Page 30 of Their Pup to Tame

“Bet you cursed when it came time to do the dishes.”

“Every damned time.”

“Still did it again the next time, though.”

“Yup.”

“I’m the same way.”

“Yeah, I’d already gotten that impression, but thanks for confirming it,” he said, using that dry, deadpanned voice again. “The only thing I still can’t figure out about that night was how the hell my slipper got stuck behind the dresser in my bedroom. Especially when I didn’t fall asleep in there. But when I woke up in the living room, I was in my boxers and robe in my easy chair, one slipper on, one I searched for until I almost gave up and bought another pair.”

“At least you hadn’t thrown the other slipper out before you found its twin.”

“I’d have been pissed. I loved that pair. I cried when they finally fell apart. I even held a memorial service for them.”

“I’m calling bullshit on that one.”

“And you’d be right to,” he replied, a smear of ice cream on his upper lip that he licked away before I could muster up the courage to round the table and do it myself. “There were tears shed, though. At least three. Maybe four. It was a truly tragic day for my wardrobe.”

“I imagine so,” I replied, nearly smacking myself in the nose with my ice cream for the second time today. Snickers turned to full-on laughter when I started to picture how many of those extra napkins he was going to go through if I kept it up.

My overactive imagination was not helpful in a time like this.

“I’ve never found another pair quite like them,” he mused, still as emotionless as before. “It’s sad. They used to greet me at the door with a welcoming hug for my feet.”

It was a good thing the bench was attached to the table or I’d have tipped over backward by now, I was laughing so hard. It took gulping in air and picturing everything but little cloth arms wrapped around his toes before I could focus enough to eat a couple more bites of my ice cream.

Even that was made harder when I glanced up and saw him watching me with that blank expression on his face.

“If your ploy is to steal bites of my sundae while I’m laughing too hard to defend it, forget about it. I refuse to find you funny anymore,” I declared.

“I’d say I was more charming than witty, but I’ve been told on more than one occasion that my charm falls flat when there isn’t a bit of humor sprinkled in.”

“I don’t know, it’s kind of funny watching you play the part of the stereotypical British butler. Stoic and posh all at the same time.”

“Sounds about right.”

There was nothing but the sound of our spoons scraping the insides of our sundae cups. I savored the lingering taste of peaches on my lips, a nagging reminder that the ones I got at the grocery store never tasted like this.

“One day I might have to bite the bullet and come up here in a vehicle with trunk space so I can stock up on fruit and condiments,” I muttered. “Cider too, and jam; can’t forget that.”

“No, you certainly can’t. I’ll bring you if you’d like. It will give me the chance to try out the rest of these toppings. After tasting this, holy fuck, those pale-ass cocktail cherries seem awfully sad. The blueberry lemon caught my attention when I was scanning the menu. If they have it when we come back, that’s the one I intend to try.”

“Are you forgetting that I’ve seen your car?” I reminded him. “What trunk space? You don’t have a back seat either. What the fuck, dude?”

“Says the guy who rides a motorcycle.”

“Okay, fair.”

The whipped cream on the top of my sundae made me think about the night on the couch, every bite bringing back more memories of the mess Aspen had made out of me. And how thoroughly he’d cleaned it up. I squirmed before I could stopmyself and hoped Parker hadn’t noticed, especially when my cheeks started heating up.

“You know, there is only one solution I can think of to our dilemma about the trunk space,” he said, finger pressed to his chin.

“How did it becomeourdilemma?”

“When you proposed stocking up here, I decided that I wanted to spend the winter baking and making gourmet meals again, only this time I’d like to make them for three.”

“And what is your solution to what I agree is now a shared problem, because I want to see what you’re talking about when you saygourmet. If it’s anything fancier than steak and potatoes, I guarantee I’ve never tasted it before.”