Page 38 of Forever His Brat

“So, my favorite place was closed when we got there! It looks like they’re doing renovations. We went to Jim’s Steaks instead, but they were pretty packed with the lunch crowd. Since Katie needed to do some shopping, we decided to do that first and then come back.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jim’s that busy,” Sam commented between bites.

“Timing, I guess. We did get there right at lunch. Anyway, I took Katie around to a few stores. We tried on some clothes, that kind of thing. By the time we got back to have lunch it was almost three, so the place had cleared out.”

That explained why she was back so late. He was glad he hadn’t scolded her. It was all perfectly reasonable. “Did you get anything interesting?” He jerked a chin towards the bags she’d set down.

Sam recognized one of them as being from a lingerie boutique. He’d bought her a few items from there in the past. They made pretty things; expensive, but pretty.

“Maybeeeee…” She gave him a wicked grin. “Maybe, you’ll see what I got atsomepoint. Well—” She laughed, “—unless you find lightbulbs exciting. I picked up a few boring essentials too, when we stopped in at the drug store and I don’t mind showing you those.”

“Lightbulbs, oooh baby. You really know how to turn me on,” he said, teasing her as he pulled her tight and nuzzled her neck. Dinner was forgotten for the moment.

Charlie laughed, snuggled in and relaxed in his arms. “It was a really good day. The best day,” she said. The happiness was crystal clear in her voice.

He was glad. “My day went pretty well too. Of course, I was working so it wasn’t thebestday.” He laughed.

“Things are going well with Nick though?” She tilted her head, resting it on his shoulder, so she could look up at him.

“Yep, so far so good. Mike seems to like him. Ben is—Ben. But he’ll come around. The rest of the hands haven’t interacted with him much yet but they’re seeing him around, working with me, so they’ll get used to it.”

He smiled and considered ditching dinner and carrying her off to settle some place more comfortable. “Want to move into the living room? I could start a fire?”

Her eyes lit up. “That sounds perfect. I was barely outside today, but the cold still seems to sink in. I’m going to make some hot chocolate; do you want some?” She was already slipping out of his lap and going to retrieve her bags.

“No thanks, sweetheart. I’m good.” He got up, considered his half-full plate and then decided to leave it there. Maybe he’d come back to it in a bit.

But Charlie followed the direction of his gaze and frowned. “Sam, you need to finish your dinner. I’m sorry I interrupted—why don’t you finish while I make the hot chocolate?”

Sam shook his head. “It can wait, Charlie. I can always reheat it later.”

“But… did you take a lunch with you to the barn today?”

He hadn’t actually, but he’d fixed himself a cup of noodles from the stash he kept in his desk. That and a candy bar had gotten him through the day. Normally by the time he got home he was starving. Today he just wasn’t hungry, but it wasn’t her job to police that.

“Charlie… you’re fussing again.”

“I’m just trying to keep you healthy, Daddy!” She pouted her bottom lip at him, narrowing her eyes as she blew out a loud breath of air.

“That’s seven, Charlie girl.”

It took her a second for the number to click and then she went from pouting to scowling. “Fine, but if you starve to death, it’s not my fault.”

“Eight.” He kept his voice cool and collected.

“I was just taking care of you!”

“Nine—and it’s not your job to take care of me like that, darlin’. I’m the Daddy around here, not you. Now, if I were you, I’d make your hot chocolate before your mouth gets you in big trouble.” He gave her a stern look and waited to see if she’d take his advice.

Her mouth opened and closed several times, and then she turned away and stormed across the kitchen, bags flailing from each hand. She made sure he knew how annoyed she was by managing to bang every single cabinet door while she made her chocolate.

He hid his grin, shook his head, and went to get a fire started in the living room. By the time it was blazing nicely she’d joined him and was curled up in one of the overstuffed chairs cradling the cup. She looked petulant but he ignored it.

Sam had planned on cuddling, but apparently she was no longer in the mood for that. He sat in the chair across from her and got comfortable instead. The room was quiet except for the crackling of the wood as it burned, and the occasional slurp from her cup.

“So, how are you getting along with Katie?” he asked after a few minutes of silence had gone by.

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could see her working to calm down, so he gave her the time without prodding her to answer.

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