on the front of her apron. Yes, an apron. “Ah, yes, you were about to thank me profusely for saving your ass.” She cups a hand around her ear. “Come on…don’t keep me waiting.”
“How could you do this to me?” Just speaking of the man in question has my heart racing out of control and heat pooling between my legs.
“He’s a good man.” She grabs a stock pot from the cabinet, fills it with water, and sets it on the stove. “You’re just embarrassed and taking it out on the poor guy.”
She’s probably right. She usually is, but I don’t even care because having him in my space is stressing me out! “I can’t work under these conditions.”
“What conditions, exactly?”
I start pacing the kitchen, worrying my fingers. “Well, for starters, I can’t look at him without turning into a fucking tomato… Also, my father heard us talking about the dumpster.” I make air quotes around that last word to sum up all the details of a night I wish like hell I could forget.
Kate spit laughs. “Shut up.” She dumps the bowl of peeled potatoes into the boiling water before lifting the lid on the gumbo pot and giving it a good stir. “I was only kidding…” she says when I clamp my lips together. “Tell me more.”
“I’m so glad you’re enjoying this.”
“Mmmhmm,” she nods, taking a swig from her bottle of water before rotating her hand in circles toward me. “Go on…”
“He stole my panties!” I hiss.
“Hey now!” Her big brown eyes widen like saucers. “How, pray tell, did he get his hands on your underwear?”
“They fell out of my pocket.”
She stares after me, waiting for more.
“Just forget it. It’s not even important. What is important is that it’s only his first freaking day and he’s already ruining my life.”
“You say ruining,” Kate singsongs, “but sounds to me like he’s bringing some much-needed excitement to your mundane existence.”
I halt my stride and gawk. “Why are we even friends?”
She winks. “Quit your bitchin’ and make yourself useful. Put on a pot of rice, and let’s get this potato salad finished. Gumbo’s almost done.”
My ire cools mildly while I busy myself with rinsing the grains until the water runs clear. Once it’s clean, I fill it to the first line on my index finger the way my Granny taught me, add a splash of vinegar, sprinkle a little salt, and drop it in the cooker. As soon as I flip the toggle to cook, the back door opens and all hell breaks loose.
“Hey there, Roofy,” Kate coos, slapping her hands on her thighs.
The biggest dog I’ve ever seen comes charging into the house, nearly knocking me on my ass for the second time today. His incessant bark is deep and deafening. And don’t even get me started on the drool hanging from his jowls.
“You got a dog?” I’m shouting, twirling in circles trying to dodge his wet nose that for some reason he’s hell bent on getting up under my skirt.
“He’s mine.”
You’ve got to fucking be kidding me.
“Wyatt,” I say, forcing a smile. “Didn’t know you were coming,” I add, my teeth clenched and eyes narrowed and homed in on Kate.
I shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the wild beast belongs to him. Let’s be honest, this rotten apple didn’t fall very far from that tree.
“Down!” he yells at the mangy mutt. “Down, boy.”
“A puppy!” my child squeals, rushing toward the gray and black-speckled brute. “You didn’t tell me y’all got a dog,” she says to Kate, giggling while he licks her from chin to forehead.
“He’s mine,” Wyatt offers again.
Prissy’s brows dip inward. “And who are you?”
“Prissy, this is Mr. Wyatt… Paw-Paw just hired him today to clean up the mess Phillip and his crew made of the chapel.”
Her eyes narrow as she sizes him up, still running her hands over the dog. “You better not piss my Maw-Maw off like those other guys,” she warns.
“Prissy!” I shout, slapping a hand to my forehead.
“I have no intention of doing anything of the sort,” he assures her, grinning ear to ear.
“Then we should get on just fine.” She nods.
This is what happens when your parents treat their grandchild like a whole grown-ass adult whose opinion actually counts for anything: you get a frequent urge to crawl under the nearest piece of furniture.
“Why don’t you take Rufus out into the back yard before your momma has a heart attack?” Kate suggests to my kiddo, ushering her through the door with Lucy and the