Thursday afternoon, she called him. Not that he’d been waiting for the call, but, yeah, he totally had been. Traipsing into the kitchen after a run, his knee already barking at him, he was heading for an icepack when she called.
“Hey,” he answered on the first ring, grinning like an idiot.
“Hey,” she answered with that flirty confidence. He could picture her wicked smile as she spoke.
Zoe and Evan sat at the kitchen island and went dead quiet the moment he picked up the phone so eagerly. Like a couple of Labradors waiting on their dinner, their heads didn’t move, their unblinking eyes watched his every movement. He grabbed the icepack from the freezer, tossed it in the air before catching it again, then flashed a wink at his sibs as he backed out of the room. As he rounded the bend, their jaws dropped to the countertop.
Limping up the stairs, he closed himself in his room and hopped on the bed. He propped his knee up with a pillow and almost cried when the ice cooled his knee.
Haley paused her thought when he groaned. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just got back from a run and my knee is fucking killing me. It’s getting better, but I am still completely dependent on my daily icepack.”
She giggled on the other end of the line, half his pain fading away at the delight in her tone. “There are worse addictions out there.”
“Too true. I’ve seen guys get hurt so bad they can’t function without their habits, and not just pain pills.”
“But you can run on the knee okay? Didn’t you have two surgeries?”
“Yeah, but the second was because I didn’t do the physical therapy the first time and didn’t heal right; didn’t exactly seem as important as sticking with Mom. But… wait a sec, I knew you were a fan, but now I’m wondering if ‘stalker’ is more appropriate,” he teased.
She laughed again, pure and hearty and always a glimmer in her eye. Damn, he loved that sound. “Hey, I worked from home and had a cheating bastard of a husband. Spending my lonely nights fantasizing about the NFL’s hottest player? Hell yeah.”
He laid back on the bed, his abdomen shaking as he laughed with her. “I should be creeped out, but I’m actually a little turned on right now.”
“Please tell me you don’t wear a shirt when you exercise. Just workout shorts that barely stay on your hips and running shoes?”
Glancing down, he chuckled again. “Okay, maybe you are a creepy stalker.”
She sighed, “Just a healthy imagination.”
“Then please tell me you’re still wet from the shower again and aren’t wearing anything but those lace panties I got a good feel of the other night.”
“Nope, sorry. I am wearing paint-stained overalls and a ripped-up cotton t-shirt.”
“Fuck, I want you so bad, that sounds even sexier.”
“Really? I’ll wear it when you come over for dinner.”
“Overalls only. No t-shirt underneath. And skip the overalls.”
She laughed again.
“Wait, did you invite me over for dinner?”
“I was working on it, but I hadn’t gotten there yet. Finn? Would you like to come for dinner?”
“Hell yes. I’m off tonight.”
“I know. I’m stalking you. Kidding. Sort of. I bumped into Zoe at the grocery store this morning. She said something about you stealing all the hot water?”
Clearing his throat, he sat up and ran a hand over his short hair. “Uh, yeah, about that. Have you considered investing in an on-demand hot water heater for your shower?”
“I am so confused, but I’m willing to try one so I can find out why you go through so much hot water.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find out.”
“Really?” she chuckled. “Anyway, I’m not going to say I’m a great cook. I mean, I’m okay, but it’s not restaurant worthy.”
