He let her have more time and got off like he’d been doing a lot the last week when he learned something new about her.

She didn’t wake up like she normally was: with it, in the moment, full of energy.

She was vague and quiet and cute.

It took a while, and for the most part Auggie watched her that while, before she pushed up a bit and looked down at him.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Definitely,” he answered.

“Sorry I passed out.”

This brought them to a question he’d had for a while, there was just always so much other shit happening, he didn’t ask it.

“When do you sleep?”

“Sorry?”

“You get home from work really late. And you were up today, ready to roll at ten. Since we’ve been texting, I know that’s your MO. You get home late, but you don’t sleep in late. So when do you sleep?”

She shrugged and replied, “I have a daughter who needs to get to school. I like to have time with her whenever I can get it. And I like her to start her day knowing her mom is there for her. I also like her to have good food in her belly before she goes to school. So I get up with her, make her breakfast. I learned a while ago that if I get out of practice between times of having her, sleep in when she’s not there, it’s not good. So I get up the same time every day. Except weekends.”

He quirked a grin at her before he said, “I’ll repeat, when do you sleep?”

The sleepy started retreating and she quirked a grin right back. “I nap, honey. I’ve got power napping down. And Ian takes care of us. For me that means my last dance is always one of the first of all the girls, so I’m usually out of there around twelve thirty, one.”

“That’s still late when you’re up, what? Around six?”

“Again,” she pointed to herself, “master power napper.”

Maybe.

Mostly, she loved her kid and took every opportunity to show it.

And Juno was going to grow up one of those kids who had no idea, until maybe when she had her own children, just how much, every day, her mom knocked herself out to give her love.

All his life, or until he could get his hands on an alarm clock and do it on his own, which started to happen when he was around ten, his father woke him up. And he couldn’t recall a single instance, unless it was some random day one of them decided to make special (but that didn’t mean holidays, or birthdays), where his mom or dad would make breakfast.

For the most part it was cereal (if they had milk).

Eggo waffles.

An occasional drive-through at McDonald’s to get an Egg McMuffin, but only if his dad, who took him to school, was hungry.

But, not including the drive-through, it was always stuff Auggie could make himself.

“Auggie?”

Pepper calling his name brought him back to his couch, with her tucked up next to him in it.

A better place to be.

“Are you okay?” she asked again.

“Yeah. Sorry. I’m zoning out too. Sundays can be like that.”

Her face got soft.

And seriously, how in fuck didn’t he recognize how beautiful she was the minute he saw her?

Off the damn charts.

“I messed up our day,” she said morosely.

“Nothing’s messed up,” he promised. “You missed brunch and a movie. I’m still making you my Philly Cheese Ribeye sandwiches. Are you hungry now? Do you want a late lunch?”

“What time is it?” she asked, looking around the room, probably to find a clock.

“Around one.”

Her eyes shot back to him. “Seriously?”

He quirked another grin. “I do not lie.”

She looked mildly freaked. “Oh my God. I slept for two hours.”

“Correct. Though it was more like you slept like the dead for two hours.”

“That’s not my usual power nap. Those last twenty minutes, tops.”

How she could get maybe five hours of sleep a night, topping that up with a twenty-minute “power nap,” and think she was golden, he didn’t know.

Except for the fact that she took everything in stride.

She’d started her day with a huge drama, but she wasn’t losing her mind. She wasn’t throwing a tantrum or milking it for all it was worth.

She’d cried it out. She took a nap. And now they were having a casual conversation.

“Aug?”

He shook his head and refocused on her only to see her eyes narrowed on him.

“Be honest, are you sure you’re not pissed that what went down this morning blew our date?” she pressed.

“I was gonna take you to brunch because I wanted to feed you after you hopefully slept in after working late. Then I was going to take you to the movies for something chill and relaxed to do. It’s been a serious week for you, and because of that, I designed the day to be low-key. And nothing says low-key better than crashing on a couch with football and naps. So again, no. I’m not upset about our date. I’m upset you had to go through what you went through earlier, but I wanted to spend my Sunday with you. And that’s happening.”

Tags: Kristen Ashley Dream Team Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net