He ran his hand over the green paper wreath one more time. But sounds from the kitchen pulled him back to the present, reminding him that was where he’d been headed originally. His stomach growled again, seconding the motion.
As he approached the kitchen, the music changed to “Jingle Bell Rock.” He’d opened his mouth to say hello, but Lily, who was washing dishes, started singing along and moving in time to the music in a little dance that made his pulse kick up as he paused in the doorway to watch her.
The corners of his mouth quirked.
The way she moved wasn’t suggestive or blatantly sexy, and because it wasn’t, it was all the sexier. It was the way she moved with such unselfconscious abandon that made his heart ache. And for a moment he lost himself in her grace.
As if she sensed him there, Lily’s head snapped in his direction. She froze and her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink.
Her hand fluttered to her throat. “Oh! I didn’t realize you were home. I thought you had a date tonight.”
The side of Cullen’s mouth twisted up. “What? And miss tonight’s performance? Never.”
She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “Just pretend you didn’t see that.”
“I’d pay to see that.” He walked into the kitchen and propped his hip against the counter next to the sink. “You have a nice voice. Don’t stop on my account. Please.”
“You weren’t even supposed to be home. What happened to Giselle? It sounded like she had a fun night in store for you.”
His smile faded. “Yeah, about that. I’m sorry you had to see the text. It was inappropriate and I wanted you to know I would never have purposely subjected you to it.”
Her cheeks flushed again and she waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. It just sounded like Giselle had big plans for you. What happened?”
“Giselle tends to make a lot of big plans,” he said.
“And that’s a problem?”
He opened his mouth to explain that when any woman started to get too close it did become a problem, but as he looked into her large green eyes, he wisely thought better of it.
“I think while the kids are here, Giselle and I are going to take a break.”
“I see,” she said.
He could see the wheels turning. So before she had a chance to ask any more questions, he changed the subject. “Speaking of… Where are the kids?”
“They’re upstairs watching a movie. Are you hungry?”
“Famished. What smells so good?”
“It’s just a simple beef stew. If I’d known you’d be home for dinner, I would’ve made something nicer.”
“Are you kidding? Beef stew sounds perfect on a night like this. The temperature has really dropped. In fact, the weather forecasters are saying it’s going to freeze tonight.”
“Sit down.” Lily motioned to the island. “I’ll dish you up a bowl of stew and warm you up.”
Cullen lowered his body onto a stool. “How was your day? Did you and the kids get along okay?”
“We had a great day,” Lily said.
“How was George? He didn’t give you any trouble, did he? No more snakes in chocolate boxes?”
“He’s a good kid,” she said as she took a bowl down from the cabinet. “Has a will of iron, but still, I know he doesn’t mean any harm.”
Cullen narrowed his eyes. “Sounds like something happened today?”
Lily set the bowl of steaming stew and a plate containing several pieces of bread in front of him, and then she produced a spoon and napkin, which she set alongside the bowl.
“No, not really,” Lily said. “Nothing I can’t handle. He didn’t want to bake with his sisters and me. He informed me that baking was for girls.”
Cullen grimaced.
Lily nudged a plate that was full of colorfully decorated sugar cookies toward him. It was clear that she had given the kids free rein when it came time to decorate them. Some of the cookies were more artfully garnished than others.
“You must have the patience of a saint.” He smiled up at her as he unfolded his napkin and draped it over his left leg.
“I don’t know about that.”