After Piper took her order, Dosia said, “And I’m a separate check.”
“Oh!” Piper’s eyes widened and then she looked to Pumpkin in question.
He was still looking over his menu and didn’t even glance up. “No, she’s not.”
“Um…” Piper started.
“Yes,” Dosia insisted through gritted teeth, turning her anger on Pumpkin and not Piper, “I am.” She wasnotletting him pay for her dinner.
Pumpkin looked up at Piper. “I was going to do the challenge, but I honestly don’t think I’m in the right company for that. I’ll bring the guys back in a few weeks and do it then.”
Dosia’s eyes dropped to her menu to see the challenge was a sixty-four ounce steak, plus sides. If the customer could eat it all, they not only got their meal for free, but they got their picture on the wall and a t-shirt. Not to mention bragging rights. Her jaw dropped, because holy crap! He wasnotactually considering eatingthat?
“Oh, call in advance and I’ll make sure I’m here,” Piper told him. The pitch of her voice changed to excitement, and Dosia’s eyes narrowed.
Pumpkin cleared his throat, snapping Dosia out of her haze as she unintentionally glared at Piper. Straightening as she dropped her gaze, Dosia caught the immense amusement on Pumpkin’s face as he answered Piper.
“Definitely. I’m sure I won’t be the only one going to try it, so we’d call in advance anyway.” He tipped the menu with his thumb. “I’ll take the boring, normal-sized ribeye tonight. Medium-rare, please. Mashed potatoes and the steamed veggies. Could you make them extra soft so I can give some to SJ, please?”
“Of course,” Piper answered, sending an adoring smile SJ’s way. “Mac-n-cheese for him?”
“Please,” Pumpkin replied, handing over his menu. Then he handed over his credit card. “Keep our tab open. I’m sure we’ll want dessert too.”
Dosia’s jaw dropped. The audacity! “Wait! Don’t charge—” But Piper was already scurrying away. She hadn’t even taken Frankie’s or Dosia’s menus, she was in such a hurry to leave. “Damnit,” Dosia cursed, and then slapped a hand over her mouth as she glanced at SJ. “Sorry!”
Pumpkin chuckled. “Trust me, he’s heard worse. There’s a good chance his first words are going to be ‘fuck you’.” He shrugged. “Not really proud of that, but he’s been raised around bikers who curse worse than drunken sailors. I’ll still put it in his baby book that his first word was ‘da-da’.”
JJ’s first word had been ‘boom’, which Calliope thought hilarious and was convinced to this day that JJ had been trying to say ‘broom’.
Dosia shook her head, not letting him change the subject. “Look, thank you for the offer, but I really can’t have you pay for my meal.”
“Why not?” he asked.
Dosia looked across the table but Frankie was busy helping SJ count his fingers and not paying attention to them. Well, there went any potential buffer between them. Which Dosia was aware was ironic, since she hadn’t been able to stand the idea of Frankie touching Pumpkin a few minutes ago.
Dosia scratched her forehead. There was no way she could explain that her witch of an aunt had proclaimed Dosia would fall for the man who bought her dinner tonight.
“It’s just…not right,” she decided on.
Pumpkin studied her for a moment. Absently, he lifted his right hand to put on the tray in front of his son. Despite that his focus seemed solely on her, he was still paying attention to his son, who was now playing his daddy’s fingers like they were a coveted treasure. He even dropped his mouth and started gnawing on them, but Pumpkin’s gaze never left hers.
It was…odd. Of all the things Dosia had ever thought about this man, potentially being a good father had never been one of them. But there was something entirely precious about watching Pumpkin’s attention be split between her and SJ. Like they were his priorities.
Dosia immediately shookthatthought from her mind. Godsdamn it.
“I’ll tell you what’s not right,” Pumpkin finally said. “Meeting a woman whom you think could be the one of your dreams, having unimaginably passionate sex under the stars with her, not once buttwice, and then waking up with the intention of asking her out, only to find yourself cuddling apumpkininstead of said woman.”
Dosia’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe he’d just put their history out there for anyone around them to hear, including Frankie! SJ wouldn’t know what his father had just said, but still. Holy fuck!
Then she blinked. “Why were you cuddling a pumpkin?”
“Wait,” Frankie interjected. “She’spumpkin girl?”
Dosia felt like she should blush at those words, but she still had no idea why.
Pumpkin nodded at Frankie, though he didn’t take his eyes away from Dosia. “She’s pumpkin girl,” he confirmed to Dosia’s perplexity.
Frankie let out a laugh, which she quickly muffled. “I’m sorry,” she said to Dosia. “But I’ve heard that story a hundred times! You literally have made his life miserable every fall!”
