Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Boomer stopped for a minute, his face flushing. “Give me a minute. I’ll walk you guys down to your place.”
She would have argued, but that was Boomer. He would be anxious if he didn’t. She pushed through the door and back to the living room where her daughter stood, flanked by the dogs.
Lou was yawning, one hand rubbing her eyes. “Mom? I fell asleep. Where’s Boomer?”
“He’ll be right out.” She wasn’t going to answer the question Lou wasn’t asking. “Let’s get you to bed. You’ve got school in the morning.” She walked around, grabbing Lou’s backpack and shoving her books inside.
“Did you kiss Boomer?”
Of course if Lou was asking, then Daphne had to suck it up. “Yes.”
“So you’re going to be together. Like boyfriend and girlfriend together.”
Her heart seemed to tighten. “We’re going to try dating but, Lou, dating is not a guarantee that things will work out. I like him, but it’s very early. If we weren’t already friends, I wouldn’t even have let him meet you yet. We’re in uncharted territory here, and the last thing I want to do is disappoint you.”
Her daughter went quiet for a moment. “I would be more disappointed if you didn’t try. Mom, he likes you and you like him. I think he could make you happy if you let him.”
“So you’re okay with it?”
A smile crossed her daughter’s face. “Yeah. But I’m supposed to tell Kala if you kiss Boomer because she’s playing her mom and dad against each other in the betting pool and she needs intel. I’m her asset in this case, but she’s doing some reconnaissance for me, too, so it all works out.”
“I don’t want to know what any of that is, do I?”
The door to the bedroom came open and Boomer walked out. He’d changed into dark, loose athletic pants and a big T-shirt. “You do not, and you tell Kala I’m going to talk to her dad.”
Lou’s eyes went wide. “Boomer, you can’t do that. This is a safe space. You’re on my team.”
Boomer went still and proved he had no idea how to deal with a kid who was manipulating him. “Of course I’m on your team.”
Daphne shook her head. “We’re going to have to talk about dealing with almost-teenaged girls. Come on. Let’s get this one to bed.”
She gathered the last of their things and knelt down and gave Sprinkles and Puddles both pets before starting the short walk to her apartment. She pulled the keys out of her bag and turned to Boomer, who looked adorably scruffy with his slightly shaggy hair and that beard that had tickled against her skin when he’d kissed her. He gave her stupid schoolgirl butterflies when she looked at him. “Good night.”
She went on her toes and brushed her lips over his.
His mouth curved up. “See you in the morning. If you need some time, I’ll walk Lou.”
He was the perfect man for her. “That would be great, and maybe we can go out this weekend. On our own.”
That smile brightened. “I’ll take you to Top. It’s my favorite place to eat. You’ll love it.”
“No fair,” Lou complained as Daphne opened the door. “I want to see Top. Kala says they have great burgers, and her uncle runs the place. Mom?”
Daphne stared inside her apartment.
Someone had broken in, and her perfect night was suddenly wrecked.
* * * *
“Get back to my place and wait there.” Boomer stepped in front of Daphne, who’d already placed herself in front of Lou. They moved into their roles with ease.
“Are you going in?” Daphne reached for his hand. “I don’t think you should. What if someone is still inside? I think you should come with us and we can wait for the police there.”
He wasn’t going anywhere. “We don’t know if they’re still inside. Baby, please. I know what I’m doing. I’m going to call the police. You and Lou go and wait. It’s highly likely that this happened earlier today and no one’s inside, but I can’t be sure. This is what I do for a living.”
Daphne’s eyes had filled with tears, and he could practically feel the worry coming off her. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
The deep concern he saw in her eyes warmed him. He felt for her, and now he knew she felt for him, too. It was a damn good feeling. How long had it been since a woman looked at him the way Daphne was? He’d had friends, and he’d been in romantic relationships, but those now seemed shallow compared to what he was already building with Daphne. They couldn’t wade in. They had to jump into the deep end and be serious because Lou was involved, too.
“I won’t.” That might be the first lie he’d told her. He usually did get hurt. He was kind of a magnet for it. Somehow he was always the one who ended up getting smacked with a chair or hit with an arrow. He did not have the best of luck in the field, but he needed to do something. However, he was pretty sure about this. “I don’t think anyone’s in there because the dogs didn’t lose their shit, and you know they bark anytime someone walks by the door.”