Page 26 of Charmed
Boone put on the coffee before he snagged a piece. It was cold, hard, and lumped with sugary cinnamon. Obviously, Jessie had inherited her grandmother’s culinary talents.
“It’s great,” he told her, and swallowed gamely. “My favorite Sunday breakfast.”
“Do you think Daisy can have some?”
Boone looked at the pile of toast again, then glanced down at the pup, whose tongue was lolling out. With any luck he might be able to pawn off half his Sunday breakfast on the dog. “I think she could.” Crouching, Boone held out a second piece of toast close enough for Daisy to sniff. “Sit,” he ordered, in the firm, no-nonsense voice the training books had suggested.
Daisy continued to loll her tongue and wag her tail.
“Daisy, sit.” He gave her rump a nudge. Daisy went down, then bounded back on all fours to jump at him. “Forget it.” He held the toast out of reach and repeated the command. After five frustrating minutes—during which he tried not to remember how simple it had been for Ana—he managed to hold the dog’s hindquarters down. Daisy gobbled up the bread, pleased with herself.
“She did it, Daddy.”
“Sort of.” He rose to pour himself some coffee. “We’ll take her outside in a little while and have a real lesson.”
“Okay.” Jessie munched happily on her toast. “Maybe Ana’s company will be gone, and she can help.”
“Company?” Boone asked as he reached for a mug.
“I saw her outside with a man. She gave him a big hug and a kiss and everything.”
“She—” The mug clattered onto the counter.
“Butterfingers,” Jessie said, smiling.
“Yeah.” Boone kept his back turned as he righted the mug and poured the coffee. “What, ah, sort of a man?” He thought his voice was casual enough—to fool a six-year-old, anyway.
“A really tall man with black hair. They were laughing and holding hands. Maybe it’s her boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend,” Boone repeated between his teeth.
“What’s the matter, Daddy?”
“Nothing. Coffee’s hot.” He sipped it black. Holding hands, he thought. Kissing. He’d get a look at this guy himself. “Why don’t we go out on the deck, Jess? See if we can get Daisy to sit again.”
“Okay.” Singing the new song she’d learned in school, Jessie gathered up toast. “I like to eat outside. It’s nice.”
“Yeah, it’s nice.” Boone didn’t sit when they were on the deck, but stood at the rail, the mug in his hand. He didn’t see anyone in the next yard, and that was worse. Now he could imagine what Ana and her tall, dark-haired boyfriend might be doing inside.
Alone.
He ate three more pieces of toast, washing them down with black coffee while he fantasized about just what he’d say to Miss Anastasia Donovan the next time he saw her.
If she thought she could kiss him to the point of explosion one night, then dally with some strange guy the next morning, she was very much mistaken.
He’d straighten her out, all right. The minute he got ahold of her he’d—
His thoughts broke off when she came out the kitchen door, calling over her shoulder to someone.
“Ana!” Jessie leapt up on the bench, waving and shouting. “Ana, hi!”
While Boone watched through narrowed eyes, Ana looked in their direction. It seemed to him that her hand hesitated on its way up to return the wave, and her smile was strained.
Sure, he thought as he gulped down more coffee. I’d be nervous, too, if I had some strange man in the house.
“Can I go tell her what Daisy did? Can I, Daddy?”
“Yeah.” His smile was grim as he set his empty mug on the rail. “Why don’t you do that?”
