Page 40 of Delicate Escape

Moose hissed in my direction.

“Hey, I’m not the one who put you in a harness, pal.”

Moose plunked his ass on the ground and began licking his paw and washing his face. What a weird mutant beast cat.

I set down the drinks and bag groaning with food, and removed everything so Thea could have first pick. Since I hadn’t known what she liked, I’d gone with options. There was a club sandwich, a cheeseburger, a Rueben, and a cheesesteak. Then there were the sides. Regular fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, and tater tots.

“Is there any food left at The Pop?” Thea asked, surveying my spread.

I straightened, shoving my hands into my pockets. “Wasn’t sure what you liked.”

“So, you bought the entire menu?”

I chuckled. “Not even close.”

A piece of Thea’s hair slipped from the braid it was in as she took it all in, then she lifted her eyes to me. “You didn’t have to do all of this.”

“I wanted to. It won’t be nearly as good as your creations, but I didn’t get the cooking gene like some of my siblings did.” I watched as her focus returned to the food, a sort of longing on her face. “You’ve got first pick. I like it all.”

She studied the boxes carefully and then bent, selecting the cheeseburger. I made a mental note of that.

“There are chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshakes. And Cokes,” I added.

Thea lowered herself to the deck step and reached for the chocolate shake. Then her eyes came to me. “Thank you. I don’t get takeout very much, so this is a treat.”

My gut twisted as I sat because I had a feeling money was the reason she didn’t get takeout all that often. And I instantly knew I’d be bringing her meals from as many places around here as I could. I reached out and took the cheesesteak, resting it on my lap. “You’re welcome.”

Thea took a bite of the burger, and her eyes fell closed. She didn’t make a single sound, but her expression said it all. Pure pleasurecoasted across her face. And I couldn’t help but think about that look in other sorts of circumstances.

Hell.

I cleared my throat, trying to shake myself out of anything resembling those thoughts. “So,” I said, trying to distract myself, “what are your food likes and dislikes? Give me the heavy hitters.”

Thea smiled as she reached for her shake. “Likes: cheeseburgers, anything Italian, falafel, and Indian samosas.”

My brows lifted. “Falafel, huh? I’m not sure we have that around here.”

She laughed then, the sound hitting me square in the chest. “Sparrow Falls is sadly lacking in both Mediterranean and Indian food, but there’s actually a really good Indian spot in Roxbury.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Definitely worth a stop if you have to head that way.”

Roxbury was a bigger town about thirty minutes from here. Occasionally, I’d head out that way if a project required specialty fixtures. “What about dislikes?”

Thea drummed her long, slender fingers against her cup. “Shellfish and melon. I think they’re both a consistency thing.”

“Fair enough.”

She was quiet for just a moment before asking, “What about you?”

It was pathetic how happy I was about her asking me a single question. “Likes: steak, my mom’s sausage and egg casserole, and Rho’s peanut butter poke cake. Dislikes: parsnips, carrot cake, and beets.”

Thea’s lips twitched. “What did root vegetables ever do to you?”

“Maybe they were meant to stay in the ground.”

She chuckled at that, and the sound made me feel like I’d won another damn prize. “Fair enough. I’ll have to get that peanut butter poke cake recipe from Rho. That sounds good.”

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