“You’re right he is. See you later. Stay out of trouble.” She giggled as she headed back downstairs. I shook my head. We were so alike I couldn’t stand it.
I turned around to see River staring at me. His eyes narrowed, and his head cocked. He looked like a confused dog. “In case you didn’t hear, that was my sister Sarah. She works in the neighborhood, and I convinced her to run me a few errands.” I could be misreading it, but I think he visibly relaxed after my explanation. I wondered if he thought Sarah was someone I had a relationship with. I smiled. Maybe he was interested.
Chapter seven
River
Watching Aaron’s familiarity with the pretty woman who brought up the food made my stomach knot. I knew I was being utterly ridiculous. Maybe I had imagined the flirtation between us. He turned around, and I looked at him, trying to unpack what was happening. Taking it upon himself, he told me it was his sister. Relief flooded me, and that little spark of hope reignited.
He carried over the paper shopping bags and sat next to me. “Do you have a proper bed for Charlie?”
“No. I wanted to wait until you arrived to discuss my options.” I should have mentioned I had a little pouch for him until I bought something more permanent.
He stood up and walked back towards the office area and second bedroom. I heard him opening the linen cabinet. Really, how did he know that cabinet was even there? He came back with two fluffy towels, making a little support system. I moved the pouch with Charlie from my lap to the towels, and now we both had our hands free. Charlie raised his head, looking around, but seemed content to sit there and watch us. I reached over and petted his head.
Grabbing the bags, Aaron pulled out the prescription bottle. “Take one of those.” I didn’t know why his telling me what to do was so comforting. I felt obligated to do what he said. Handing mea drink, he looked through the bags. Swallowing the pill, I had to admit I was looking forward to some relief.
There were gel ice packs, which he took to the kitchen, gingerly stepping over the mess still on the floor. He opened a few cabinets and drawers, returning with forks, knives, several serving spoons, and some plates. “I don’t mind eating takeout, but I like to use silverware and a real plate when possible. I hope you don’t mind that I helped myself. It’s a pretty big mess in there,” he said as he sat back down.
“I imagine it is.” I watched his lips move up like he was about to smile, stopping short. I could see his eyes crinkle. At least I amused him.
As he pulled out containers, I could smell barbeque. Coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and corn were all accounted for. He then pulled out the meat. There were piles of turkey, sausage, pulled pork, and brisket. There was enough food here for ten people. “Are we expecting guests? There is too much food here.”
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I got some of everything.” He dug into the bags again. “Oh, good sauce and rolls.”
“Good thing, we might have starved without that.” I grinned at him.
“I’m hungry. There is a lot of me that needs regular fueling.”
I looked him up and down, indexing all the lovely parts of him that needed that fuel. I looked at his thick forearms that led down to big hands that I knew were strong, but he used them so gently with Charlie. There were fine lines around his eyes, leaving me to believe he was around my age, with a strong jaw and bright, expressive eyes. I looked at his tapered waist, then had to stop myself from thinking about what might be below his beltline. Physically, Aaron was the whole package.
He continued preparing the food, slowly turning his head to look at me. Again, I got caught staring at him like a hormonal teenager. That eyebrow started to move, then nothing. He turned back to our meal. There were two clamshell boxes with a red DX on them. Without opening them, he set them aside.
“I’m starving. Let’s dig in,” Aaron said, then grabbed a spoon, putting a little bit of everything on a plate. I noticed he was most generous with the meats. I didn’t know how he ate regularly, but whatever he did worked.
I ate so much it was embarrassing because it was delicious. The pills must have kicked in because I started to think about how I was so happy to live in a world where I didn’t have to leave my house. Now I had Charlie, and being home was even better.
“You know this sofa is comfortable.” Aaron wiggled into it a bit. “Do you mind if I take off my boots? They aren’t the most comfortable for sitting around the house, and there are many things for you to learn today.”
“Go ahead.” He could take off anything he wanted. “I found a couch that fit the room's design but insisted it be comfortable. However, if I am home, I am in my office or bedroom. All this is for show.” I waved my hands around the living room, and I was babbling.
“Here.” Aaron handed me one of the containers marked with a DX.
I opened the clamshell to look inside. “Oh.”
There were four different piles of meat we had just eaten. “They are unseasoned with no sauce. A little treat for Charlie.” He winked at me.
“Can I give it to him now?” I knew I was too excited about feeding him. The painkiller was helping, and despite a dull ache everywhere, I was feeling better. It also seemed to be making me a little hyper.
“Oh yes. Charlie will eat every chance you give him and will consume anything you offer him. Like me, he requires a lot of food tomake muscles and stay strong.” Then he grinned at me. I could feel a thickening in my sweatpants. That grin lit up his whole face, and my entire body responded.
That was flirting for sure, wasn’t it? Maybe that was just how people talked in the real world. My inability to identify flirting was why I didn’t date, plus hookups were easier back when I bothered with those. You didn’t have to decipher what they were saying. You just had sex. For me, dating required me to find out if they were into men, and then I had to figure out if they were into me. I was terrible at it.
I took Charlie out of the pouch and put him on my chest. “Look what our friend got you. Lots of tasty treats.” I pinched some of the pork between my fingers and held it up. His tongue touched it first like he was tasting it, then grabbed the rest.
“Spoiling him on his first day, it’s a bad precedent.”
After Charlie swallowed, he looked at me, hoping for more. “I wasn't the one that bought him a bucket of meat.”
