the covers around Hank’s neck. “After every meal is the minimum.”
“No way,” Hank said softly, his eyes already closing.
“Yes way.”
“I don’t have many teeth to brush anyway,” Hank said, and then he was gone, asleep with a single breath and the comfort of his own bed.
Lauren finished the job of tucking him in, then left the room with unnecessary caution. She could’ve been singing at the top of her lungs and Hank wouldn’t have heard a thing. She turned off the light, pulled the door partway closed, and took a deep breath. Tea, shower, pajamas…
Lauren turned around and literally ran into Cole Donovan’s chest. It wasn’t fair; he even smelled good.
She mumbled an apology and stepped back. He didn’t move at all.
“Hungry?” he asked.
Tea, shower, pajamas, bed . It was a great plan, right? She looked up, caught those incredible blue eyes and mentally prepared a polite Thanks, but no thanks. But the word that came out of her mouth was “Starving.”
Chapter Five
F eeding Lauren was the least he could do. She’d rounded up some peanut butter crackers and juice for the kids at the hospital, thanks to an array of vending machines, but Cole was pretty sure his cute neighbor wasn’t a crackers-and-juice kind of woman. He hadn’t been able to eat, not with Justin bleeding all over the place, and if she was half as hungry as he was, she’d be happy with cardboard and tepid water.
Cole opened the fridge and leaned in, studying the contents for something quick and tasty. Lauren came up beside him and leaned in, too, and he was strikingly aware of how close she was. For a moment, just a moment, he could barely breathe.
“There’s leftover lasagna,” he said, peeking beneath the foil covering the dish.
“No,” Lauren said decisively. “That looks like just enough for a meal for four. You should save that for supper tomorrow.” She reached in and touched the lid of a plastic container. “What’s this?”
“Tuna salad.”
“When was it made?”
“Don’t you trust me?” He turned his head and smiled at her.
She responded with a smile of her own and a very soft, “Humor me.”
“It’s left over from yesterday’s lunch.”
“Tuna salad it is.”
Cole grabbed the container and they both backed away. Lauren made herself at home, grabbing a loaf of bread off the counter and checking a couple of cabinets for glasses. “I’m just going to have water,” she said. “You?”
“The same.” It was that or apple juice or fruit punch, since it was too late for coffee. He needed to sleep tonight.
Without talking they made sandwiches and glasses of ice water. It didn’t take long. He grabbed a bag of potato chips and tossed them onto the center of the kitchen table. When Lauren started to sit, Cole stopped her with a raised hand and a sharp, “Not there!”
Lauren stopped, looked up at him and smiled wickedly. “Why not? Is this seat saved?”
He found himself smiling again. “That’s Justin’s chair. You’re very likely to sit in grape jelly or pancake syrup. I haven’t checked today, but it’s possible.”
Lauren looked down, studied the chair, declared it all clear and sat. He took the seat directly across from her, and they both took a few bites before they said another word. Sharing a quiet, late-night meal was strangely comfortable, even though he barely knew Lauren Russell.
Considering her profession, he’d half expected her to turn up her nose at tuna sandwiches, chips and water, but she ate her meal as if it were as fine as her lasagna. Hunger would do that to a person, he knew.
“I have to thank you again,” he said. “Sorry to say, I’m a complete wuss when it comes to any crisis that involves that much blood.”
“That’s completely understandable,” Lauren said. “It was alarming for me, and I’m not a parent. Yet,” she added.
His few dates in the past several years had all been disasters, but then, the women had been all wrong. He had a feeling Lauren could be
“No way,” Hank said softly, his eyes already closing.
“Yes way.”
“I don’t have many teeth to brush anyway,” Hank said, and then he was gone, asleep with a single breath and the comfort of his own bed.
Lauren finished the job of tucking him in, then left the room with unnecessary caution. She could’ve been singing at the top of her lungs and Hank wouldn’t have heard a thing. She turned off the light, pulled the door partway closed, and took a deep breath. Tea, shower, pajamas…
Lauren turned around and literally ran into Cole Donovan’s chest. It wasn’t fair; he even smelled good.
She mumbled an apology and stepped back. He didn’t move at all.
“Hungry?” he asked.
Tea, shower, pajamas, bed . It was a great plan, right? She looked up, caught those incredible blue eyes and mentally prepared a polite Thanks, but no thanks. But the word that came out of her mouth was “Starving.”
Chapter Five
F eeding Lauren was the least he could do. She’d rounded up some peanut butter crackers and juice for the kids at the hospital, thanks to an array of vending machines, but Cole was pretty sure his cute neighbor wasn’t a crackers-and-juice kind of woman. He hadn’t been able to eat, not with Justin bleeding all over the place, and if she was half as hungry as he was, she’d be happy with cardboard and tepid water.
Cole opened the fridge and leaned in, studying the contents for something quick and tasty. Lauren came up beside him and leaned in, too, and he was strikingly aware of how close she was. For a moment, just a moment, he could barely breathe.
“There’s leftover lasagna,” he said, peeking beneath the foil covering the dish.
“No,” Lauren said decisively. “That looks like just enough for a meal for four. You should save that for supper tomorrow.” She reached in and touched the lid of a plastic container. “What’s this?”
“Tuna salad.”
“When was it made?”
“Don’t you trust me?” He turned his head and smiled at her.
She responded with a smile of her own and a very soft, “Humor me.”
“It’s left over from yesterday’s lunch.”
“Tuna salad it is.”
Cole grabbed the container and they both backed away. Lauren made herself at home, grabbing a loaf of bread off the counter and checking a couple of cabinets for glasses. “I’m just going to have water,” she said. “You?”
“The same.” It was that or apple juice or fruit punch, since it was too late for coffee. He needed to sleep tonight.
Without talking they made sandwiches and glasses of ice water. It didn’t take long. He grabbed a bag of potato chips and tossed them onto the center of the kitchen table. When Lauren started to sit, Cole stopped her with a raised hand and a sharp, “Not there!”
Lauren stopped, looked up at him and smiled wickedly. “Why not? Is this seat saved?”
He found himself smiling again. “That’s Justin’s chair. You’re very likely to sit in grape jelly or pancake syrup. I haven’t checked today, but it’s possible.”
Lauren looked down, studied the chair, declared it all clear and sat. He took the seat directly across from her, and they both took a few bites before they said another word. Sharing a quiet, late-night meal was strangely comfortable, even though he barely knew Lauren Russell.
Considering her profession, he’d half expected her to turn up her nose at tuna sandwiches, chips and water, but she ate her meal as if it were as fine as her lasagna. Hunger would do that to a person, he knew.
“I have to thank you again,” he said. “Sorry to say, I’m a complete wuss when it comes to any crisis that involves that much blood.”
“That’s completely understandable,” Lauren said. “It was alarming for me, and I’m not a parent. Yet,” she added.
His few dates in the past several years had all been disasters, but then, the women had been all wrong. He had a feeling Lauren could be
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