One to Chase (One to Hold 7)

“Conner Lee.” I lean forward to put my glass on the table.

“Washington State. No butter bombs there.”

Straightening, my eyes travel down the soft tendrils of hair framing her heart-shaped face. When her brothers arrived at the hospital, I braced myself for the fantasy to burst. I expected seeing her with them would jar me back to the reality of who she is and our position within our joined family.

It didn’t.

Seeing her interact with them, seeing her and Elaine together, all of it only cemented her deeper in my chest. We belong together. I’m only waiting for her to see it.

“You need to eat.” I hand her a plate.

The sandwich is now in inch-thick slices, and she takes a careful bite of one. I sample the chicken salad. A mix of sharp celery and sweet grapes cut by the smoky chicken and bitter walnuts fills my mouth.

“Mm, try this.” I stab another mouthful and hold it out to her. She only watches me a moment before taking it off the fork. The last time we shared chicken salad was on the boat.

“Good.” She nods and takes another sip of wine, and a faint line pierces her forehead. “Thank you. For today.”

“No need to thank me. I want you to call me when you’re in trouble or when you need me.”

Her lips tighten, and the fight is evident in all her body language. Mentally I remind myself, she called me twice today. I’m determined that means I’m winning.

“Good?” I don’t want to give her time to mount her defenses. I’ve got to keep her off her feet. “Snarf’s was one of my first favorite sub shops in the city.”

“You like subs?”

“Almost as much as pizza.” Giving her a wink I take another sip of wine.

Defenses relax a bit. A little smile appears. “Watch out for the deep dish. I gained ten pounds one summer because I couldn’t resist it.”

“You were probably adorable.”

She laughs. “I was fat.”

Allowing my eyes to travel over her slim frame, her small breasts, I shake my head. “It would take more than ten pounds for you to be fat.”

Her

cheeks are flushed. I love the way she changes when I look at her. Even now, she opens to me. It’s because you’re mine, I want to say, but again. Patience.

We each take another bite of sub, another sip of wine, and I notice her eyes blink slower. “You’re tired,” I say. “Come on.”

Standing, I take the plate from her and put it on the table. Then I reach for her hands. She only hesitates a moment before putting both in mine.

“I need to shower. Brush my teeth.”

“I’ve got extra toothbrushes, and you can wear one of my shirts if you want.”

She stops, pulling her hand back. “Why do you have extra toothbrushes?”

Leaning forward, I take that hand again. She’s not going anywhere. “Dentist gives me a new one every visit. I use a sonicare.”

Opening the hall closet, I pull out a jar with ten toothbrushes in it. A real laugh bursts from her throat. I can’t help laughing, too. “It’s kind of ridiculous, I know.”

“So stop getting them!” She’s still laughing, her beautiful eyes sparkling. Damn, I’m so close to kissing her.

Clearing my throat, I return the jar after she selects one. “I should probably donate them to the BGCB.”

“I think they already have a dentist who does that.”