Page 70 of Fighting Chance

“Are you sure?”

He dips his head.

“Okay,” I whisper before turning to Emmy. “Say goodbye to Bambi.”

I kneel so she can pat Bambi, and her tongue lolls out as Emmy reaches for her, her small hand stroking her fluffy head and ears. Their love for each other makes it hard to tear the two apart, even though it’s only for a night. They’ll be attached at the hip again come tomorrow morning.

Kieran’s still in the driver seat, his gaze fixed out the window, a faraway look entering his beautiful ocean blue eyes.

Is it bad that I want to hug my boss?

Sighing, I rise, coaxing Bambi in the backseat again to keep Kieran company as he processes the emotions wreaking havoc on his heart. I give him one last look over my shoulder before making my way inside and getting to work on bath time.

Kieran doesn’t come inside for forty minutes. His shoulders are looser and there isn’t as much tension lining his features as earlier, yet I can’t help but note that he still isn’t his charismatic self.

With Emmy nestled on the couch, sucking her thumb as she cuddles the golden retriever teddy and watchesPaw Patrol, I meet Kieran halfway and stop before him. He sighs heavily. “I’m sorry about earlier. My thoughts just… I needed to ground myself a little.”

“Don’t apologize, please. It’s a lot to take in. You need to take care of yourself just as much as Emmy.”

He nods, his gaze locked on mine, and I can tell he wants to say something. But why is he holding back?

Our breaths line up, our chests rising and falling in sync as we stand in his living room, utterly silent save for the TV. Kieran’s eyes have always been magnetic, have been something I’ve triedto avoid for the fear of never being able to look away, but as he stands before me with his heart on his sleeve, I find I don’t want to.

His voice is as rough as gravel as he asks, “Can you stay? For dinner?” Before I can give him an answer, he seems to shake himself before striding past me, walking deeper into the house and toward the kitchen. “You must be starving!”

I didn’t realize there was so much tension crackling between us until he left. Now I feel like a deflated balloon. Trailing after him, I ask, “Are you sure you don’t want to spend some alone time with Emmy?”

He pops his head out of the kitchen, that mischievousness returning ever so slowly with his grin. “That little girl adores you. If you go home, you’ll make her sad.”

I point an accusatory finger at him. “Laying it on thick, are we?”

He winks. “Always when it comes to you.”

I bite my lower lip, knowing there’s no reason for me to stay and yet a part of me wanting to anyway. “What are you cooking?” I find myself asking.

“What would convince you to stay?”

Rolling my eyes, I make my way around the corner to find him frowning at the inside of his pantry.

“Do you have enough ingredients to even be offering that?”

He turns his head. “No, but I’ll make it work if it means you’ll stay.”

“You’re being oddly persistent tonight.”

His eyes trail down my body, the slow perusal lining my skin with goosebumps. “I’m persistent every night. Forget the million and one texts I sent?”

I purse my lips to stop a smile from blooming. “Touché.”

Closing the cupboard, he holds out two types of pasta’s. “Gnocchi or fettucine?”

“Surprise me.”

His eyes narrow, contemplating. “I think you’re more of a fettucine girl.”

My eyes spark at that.

Kieran’s smirk grows as he puts the gnocchi away. “And looks like I hit the nail on the head.”