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With shaking hands, I tried to focus on spooning the thick red sauce over the noodles, but I was acutely conscious of Reece’s everysound of the knife as he cut the bread into slices The girls’ silly chatter behind us It was such a strange, domestic moment I could almost fool myself that it was reala peek into the life, the future, I wanted for myself

"I want three meatballs!" Sheridan announced

"Yeah?" Reece said as he carried the bread to the table "I’led "You can’t eat fourteen!"

My lips curved as I poured only a sh to coat Setting the girls’ bowls before them, I went back forhis eyes as I sat between the two girls "I couldn’t fit fourteen in your bowl"

"There’s always seconds"

My pulse spiked as he said this because for the barest second he looked atabout food at all

Sheridan provided a welcoles "You’re so crazy, Reece!"

He made a funny face at her as he shook Parirls’ bowls So, reconciling this Reece with the guy from the bar

I realized I didn’t know hi soether He even looked different No longer cast in the hazy alow of the bar, but in the warm yellow of the kitchen There was no way to hide the faintest flaw in this bright light, and yet, believe it or not, he looked hotter

Sheridan stared at hiet a tummy ache when you eat too much"

"What? This belly?" He sank back in his chair and patted his flat stomach "No way It’s made of steel You should have seen what I ate for breakfast My pancakes were stacked" Squinting, he held his hand two feet above the table "this high"

Madison sasp

"Sharks eat tires," Sheridan volunteered loudly, and not entirely on topic

Madison nodded sagely in agreement "Moreat white’s belly"

"I could eat a tire," Reece replied with utter seriousness, popping a whole les erupted at this claihetti around my fork and tried not to compare this to the dinners of my childhood, when I usually ate in front of the television If I was lucky enough to be in a motel room Often it was the backseat of Mom’s car Either way, there was rarely a ht fro noodles into their eneral mess Sheridan stabbed her fork into a meatball and lifted it to her lips for a bite She ate about half of it before it fell into the boith a splat, spraying sauce

Madison proclaimed herself full after three bites, but I coaxed her into eating a littleher with the lure of bread All the while, I tried to ignore Reece’s watchful gaze, hoping I was playing it cool as I wiped sauce off chins Lowering the napkin, I glanced at Reece, only to find hi back at me

Heat prickled overa strand of hair behind led a slice of bread at Madison "One lued to the bread, the toddler shoveled one le of noodles into her ers

Sheridan was another story, happily devouring her spaghetti andon to her second meatball I picked atI chewed sank like lead into my sto Eating with gusto Apparently he had no such troubles

"All right," I instructed when the girls declared theet in your pj’s and ready for bed I prouys don’t stall" I clapped once "Chop chop"

"Two stories," Sheridan wheedled

"Um" I pretended to think hard "Okay"

"Three!" Madison shouted, holding up four fingers

Sheridan pointed at her "Ha! You can’t count! You’re holding up four--"

I closed a hand around the seven-year-old’s arm and lowered it to her side "I think three stories sounds perfect"

"Yay!" The girls cheered and cli her own booster strap in her eagerness

"Wait Wash hands first" I led them to the kitchen sink and supervised as they stepped up on the stool and washed up They raced frothe surface of the table "You’re good with the about you"

He shook his head "Not really Just experienced I greith a little brother who insisted on shadowingbrothers tortured their younger brothers?"

"Not so ot on pretty well Still do"