Make Me Yours

He tells me a quick goodbye and starts for her door. Dotty is the clinic receptionist. She shakes her head as Hunter leaves, and I give her a quick wave before heading to the door.

“Let me know if she needs anything or starts looking tired.”

“Something wrong?” She’s frowning, and I do a little zipper motion across my lips.

“You’ll know soon.”

“Miss you around here!”

I don’t want to say Hunter’s right, and I don’t really miss talking to patients. Instead, I give her a squeeze, and I’m on my way to pick up Lillie.

The rest of the week goes pretty much the same. I sneak out with Lillie before everyone’s up, we eat Egg McMuffins, and I get her extra ketchup packets.

“Are eggs bad for me?” Lillie picks at the corner of the cheese slice on her perfectly round poached egg.

“It’s more about how they treat the chickens.” Not that I’m one hundred percent sure the eggs on our breakfast sandwiches are real.

It’s better than Taco Bell, I guess.

“How do they treat the chickens?” Her little brow furrows, and I’m not about to get into the ethics of poultry farming with her.

“Some people prefer getting eggs from chickens who run around farms. They’re called free-range chickens.”

Her little eyebrows go up. “Like in Chicken Run? They all made a big airplane out of their cages and flew to a valley.”

I’m not super familiar with that movie, but it sounds good to me. “Sure.”

“I’d like to have a chicken.” She walks her fingers along the ketchup packet, back and forth, squishing the contents as she plays.

First a puppy, now a chicken… It gives me an idea. “Why don’t we plant a little garden in the backyard? You could grow beets and Chinese cabbage and broccoli…”

“I love broccoli!” She jumps out of her chair.

“I heard.” Taking a napkin, I wipe a spot of grease off her cheek. We can’t keep doing this, I know. “When we have a harvest, we could eat our crops at dinner. Or lunch.”

Speaking of dinner, even though I’ve lain pretty low, it hasn’t stopped Remi from giving me hot looks across the table. He’s given me space since that amazing kiss we shared… or I’ve been avoiding him like crazy. Every time he smiles, my skin tingles and my brain says, Oh, shit.

Still, I can’t avoid him forever.

She jumps out of her chair again. “Can we do it today?”

“I don’t know if we can start today, but we can scout a good location after lunch. I’ll see what I can find at the garden center while you’re at school.”

We collect our trash, and I walk her to the bin. I’m just buckling her in her booster seat in the back of my car, and she’s happily squeezing ketchup when she suddenly brightens.

“I’ll tell Daddy I want a puppy!”

That gives me another bright idea.

12

Remi

Lillie appears at my door carrying a basket. “Ruby said we’re having a picnic!”

She marches in like she’s on a mission, and I hop up and run to the door, looking out, all around. “Where is Ruby?”

I swear, she’s been dodging me all week, and while I’m getting a lot of work done, it’s making me kind of sad.