"It was nothing." I stand up, needing to move before I say something stupid. The distance helps, gives me somethingto focus on besides how she looks wearing my clothes in my kitchen. "You want breakfast? I can make eggs."
"You cook breakfast too?" That eyebrow of hers arches up, some of that familiar sass coming back into her voice. "Is there anything you're not good at, James?"
"I can't sing for shit," I tell her, pulling eggs and bacon from the fridge. "Banks got me banned from karaoke after I drove everyone out of the bar on his birthday."
She laughs at that—another real laugh. I think I’ll become a collector of the real ones. They’re so rare, I want to commit them all to memory. "That I'd pay good money to see."
"Never gonna happen." I crack eggs into a bowl, focusing on not dropping in pieces of shell instead of how that laugh hits me right in the gut. "How do you want your eggs?"
"Scrambled." She takes another drink, watching me over her mug. "I can help, you know. I'm not totally useless in the kitchen."
Uh, the mushrooms she massacred last night beg to differ. But I don’t call her on it.
"I've got it." I wave her off without looking back. "Sit down. Drink your one sad cup of caffeine."
"Don’t think I’ve forgotten it’s your fault I’m spending the next eight months caffeine deprived.”
I just smirk at her because I’m not sorry and she rolls her eyes.
I cook without talking, feeling her eyes on my back as I move around. It's weird how normal this feels already—her sitting there while I make food, like we've been doing this for years instead of one day.
"Oh," she says out of nowhere. "What happened to my ice cream? Did you find it?"
"It’s in the freezer. Ready to go." I flip the bacon. "I don’t know if I made it right, but I tried. Got you three kinds of chips,including those chocolate-covered ones, in case plain wasn't going to cut it by the time I got home."
Something changes in her face then, softens it. "You didn't have to do all that."
"I know I didn't have to." I set a plate in front of her, eggs and bacon arranged exactly how I like mine. "I wanted to."
Our eyes catch across the table, and for a second, everything else falls away. All the business bullshit, all the rivalry. All that’s left is just her and me and whatever this magnetic thing is between us.
My phone rings, killing whatever moment we were having. Lake's name flashes on the screen.
"Shit," I mutter, grabbing it. "I need to take this. Lake doesn't call this early unless something's on fire."
She nods, turning back to her food like she's suddenly fascinated by scrambled eggs.
"What's wrong?" I answer, moving toward the living room.
"We've got a situation." Lake sounds stressed, which is never good. He’s the chillest guy I know. "Fermenter Three sprung a leak overnight. The whole basement's flooded and the seasonal batch is totally fucked."
"Goddammit." I drag my hand through my hair. "How bad are we talking?"
"Bad enough that I'm calling you at six a.m. I need you here, boss."
I glance back at Wren, who's pretending not to listen while she pushes bacon around her plate. "I'll be there in twenty. Start cleanup and call Edwin for repairs—not that cheap asshole we tried last time."
I end the call and walk back to the kitchen, surprised by how much I don't want to leave. Timber’s been my life for years, but somehow this morning it doesn’t seem as important. "I’ve gotta go. Shit's going down at the brewery."
She looks up, fork halfway to her mouth. "Is it serious?"
"You could say that. Some of the equipment failed. Nothing we haven't handled before, but I need to be there." I hesitate, torn between my business and this strange pull I feel to stay. "You gonna be okay here? You've got my number."
"I'll be fine, Kasen." Her mouth curls up at one corner. "Go save your precious beer. I'm a grown woman who's somehow managed to make it this far on her own."
"Right." I grab my keys and wallet from the counter while toeing into my boots. "There's more coffee… which you can’t have. Sorry."
"Stop mothering me." But she doesn't sound annoyed. It almost sounds like she likes it. "I've also been feeding myself since before I met you."
