finally snapped his mouth shut. He began getting out bags, and when I offered to help, he shook his head. That left me standing there awkwardly to watch Jack struggle out of the car to make the short steps to his wheelchair. My fingers curled into my palm painfully as he nearly lost his balance.
He staggered one last time before he plopped into the wheelchair. “See?” He sounded triumphant, his color high.
Journey shut the trunk and came around to the side, several bags looped around his wrist. “Yes, you’re a real-life Iron Man,” he said dryly.
After a few seconds, his father’s triumphant expression melted into something cross. “Well?”
“Well, what?” Journey asked.
“You’d better get me inside before I expire in this heat,” his father snapped. “Where’s your mind, boy?”
I took the bags hastily off Journey’s wrist before his father caught a Walgreens bag of prescriptions right to the face. Journey gave me a nod of thanks before he took the handles of the wheelchair and began pushing Jack up the walk. I pitched in to help get the chair up the porch steps. Jack didn’t argue, which let us know how much his earlier display of independence had tired him out.
Once we had him on the porch safely, Journey sent me a grateful smile. “Thanks for your help.”
The fading sunlight caught his eyes, turning them into molten gold like some big cat in the Sahara. I looked at that little sprinkling of freckles on his nose. I’d kissed those freckles so many times. And that wide, generous mouth, which now had my full attention. Just a single step forward and I could have his lips against mine.
I wanted to take that step.
A little dumbstruck at how much I wanted him, I blinked and took a step backward instead. “Um, yeah, of course.”
Jack hid a guffaw behind a cough. “Good God, you two.”
Journey sent him a glare as I turned red. “You know, someone killed Grumpy Care Bear. They don’t talk about it, but everyone knows that’s what happened.”
I laughed as Jack shrugged a what’re you gonna do kind of shrug. I put the Walgreens bags on his lap, and he nodded in thanks. “Do I smell chicken?” he asked hopefully.
“You always smell chicken. You’re like a hound dog for fried foods.” Journey turned to me. “You should stay for dinner. I’m making tom kha gai.”
“What the hell is that?” Jack demanded.
“It’s soup, Dad.”
“Jesus, JJ,” Jack complained. “Have you ever heard of chicken noodle? What have I done to deserve this?”
“Plenty.” Journey’s mouth twitched with amusement. “Hang on, Cam. Let me get him inside. It’s probably a prosecutable offense to inflict him on innocent bystanders for this long.”
As the door closed behind them, I heard Jack demand, “And just what does that mean? Paul at the barbershop said I was a delight.”
“He’s ninety-two years old. He also said that to a chair,” Journey informed him.
I chuckled as Jack gasped in outrage.
The next time the door opened, Journey came out with Biscuit, who was wearing a pink leash and halter. She’d been to the groomer recently and looked all kinds of adorable. She’d been shaved down low, probably because she had been too tangled for a puppy cut. The top had been left long and it was currently pulled back in a little bow, like a little blond ponytail.
Despite Journey’s initial apprehension that Kona might eat his dog, we found that they got along like two peas in a pod. Two suspicious peas in a pod. They eyed each other quite a bit, but there was no hostility. Now, they mostly ignored each other.
I didn’t know what I’d expected from Mr. Commitmentphobe, but this love affair with Biscuit wasn’t it. He’d already brought her into my office twice for “illnesses”—both of which had been gas-related. Biscuit certainly knew how to clear a room, but Journey didn’t seem to mind. He was so gone over that dog it was unreal.
I guess it was only people he had a problem committing to.
“Aren’t you the sweetest little Biscuit,” I said to her with a smile.
“I’ve changed my mind about that name. She hasn’t been presenting like a Biscuit.”
“Presenting… like a biscuit?”
“Exactly. She’s not the least bit flaky.” He shook his head. “She’s quite focused and smart. And vibrant, which is why we’re going with Skittles for now.”
I chuckled. “I’ll make sure to change the name tag on her file.”
He peered up at me. “Are you ready?”
There just wasn’t a chance I was going to say no.