Page 19 of Hold Me Instead
Zacharypunchedinthecode for his buddy’s garage door and ducked inside when it opened halfway. He paused for quad stretches, rolled his neck, then stepped through the interior door into the mudroom, where he was greeted immediately by a wet nose to his thigh.
“How’s my girl?” Zachary squatted, grateful for Maple’s greeting as the old dog swathed his face with kisses. “Did you just wake up?”
“Her hearing may be going, but her sense of smell is not,” Jordan called out.
Zachary grinned and nuzzled Maple’s soft ears, the floppy one getting an extra squeeze, before he took off his shoes and met his friend in the kitchen.
Jordan stood at the stove in a black T-shirt and sweats, pans sizzling, the gray quartz countertop featuring potato peels and mushroom scraps.
“I only did a twenty-minute run. Did you get up right after I left?” Zachary’s mouth watered as he scanned the scrambled eggs and sausage. Adingdrew his eyes to the air fryer, tucked below cherry wood mid-century modern cabinets.
“Mind getting the potatoes?” Jordan asked.
“What’s the occasion?” Zachary removed the crisp, diced potatoes and set them on the counter.
“Was hungry,” Jordan said with a grin. “There’s enough for you, don’t worry.”
“I should be the one making breakfast,” Zachary muttered.
“Nah, maybe another day. Help yourself.” Jordan loaded up his plate, then propped his hip against the counter as he ate.
Zachary draped his running jacket over a blue sloped chair and sat at the round wooden table, while Maple settled beside him on stiff hindquarters. “Thanks for feeding her last night. I didn’t expect to be gone so long.”
“No problem. Senior dinner hour, I get it. Besides, we got some good bonding in, didn’t we, Maple?” Jordan said.
Maple looked between them, then slowly laid down.
Zachary petted her silky head. “You’re up next.”
Jordan chuckled. He rubbed a hand over his curly high-top fade, his short-sleeve shirt exposing aMADRIDtattooin a typewriter font on his dark brown skin. “How was trick-or-treating?”
“The kids’ll be running on sugar for weeks,” Zachary said.
“Where’s your candy?” Jordan pointed to Alex’s toy sword by the mudroom.
“Yeah, completely forgot. Wore it to the hospital and back here,” Zachary said.
“Aw, that’s sweet.”
Zachary rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Mm. How was your shift? Did you close?”
“Yep. The bar was the busiest it’s been. People spilled onto the patio even though it was forty degrees and they were half dressed. Halloween itself will be crazy, though.”
“You working that too?”
“Not at the bar, no. Thankfully. Mel has backup costumes planned if employees don’t wear their own.”
“You lucked out.”
“I know better than to work for her on Halloween. She dressed me like her personal doll when we were growing up as it was. Damn older sisters,” he said with a grin.
Zachary smiled. “Remember how she designed T-shirts for our moms to wear to football playoffs?”
“Remember? Pretty sure my mom still has hers!”
“Yeah, yeah, mine probably does too.”
Their laughter faded. Jordan crossed his arms and ankles as he leaned against the counter, his bartending ear in full swing. “So. How’s he doing?”
