Page 5 of The Reward of You

“Every day?” I play along for my own amusement.

Bea nods emphatically.

“How about basic toast and jam today? That’s about all I can manage to cook.”

She giggles. “You don’t cook toast, Sam!”

“What do you do with it?”

“Youtoastit.”

“You want me to toast your toast? Won’t that just burn it?”

Bea rolls her eyes. I turn with a smile and slide four slices of bread into the toaster. Miranda wanders in sleepily as only a teenager can do, rubbing her eyes. She pours herself a glass of orange juice and frowns at me over the rim. I wait.

“We’re late for school.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Whose fault is that?”

She flushes. “Mom always gets us up in time.”

“Your mom needs rest and a visit to the doctor. I’ll take you to school in a minute. I’m sure they’ll understand there was a family emergency.”

Miranda nods and sets the empty glass in the sink. I leave a note for Noelle and grab my keys.

The school run is uneventful, with the exception of Bea’s fascination with my much less expensive vehicle. And it turns out they’re not really late, just not the full thirty-minutes early that Miranda is used to. I have a feeling Miranda has a lot in common with her mom. Bea’s school is on the other side of town, so by the time I drop her off and get back to the house, I’m not surprised to see Noelle up and sipping a cup of coffee.

“Hey there, beautiful. How are you feeling?”

She blinks and flushes slightly. “I’m fine. But you don’t need to lay on the flattery. I know I’m not pretty. Never have been.”

I cage her against the kitchen counter with my arms. “Did I say pretty? I called you beautiful and you are.”

She frowns. I drop a quick kiss on her forehead. “Did you call the doctor yet?”

Noelle shakes her head. “I called in sick to work, though. Speaking of which, don’t you have a job you need to get to?”

“I have a job, but you’re more important. I too can call in sick.”

“But you aren’t…”

I grin at her. “Such a good girl, Noelle. Are you worried about me getting in trouble for lying? My girlfriend being sick counts as a legitimate reason.”

“Girlfriend!”

“Girlfriend. If you don’t like that title, we can upgrade to fiancée or wife, but those are your only three choices.”

She stares at me with wide eyes. “You’re actually crazy. Not just slightly deranged.”

I shrug. “Maybe. Call the doctor, baby. As soon as he gives you the all clear, we’ll hash everything out.”

Placing her phone in her hand, I turn to study the contents of the refrigerator. Despite my teasing with Bea, I can manage a few basic things and Noelle needs some solid food to offset the stress of last night. While she makes her appointment, I cook her a simple omelet and refill her coffee cup.

“Two is the earliest, since I’m not dripping blood on the floor.” She scowls down at her phone.

I shrug. “That works. Eat, and then you can lounge around and read a book while we wait.”

Noelle stares at me like I’d suggested she run a marathon while dripping blood. I slide the plate in front of her and hand her a fork. “Eat, baby.”

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