Page 34 of Lavender Lake
Hadley, Muddy, and Declan came into the kitchen. Bowman was still standing close to me, but it no longer looked like he was about to whisk the papers off the table and have his way with me.
Sadly.
Hadley frowned, her gaze pinging from me to Bowman and back to me. “You okay? You’re flushed.”
“Muffins,” I said, pointing to the oven.
Muddy arched a brow and then looked at me. “Do you have my keys?”
I shook my head and gestured to Bowman.
“You’ve got my keys?” she asked him.
“Yes.” Bowman nodded.
“Well, can I have them back, please?” she asked, a slow smile curving her lips.
“Oh, right.” Bowman dug into his pocket and fished out her keys. He placed them in her outstretched palm.
Declan looked at the pie. “Did you bake that, too?”
I cleared my throat. “Gideon brought it over.”
“Gideon,” Hadley repeated, her eyes once again bouncing between me and Bowman.
“Nice boy, Gideon,” Muddy murmured. “Always thought he and Salem made a cute couple.”
I inwardly groaned.
Yep. Bowman’s jaw was back to looking like he could chew granite.
“Well, I’m grabbing a bag, and then I’m heading back to the hospital,” Muddy said.
“They’re letting you stay in Dad’s room?” I asked. “Did you play the donation card?”
“Tried that,” Muddy said. “But it didn’t work. I’m staying in one of the on-call rooms. It’s the best they can do. But I’ll be right there in case anything . . . changes.”
Muddy turned and went upstairs.
“Let me show you around Elk Ridge,” Declan said to Bowman.
“I’ve already had a look around,” Bowman replied.
“Fine. Then let’s go have a chat. And then we can bring in the luggage.”
“Oh, yay,” Bowman drawled. “A chat.”
Declan brushed a kiss to Hadley’s forehead, and then he and Bowman left. Bowman didn’t even look at me.
Hadley went to the cabinet and grabbed a plate. Then she began fishing the warm muffins from the tin and putting them on the plate.
“Let’s go,” she stated.
“Where?”
“We’re going outside and we’re having a talk.”
“Goody,” I said in the same dry tone Bowman had used.
