Page 38 of Hearts of Fairlake

"Let me say it at least once because I know you're going to do other shit today that'll irritate me."

"Alright, say it."

"You don't have to take care of me. I'm not fragile."

He turned with a smile, his face hovering before mine. "I don't take care of you because you're weak or fragile. I take care of you because you deserve to be taken care of. Because you're important."

"Bastard," I said softly because damned if that wasn't going to ruin a lot of my protests in the future. "How long have you been sitting on that one?"

"I love you too," he said with a smirk, kissing me. "Now get in. We've got time to make it with plenty to spare."

I snorted, sliding into the car. Thankfully, he let me closethe door, and I waited until he got in the car and turned it on before continuing. “You just want to stop by the bakery."

He glanced at me before pulling the car out. “I'm just peeking in, not interfering."

I laughed, reaching over to squeeze his leg fondly. "You're like a mother hen...hovering."

Still, it was pretty nice to see. I had to admit it. He’d been incredibly wary when Grant proposed that if Luke was amenable—his words, not mine—then perhaps Luke could take over the newest expansion of his bakery in Denver. I wasn't one to toot my own horn, but I knew it was me, more than anything, who convinced Luke to accept the offer.

I knew how it must have looked to Luke. Here was his boyfriend's brother offering him a job to run an entire business. Devin managed the one in Fovel perfectly, and the offer might have gone to him, but Devin wasn't fond of Denver and said Chase would probably get blood pressure problems knowing he was there. It could have fallen to anyone else, another employee, or even someone with experience.

So yeah, it had looked like nepotism to Luke. But all I'd had to say was, other than laughing, that Grant didnotplay favorites with the people in his life when it came to taking care of something he cared about. The bakery and any subsequent expansions were dear to him, and he wouldn't give someone a chance to run—or ruin—it simply because they were dating his brother. No, it was more likely that Sylas had explained to Grant what Luke had done while working for the star, and Grant had crunched the numbers and seen the potential.

It had still required Luke to shadow Louise and Grant at the main bakery and Devin at his location while the new one was being set up. He'd been running the place for six months now, and there hadn't been the slightest complaint from Grant. In fact, he’d said in front of several people thatpicking Luke for the job had been one of his better business decisions.

High praise from a man who treated compliments like rations during a famine.

"Fine," he grumbled. "I want to make sure everything is okay."

"You've taken days off before," I reminded him, but not because I was irritated. He obviously loved what he did and found something in the work he didn't normally get. That didn't mean I couldn't tease him, though.

"This was an unexpected day off," he said.

"And yet you didn't go in when I tried to bail on the appointment. You wandered around town."

"I was kind of hoping you’d come around before it was too late."

I sighed. “Youknowwhy I'm not sure about this. We've already been given how many warnings?"

"They weren't warnings like you think, just things to keep an eye out for," he said with a raised brow. "And normally, I wouldn't push you too hard on this, but I can tell you're freaked out?—"

"You're damn right I'm freaked out," I said, panic beginning to claw its way into my chest. "I can't believe we are trying to get a kid. A kid! You want me to be responsible for a fucking kid?"

"This feels like a bad time to point out that it was originally your idea."

"I'm aware!" I all but hissed, sorely wanting to smack him, but swatted him on the thick part of his arm where he probably didn't feel a damn thing. "Because I was suffering from a bout of temporary insanity. Something the people I love, like, say the man I married, should have known that anything I said couldn't be trusted!"

I tried to glare furiously at him but was annoyed when Idiscovered his lips twitched...like he was trying not to laugh. "What? What's so funny?"

"Well," he said, his lips stilling after he took a deep breath. "You once told me you wanted me to tell you whenever you were being hysterical...and you're currently screaming your way toward hysterics...literally."

This time, I did punch him in the upper arm, and while he probably felt that one, it was still like punching a bag of bricks and made me yank back my hand with a scowl. “Being hysterical means I'm being unreasonable."

"You've yelled, screamed, freaked out, and hit me twice."

"That's reasonable...and I don't like that you phrased it like that."

"Did you or did you not hit me?

---