Page 44 of The Cupcake Cottage

“Come on, teasing is no fun if you clam up.”

“You’re never going to let me live it down, are you?”

“The cuteness of your house? Nope. Because I adore it.”

“No, because I wanted a private sanctuary where nobody comes to party or comes by to drag my name and reputation through the mud.”

“You’re such a grumpy old man.”

“I earned it.”

She supposed that was true.

He parked his truck under the yard light, and they carted the tree into the living room, Ella dancing at their feet, barking with excitement.

“She loves real trees,” Daisy-Mae said. They stopped moving once they got to the corner of the room and Maverick stood the tree up, holding it with one hand.

“You know what?” he said.

“I’m not sure I like the tone of that question…”

“I don’t have a tree stand. At least I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

“How do you not know?” Men were such a mystery.

“I’ve moved a lot in the last few years, and people were buying and selling off stuff for me. I don’t know what I have anymore. Maybe my mom got one for me. She has a tab open at several places in town and is determined to have this place looking like a proper home before spring hits.”

“Your credit card company must love you.”

“I get a lot of points on my card, that’s for sure. But to be honest, I appreciate what my mom’s doing.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair and took in his living room like he was just seeing it for the first time and wasn’t sure what he thought of it. Then his eyes met Daisy-Mae’s and his shoulders relaxed down a notch and he smiled.

“You know you’re always welcome here. The no-zone doesn’t apply to you.”

All of her insecurities fled back to where they belonged in Stupidland.

He leaned the tree against the wall and pulled her into a hug, giving her a gentle kiss. “Now that I have you here, do you want to watch a movie? I’ll let you lean against me. Maybe even give you a foot massage.”

“A foot massage? It’s a personal rule to never say no to that. Especially now that I’m wearing heels to work most days.” She glanced around his living room. “You don’t have a TV.”

“Watch on my phone?”

A small screen would mean lots of cuddling. She liked that idea.

“Didn’t you lure me here with the promise of supper?”

“I did.” He dropped a kiss on the end of her nose and released her, heading toward the kitchen, Ella hot on his tail, her collar tag jingling.

As Daisy-Mae took in the sparse room she shook her head. Somehow Maverick always surprised her. They could go from domestic moments to fancy suppers to colleagues, and all of it felt natural. He was definitely a very special man who was stealing what was left of her not-so-available heart.

** *

“How can I help?” Daisy-Mae scooted up to Maverick as he made supper. He was in the zone, moving around the kitchen, battering the basa fillets in egg and milk before dropping them into flour loaded with spices. Then into the pan with a touch of olive oil, the sound of sizzling filling the room.

“You can set the table.” Timing was everything with fish, and he wanted dinner to be perfect for Daisy-Mae.

She opened the cupboard for the plates, already knowing where dishes were kept because of Thanksgiving.

“You have fancy plates,” she noted.

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