at her? He wanted to.
“Hey, now, that’s an idea.” Carl nodded.
“If you’re free?” She seemed uncertain, hesitant.
Now he really wanted to know what was going on in that beautiful, stubborn head of hers. “I’ll stop by later.” He’d leave work now if he thought it would mean more time with her. “And I’ll install the baby locks, if you have them for me.”
“Fine, but if we’re putting you to work, we’re feeding you.” Carl stroked the dog’s head. Sprinkles whimpered. “Come here.” Carl pulled the little dog close.
“Carl,” Hunter cautioned. “At least let me get you a towel. Things are gonna get messy real fast.”
He saw Jo’s nose wrinkle and laughed.
Carl rubbed Sprinkles’s head. “See there, it’s gonna be fine, little girl.”
When Jo looked at him, her gray gaze was searching. She drew in an unsteady breath and mouthed, “Thank you.” He couldn’t stop staring at her then. He didn’t want to.
The intercom buzzed. “Dr. Boone, you’re needed in OR 1, please.”
“On my way. Please ask Janette to bring in some diapers and a towel for the Stephenses.”
“Yes, sir.” The intercom went quiet.
“Thank you, Hunter.” Carl shook his hand.
“Hunter, if...if you can’t make it tonight—” Jo seemed nervous, flustered.
“I’ll be there,” he promised before leaving the room.
Chapter Four
“Something smells good,” Carl called from his recliner.
“If you stay there, I might just bring you a taste,” Josie yelled back. “You get up and you’re having a peanut butter sandwich.”
“I’m sitting, I’m sitting,” her father grumbled.
“How’s Sprinkles?” She finished basting the roast and slid it back into the oven.
“She’s sleeping again,” he answered her. “Poor little thing.”
Josie shook her head. Better sleeping than needing another cleanup.
She dumped the homemade rolls into a basket and covered them with a fresh linen kitchen towel. Next she boiled some water and put in some tea bags to steep. Once Dad had lain down for his nap and Sprinkles was in a fresh diaper, she’d hurried to the small grocery store for food. She didn’t know who was coming tonight. Dad, Lola and Hunter. Possibly Eli, or the whole Boone clan. A nice roast, complete with potatoes, carrots and fresh onions, had been simmering for the past couple of hours.
“You got the baby locks?” he called.
“Yes, Dad.”
“You sure you have to go out tonight?” Her father kept up the semi-screamed conversation.
Yes, she was sure. What had she been thinking—inviting him over for dinner? She couldn’t risk spending more time with Hunter. She wanted to, a lot, but there was no point. Hunter wasn’t married—he could date anyone he wanted. Except her.
Eli hated her. As far as he was concerned, she was the cause of his parents’ divorce. And there was no way to change that. If there was one thing life had taught her, it was that nothing should come between a parent and child. How many times had her mother missed her art exhibitions or play performances while dating or divorcing one of her husbands? Each and every time Josie was forgotten. It didn’t matter that she’d eventually be drawn into her mother’s new family, because that was temporary, too. Love and trust were the two things she didn’t have a lot of experience with while growing up.
She wouldn’t threaten the bond he and Hunter shared. In some pretty perfect world, she and Hunter might have been able to make it work. But that wasn’t real life. Eli needed his father and Hunter needed his son. So, even though everything had changed, nothing had changed. Avoiding Hunter, trying to convince Eli she had no plans for his father, was all she could do until it was time to move to New Mexico—if she took the job. She’d been a vagabond for almost three years now, six months here, four months there. Signing on with the Art Institute in New Mexico would be a huge change.