saw that Stewie had found a dog in the house and was currently rolling around on the floor with him.
“Um, who’s that?” I asked.
“That's Romeo. My secret weapon.” Boone grinned. “I figured they’d be friends and while they play together it would free me up to get the stuff out of the car and start the grill for the steaks. You okay with steak for dinner? There’s plenty of vegetables too. I mean, we do own a farm stand filled with fruit and vegetables.”
My gaze moved from the boy and dog, to a basket on the counter filled with what looked like garden-fresh vegetables.
I shook my head. We’d discussed Boone’s salary for taking care of Stewie, but it hadn’t included him cooking or even shopping for me. “I’ll reimburse you for the food.”
He waved away the offer. “It’s fine. Welcome gift from my family at Morgan Farm to you.”
I frowned again as I realized I knew nothing about this guy or his family. Yet I had hired him to watch my nephew and invited him to live in my house.
And if my lady parts had their way, they’d be getting to know him a whole lot better too.
I felt like I should take a step back. Maybe consider other accommodations for us. Other childcare for Stewie.
“Aunt Sarah! Look at Boone’s doggie.” Stewie beamed as the furry bundle of energy leapt on him.
Boone grinned wide, making him even more gorgeous and I knew . . . it was too late to switch gears now.
There was no turning back.
SIX
Boone
“Buddy. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you can get up in the morning. I’ve got a great adventure planned for us tomorrow. You don’t want to be tired for it. Right?”
“Can Romeo come on our ’venture tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes. Of course he can. But for tonight I have to bring him back to his own home to sleep.”
Truth was, I would have talked Sarah into letting the pup stay here for the night if his real owner, my new foster brother Bart, wasn’t home waiting for him.
Romeo was kind of on loan from Bart. I’d bribed him actually. And the kid drove a hard bargain. It had cost me twenty bucks and the promise I’d have Romeo home before Bart’s bedtime.
I wasn’t going to take a foster kid’s dog away from him, even if the animal had kept Stewie entertained for hours and freed me up to devote my attention elsewhere. Namely, on Sarah.
The pout on Stewie’s face looked a little too close to tears and I hoped I hadn’t screwed up bringing the dog over in the first place if taking him home again was going to cause a tantrum.
“But,” I continued. “You get to see him again as soon as you get up in the morning.”
“Really?”
“Swear to God. As soon as you’re awake and Aunt Sarah leaves for work, you and I are going to have a guy’s day together.”
“With Romeo?” he asked, cautiously.
“With Romeo.” I nodded as I pulled the sheets higher up over Stewie’s dinosaur pajamas. “But you have to go to sleep right now. Okay?”
“Can’t sleep.” He pouted.
With his belly filled with a shockingly big amount of the cheese fries I’d made because I figured steak wasn’t his thing, he should be plenty tired, if he’d just let himself fall to sleep.
“Then just close your eyes and pretend,” I suggested, remembering that was one of Mom’s favorite tricks when I was little.
He considered that for a moment then finally squeezed his little eyes shut. Smiling, I crept out of the room, hitting the light switch on my way by, but leaving the door ajar so a sliver of the light from the hallway would act as a nightlight for him.
Six months ago my life was both kid and dog free. Now, there was a pre-teen foster kid living at the farm, a preschooler under my care here, and a dog that both kids wanted around them all the time.
Boy, had my life changed. But definitely for the better. I couldn’t deny that as I reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Sarah standing in the kitchen, a glass of wine in her hand.
“He’s tucked in bed, though not quite asleep. Shouldn’t be long though,” I told her.
She shook her head.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m just a little overcome. And confused.” She put the glass down on the counter and leaned back with a sigh.
“By what?” I asked as I picked up the bottle and refilled her glass