“Oh,no,he’s—”
“I fink he should stay,” Potter says decidedly, pulling away from me and stalking straight up to Luca, who towers so far over her head it’s almost laughable. She can barely meet his eyes even with her neck craned all the way back. “I bet he’d push uswayhigher on the swings van youcan,Lila.”
“Totally,” Harry murmurs, trailing after hissister.
Luca grins down at them. “Ever had anunderdog?”
The twins squealexcitedly.
Shit.
“Guys, we’d have to check withyourmom—”
“She won’t care!” they chorustogether.
“We’ll see about that.” I swallow. “And even if she agrees, I’m sure Luca has other plansalready—”
“I don’tactually.”
I glance at him dubiously. “You want to come to the park with us to play on the swings, then eat macaroni and cheese for dinner?Seriously?”
“Can’t think of a better way to spend my night.” His eyes glimmer. “Well, actually, I can think of a few things I’d rather be doing.” They dart down to my lips and linger there for a heated instant. “But mac and cheese rates a closesecond.”
I roll my eyes to hide the way my heart is pounding. “Don’t get your hopes up. It’s the kind fromthebox.”
“Notpicky,babe.”
“Ooooo, he called you baaaaaaabe!” Potter giggles,delighted.
“Heisyour boyfriend,” Harry mutters, soundingdejected.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I sayquickly.
“Harry’s sulky because he fought he was gonna marry you one day.” Potter looks at her twin. “Itoldyou she was too old, doodie-head! She’s like ahundred, you can’tmarryher!”
Great. Now I’m anoldslut. This is getting better andbetter.
Luca makes a choked sound, like he’s trying desperately not to laugh. I glare at him as the twins each take me by a hand and start dragging me toward thefrontdoor.
“This is not funny.” I frownathim.
“Babe.” He shrugs lightly. “Gotta admit, it’s a littlefunny.”
“Baaaaaaaaabe!” The twinssing-song.
I grab my keys off the hook by the door and jerk my head toward the dog carrier, still sitting by the threshold where Duncanabandonedit.
“See if there’s a leash in there, will you?” I ask Luca. “The mongrel probably has to pee, anyway. Unless he’s already peed on my kitchen floor. For the second time today.” I shake my head at the pup. “Maybe after dinner we should watchLady and the Tramp, just to put the fear of god in him.Thoughts?”
Luca laughs and shoots me a look that’s so warm, sohappy, it makes me want to keel over right there in myfoyer.
“What?” I ask, still being tugged along by the twins. “Why are you looking at melikethat?”
“Delilah, if I told you my thoughts at this moment, you’d throw up a wall I just got done knocking down. So I think I’ll wait a while, till I know you’re ready, before I share all the things I’m thinkingrightnow.”
With that, he scoops up the puppy and walks across the room to hunt down his leash. Mute, I let the twins drag me outside, down the stairs, and next door to their place, wondering how the hell I’m going to get myself out of this new messI’min.
In the words ofPotter…