At first I thought I wasn’t fast enough with the disaster on the stove and the detectors were going off anyway, but then there was a pause before the noise started up again and I realized it was someone ringing the doorbell. I rushed out of the kitchen so fast I tripped over my own feet and landed on my hands and knees with a soft “oomph.” I was freaking out on the inside and outside, but I needed to get my act together or the bell was going to wake up Poppy and Zeb was going to see what a wreck I was and not trust me with Hyde.
I pulled open the door just as Hyde was standing on his tiptoes to reach for the bell again. He fell back down on his feet and grinned up at me. God, he looked so much like the unreadable man standing behind him. I wondered if it was rude to stare at him all day long while I mourned the time we had spent apart.
“Hey.”
“What’s on your face?” Hyde pointed at his own cheek and I used the back of my hand to rub at the sticky batter that was stuck there.
I sighed and ushered them both into the house. “I tried to make pancakes for breakfast. It didn’t go so well.”
Hyde’s grin got even bigger and Zeb lifted an eyebrow at me. “Why were you trying to make pancakes?”
I shrugged and tried to keep my eyes from hungrily eating him up. He was so close, but the distance between us gaped wide and vast. “I thought Hyde might like them for breakfast. I figured they would be easy enough. I was wrong.”
He shook his dark head and a reluctant smile pulled out his mouth. It made his beard twitch and his green eyes shine.
“You can pass the bar exam in not one but two states but not figure out how to make pancakes?”
I bristled a little and crossed my arms over my chest. “If I want pancakes I usually just go somewhere and have someone make them for me.”
He chuckled at me and reached out to tug Hyde’s gloves, coat, and hat off. “The little man isn’t too fussy when it comes to breakfast, but if he tells you all I feed him is pizza, he’s lying.” Hyde made a face as Zeb reached out to ruffle his hair. “You’re doing us a solid by hanging out with him all day, isn’t that right, buddy?”
Hyde nodded vigorously and walked over to take my hand. I looked down at him and couldn’t help but smile at that adorable face.
“If you want pancakes, Sayer, I’ll help make them. I’m a good helper, aren’t I, Zeb?”
“You are, bud. Hey, you be good for Sayer and remember if you go outside that you—”
Hyde cut him off before he could finish the warning. “Put on my gloves and my hat. I will.”
Good Lord, they were so cute together. It had only been a few weeks and they were already so in sync. They made it hard to breathe. They made it impossible not to be in love.
“He’ll keep himself entertained, for the most part, just play with him and hang out with him. He has a habit of pulling his gloves off and throwing them wherever they land. If you take him outside to play, keep that in mind.”
I nodded and looked down as Hyde pulled on the hand he was still holding on to. “Let’s make pancakes, Sayer.”
I agreed and looked back up at Zeb, who was watching us with a look that was caught somewhere between eternal heartbreak and true love. It sucked every thought from my head and killed whatever I had been about to say to him.
“I’ll see you guys later.”
“Bye, Zeb.” Hyde let go of my hand and ran at his dad. Zeb bent and caught the little boy seconds before he collided with his knees. He lifted him up and put a smacking kiss on his cheek.
“Your beard tickles.”
It sure did. I flushed hot at the wayward thought. Hyde leaned in close to Zeb and whispered in the loud way all kids did, which meant I could hear every word he said.
“You’re coming back for me later, right, Zeb?”
I inhaled so sharply it hurt. I saw Zeb’s eyes flick over to mine before he shifted Hyde in front of him so that they were gleaming green eyes to gleaming green eyes. “I will always come back for you, Hyde.”
The little boy watched him for a solid minute before giving him a far too serious nod and wiggling to be put down.
Zeb and I stared at each other and everything I wanted to say to him, everything I knew I should give him, lay there heavy and immovable between us. I wanted to do what Hyde did and run at him and trust him to catch me.
“Bye, Zeb. Have a good day at work.”
He grunted a little. “Thanks, Say. I’ll see you guys in a few.”
I put my hand on Hyde’s thin little shoulder and we both watched Zeb leave with longing in our eyes. Once the front door was shut, I nudged Hyde with my hip and inclined my head toward the kitchen.
“I think it’s safe to go in now if you want to try for round two.”
“Yeah. I’m kinda hungry.” I turned to guide him into the still slightly scorched–smelling kitchen and looked over my shoulder at him when he started giggling uncontrollably.
“What’s so funny?”
He put his hands on his tummy and tilted his dark head back and laughed so hard I could see all his missing teeth.
I pouted at him and playfully crossed my arms over my chest. “Come on, Hyde. Share the joke.”
He kept giggling and pointed to my backside. “You made a big mess.” I sure had, and watching his father walk out the door without being able to touch him, without being able to kiss him or hold him close, reminded me of that fact like a smack in my face.
Obviously I couldn’t see my own butt, so I stopped in front of the stainless-steel refrigerator and turned around to see what had him in hysterics. On each back pocket was a perfect handprint, obviously left over from my first attempt at the pancakes. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at my own level of disaster.