Luca kicked his feet against the seat. “She tells me to clean my room sometimes, but only when it’s really messy.”
I chuckled. “My mom did that, too.”
“I’m pretty lucky. Mom always lets me have treats, and Daniel never gets any.”
“Sounds pretty lucky to me.”
Luca sighed; the sound was so beyond his years. “Maybe Daniel does need the puppy.”
“Yeah, he might.” But staring at Luca’s disappointed face, I couldn’t take it. “You know, I’ve been thinking about getting a dog.”
Luca’s brows flew up. “Really?”
I nodded. It wasn’t a complete lie. My apartment in Seattle was too damn lonely. “Maybe you could help me pick one out and help me train it. It would be good practice for whenever you get your own.”
Luca jolted upright. “I’d be the best picker! I’ll choose the awesomest dog ever and help you teach it all the things. I’ll even pick up its poop!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I really wasn’t looking forward to the poop.”
Luca grinned. “I’ve got you covered.”
“Come on, let’s go find me a dog.”
36
SUTTON
“How are you feeling?”Thea asked, that now-ever-present worry line creasing her brow. “Today was a lot.”
She wasn’t wrong about that. We’d been slammed from the moment I got here until about thirty minutes ago when the lunch rush finally eased. The time we closed between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon was always the quietest, especially during the summer. Once school started back up, we’d have some people stopping in after classes or parents treating their young kids. But it was mostly when we scheduled custom-order pickups.
“I’m good,” I assured Thea. “The doctor cleared me, remember?”
Her lips pursed. “I just wanted to make sure.”
I pulled her into a quick hug. “I know. And I appreciate it. Just like I appreciate that you haven’t let me be here alone even once. But I’m good.”
I wasn’t about to let some asshole ruin what I’d worked so hard to build. I wouldn’t let him steal my happy place. Trace and Anson had stopped by Cope’s a few days after my attack to share that therewas no evidence that anyone in Petrov’s organization had traveled to Oregon recently. Apparently, the FBI was keeping close tabs on them.
What no one could determine was where Roman was. He’d completely dropped off any law enforcement radar and hadn’t shown at any of the shelters he normally stayed at. The fact that I hadn’t received any more texts had me uneasy—not for me, but for him.
Because I could see that attack as a simple crime of opportunity now. Some local who’d seen Cope frequenting my bakery, saw our closeness, and assumed my establishment would always be flush with cash.
“I just want to make sure you aren’t pushing too hard,” Thea said, cutting into my thoughts.
“I’m not. I promise. I actually feel really good.” That wasn’t a lie. After last night, I felt great. On more than one level. Because Cope and I were giving this thing a real go. And as much as it scared me, it also gave me hope.
Thea studied me for a long moment, and then her mouth popped open in a silent O. “You got laid,” she whisper-hissed.
“Shhh!” I said, grabbing her arm. “I really don’t need Walter or our patrons knowing the details of my sex life.”
Thea grinned in a way that made her look slightly deranged. “Sex lifemeans more than once.”
My cheeks heated.
“At the country bar?” she pressed.
“Maybe,” I whispered.
