Chapter 19 #2
By the time I had the remnants of the demolished cabinets discarded in the garage and the floors swept, Stevie had left, and Junie and Daisy were back at my house. I toed off my shoes, then lifted the hem of my tee to wipe the sweat off my forehead as I walked into the kitchen.
When I looked up, Daisy’s eyes were zeroed in on my abs before realizing I was staring right back. She jerked upright, but not before I saw the flash of heat in her eyes.
“Sandwich?” she asked, her voice sounding a little odd. “We’re making grilled cheese.”
I couldn’t help but smirk, glad she was just as flustered as me. “I want anything you’ll give me.”
Daisy choked on the sip of water she’d just taken, coughing into her hand.
“Wrong pipe?” Junie said, her little feet kicking back and forth where she sat at the island, oblivious to the tension simmering between us.
Stoking the fire was just too easy, though, and I couldn’t seem to stop. “Sorry. I should have warned you I can be a choking hazard.”
“Oh my God.” Daisy fanned her face, her cheeks still bright red. “Stop.”
“That’s true,” Junie chimed in, chin resting on the counter as she waited for her food. “One time he made me laugh so hard, milk came out my nose.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Daisy said, then scooped a grilled cheese onto Junie’s favorite plate and slid it across the counter to her. “He’s a pretty talented guy.”
It was my turn to choke on air. Sensing her eyes on me, I snapped my gaze to Daisy’s, catching the glittering mischief in those blue eyes right before she held out her glass of water.
“Thirsty?”
“Did you run this morning, Ty?” Junie asked, her mouth full of grilled cheese.
“I was reading an article in the library this morning about altitude and electrolytes. You should be drinking 24-48 ounces per hour that’s a mix of water and electrolyte supplements.
Otherwise, you’re at risk for hyponatremia.
Or, at least, I think that’s what it was called. ”
“You’re so smart.”
Daisy’s hand trailed across my low back as she walked behind me, Piggie following a step behind. And holy shit, that one touch had no business setting me on fire again.
“What other fun facts did you learn today?”
Junie launched into an enthusiastic explanation involving protein and stretching and something about bananas, while Piggie sniffed every corner of the kitchen.
The girls ate their grilled cheese at the island, chatting like the world hadn’t almost tilted off its axis ten minutes ago. Meanwhile, I spent an unreasonable amount of time in the laundry room, standing in front of the spare freezer with the door open, pretending I was looking for something.
Rowdy stood beside me, his little black face tipped up in question.
“Didn’t see that coming, did we, boy?”
He chuffed, then nudged the stash of bones I kept in the freezer. I grabbed one and handed it over, and he trotted off toward the fireplace.
“Ready for your sandwich?” Daisy said when I wandered back into the kitchen, only to be cut off by the doorbell.
“Knock, knock!” a woman’s voice called through the open windows. “It’s Sandra Diaz with CPS.”
Daisy and I froze, staring at each other. Panic flashed across her face before she mouthed, Oh, shit.
“Anyone home?” Sandra called again.
Junie hopped down from her stool and headed for the door.
I moved fast, blocking her with a gentle hand. “Hey, bug. You know the rule. No opening the door.”
She peeked around me toward the porch, fingers clutching the back of my shirt.
I crouched to her level. “What’s wrong?”
Her lower lip trembled, blue eyes rimmed with tears. “Is she here to take me away? I don’t want to leave.”
The ache in my chest was immediate. I brushed my thumb over her cheek, waiting until she looked up at me.
“No,” I said. “She’s just checking in. And if anyone tries to take you, I played defense for fifteen years. I like our odds.”
Junie sniffed, then smirked. “You can’t fight her. That’s against the law.”
“Shoot, I forgot about that.” I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Come on. Let’s go show her how good you’re doing instead.”
When I opened the door, Sandra smiled. “Sorry for the surprise visit. We keep these check-ins unannounced.”
“No problem,” I said, stepping aside. “Don’t judge the kitchen—we just made lunch and have been out all morning.”
She chuckled, taking in the open space—rain boots by the door, a half-finished puzzle on the coffee table, a bright pink throw draped over the couch like it belonged.
“This house looks wonderful, Mr. Hudson,” she said. “You’ve made it feel like a home.”
Her gaze shifted out the window toward Violet’s place down the drive. The porch was cleared, the weeds gone, but, even from here, you could see it had a long way to go.
“Progress on your sister’s house?” she asked Daisy.
Daisy passed Piggie into my arms and shook Sandra’s hand. “Slow, but steady. We were working on kitchen demo this morning, so we can mitigate some mold we found. Once that’s taken care of, I need to hire someone for wiring and drywall.”
Sandra nodded, jotting something down. “And work?”
Daisy stiffened, her panicked gaze flicking to mine. With everything going on over the last week, I wasn’t sure she’d done anything about the job hunt yet, and who could blame her?
“I—”
“She’s starting this week,” I said. “Working for the Linwood Rink.”
Daisy blinked. Piggie squealed like she’d caught me in a lie.
I held Daisy’s gaze, hoping she understood the unspoken trust me.
Sandra’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I heard the rink was expanding.”
“Yes,” Daisy said, finding her footing. “I’m organizing the summer carnival fundraiser.”
My brows lifted, because damn. That was good.
“Community engagement, stable employment, ongoing renovations,” Sandra said, flipping her page. “These are all positives, Daisy.”
She crouched in front of Junie. “And how are you liking it here, Juniper?”
Junie shrugged, still half-hidden behind me. “Good.”
“What’s your favorite part?”
“The animals,” she said. “Piggie Smalls is cute.”
Sandra laughed, eyeing the squirming pig in my arms. “Can you show me where she lives?”
Out back, Junie gave a full tour of the pig pen we’d begun building her, her nerves melting away as she explained feeding schedules and the importance of enrichment toys.
Once we made it back to the front of the house, Sandra straightened, clipping her pen to her clipboard. “Juniper’s thriving here. Placement will stay as is for now. Once Daisy’s house passes inspection, we’ll reassess.”
“Thank you,” Daisy said, voice unsteady.
Sandra smiled. “These cases are never easy, and I was worried about two strangers sharing custody. But I’m happy to see you’re both doing a wonderful job.”
When her car disappeared down the gravel drive, Daisy turned to me, eyes wide.
“Working for the rink?”
I shrugged. “You’re the one who suggested a carnival. I like it. Let’s make it real.”
“I didn’t mean—well, I kind of did. Tate doesn’t like the idea of not contributing to the down payment for an expansion, so we were thinking something like this would help. But Emmy was going to mention it to Beckett first, then—”
I put a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at me. When our eyes met, her words trailed off. “I love this plan,” I said. “And I am also a partner in the rink. You ask me, not Beckett.”
Her lips curved into a small grin. “So, you’re offering me a job you just invented?”
“I would offer you the whole damn world if you’d let me.”
The words hung between us, heavier than I’d meant them to be.
Daisy’s gaze dropped back down to my mouth, her breaths coming uneven. “Let’s start with a job, then go from there.”
I nodded, hope taking root in my chest. “Deal.”