“She tried,” he said, as he cleared his throat. Apparently they weren’t keeping things a secret from Lucy.
Tatum frowned at him, dropping the spoon in the sink. “We made cookies.”
“I see that.” His brows rose. “I can eat a lot but—”
“They’re for you to take to work,” Tatum said. “It’s Christmas.”
As if that explained everything. She’d made cookies for him to take to work because it was Christmas. His smile grew.
“Her idea,” Lucy said. “I just wanted to eat some cookie dough.”
“They’ll be appreciated.” He winked at Lucy, content to watch Tatum fill a large storage container with festively decorated cookies.
“We’re having a sleepover,” Tatum said.
“Aren’t you two a little old for sleepovers?” he asked, smiling.
“You’re never too old for a sleepover,” Lucy said, smiling sweetly at him.
“What’s your schedule?” Lucy asked. “I know Juan’s trying to get as many people to cover as possible—since the baby came early.”
He nodded. “Not sure.” But he hoped like hell he could avoid more overtime. His and Tatum’s time was running out, and he wanted to make every second count. “It’s been pretty slow.”
“Spencer is sort of a hero right now. Did he tell you that?” Lucy asked Tatum. “Not that he brags on himself.”
Tatum’s eyes met his. “What did you do?”
He glared at Lucy. “Really?”
“Come on, Spencer, it’s sweet.” Lucy perched on the kitchen counter. “He was at the high school, doing some sort of don’t-do-drugs thing when these boys got into a fight. He got in the middle of it, broke it up and saved one of the kids from choking to death.”
Tatum looked horrified. “The other kid was trying to kill him?”
“No.” Spencer sighed. “The dumb kid was sucking on a piece of candy. The fight broke out. He got punched. I guess he inhaled it when he got the wind knocked out of him.”
Tatum smiled. “So you broke up a fight and did the Heimlich maneuver? I bet you made quite an impression.”
“He made the front page of the paper. Aunt Imogene is framing it,” Lucy said.
“What happened to the kids?” Tatum asked.
“I guess seeing his buddy turn blue made the other guy cool off real fast. They were all hugging and saying ‘I’m sorry, man.’” Spencer laughed. “You couldn’t pay me to be a teenage boy again. Too volatile.”
Tatum giggled, staring pointedly at his injuries. “Hey, what’s that on your face?”
He frowned.
“Y’all are fun.” Lucy laughed.
“Pizza?” Tatum pulled a plate from the oven. “Sit, if you have time? It’s veggie.”
He shook his head. “I’ll eat it in the truck. I should be heading out.”
She wrapped the pizza in foil and set it on the container full of cookies. “Well...be careful.”
He crossed the room, taking the container from her. “I will.” He set the container on the counter, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He liked the startled look on her face, the perfect O her mouth made right before his lips met hers. She was so soft, so sweet. He broke away with a sigh. He pulled her close, sliding his hands up and down her back. “I promise,” he whispered in her ear.
He grabbed his cookies and left, knowing a smart man would call in sick and crash their sleepover. He could decorate cookies with the best of them. Since his mother had no daughters, her boys all had basic cooking, cleaning and dancing skills. She considered all three of equal importance when it came to being a good spouse. As it was, he knew he was needed on the job—and hoped she’d let him make up for lost time later.