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“That looks so good!” Cody bounces up and down.
I wink at him. “I think these might just be my best ones yet.”
“Guys… I have some bad news.” Cody and I turn toward Katie at the same time. A look passes across her face I can’t decipher before she shakes it away. “Sue just called and said she has food poisoning.”
“Oh, no. Is she going to be okay?” Sue is like a grandmother to Ellie and Katie. I’m not entirely sure how old she is, but she’s a spitfire, that’s for sure. The few times I’ve met her, she’s practically charmed the pants off me. Actually… if I think about it, I’m pretty sure that was her goal.
“She said she was fine, just a little wrung out from being sick.”
“So Sue isn’t coming over anymore?” Cody asks, his shoulders slumping.
“No, baby. I’m sorry. You’re stuck with me tonight.”
Cody gasps. “Maybe we could have a movie night with Nolan!”
“Oh, baby. I don’t know about that. He probably has other things he could do tonight.”
I shrug. “My only plan was to take you out. I’m up for a movie night, if you don’t mind an extra person.”
Katie looks at me as if she’s trying to figure out my angle.
Cody punches the air. “Yes! Okay, we’re gonna need more chicken and fries. Oh, oh, and popcorn!” Cody starts walking to the fridge, muttering to himself. “We don’t have any candy, but that’s okay. We’ll get some for next time.”
I raise an eyebrow at Katie, asking the silent question. If she wants me to go, I’ll go. She looks at Cody with a bemused expression and then shrugs in a what can you do way. I grin at her and turn back to her son, who has drug out the frozen bags of chicken nuggets and potatoes.
“Okay, big man. You go ahead and dish up your plate. You don’t want to wait too long to eat or your food will get soggy. I’ll work on mine and your mom’s food.”
“Good idea.” Cody jumps up onto the counter to grab himself a plate and cup, both of which are plastic. It’s then Katie comes around the island to help him get his food together. The whole scene gives me a glimpse into their daily life, and I’m suddenly feeling incredibly lucky to be here. They have such a genuine connection. The love between them just radiates around the room. It’s beautiful. And Katie is even more gorgeous than I’ve seen her before. There’s something about seeing the two of them in their space together that changes how I’ve always viewed them.
I turn back to my task, portioning out food for me and Katie. She opens the fridge and grabs a handful of stuff. “Cody, I’m going to make a salad. Would you like some, too?”
He shrugs. “Sure, I guess.”
After getting our food into the oven, I lean against the counter and watch Katie and Cody interact.
“What movie are we watching tonight?” Katie asks him.
“Something with action. Oh, what about Zootopia?” Cody looks over at me. “Have you seen that one before?”
“I can’t say that I have. What’s it about?”
“A bunny becomes a cop and catches all these bad guys in the city. It’s really good, and there’s a huge twist at the end that you’ll never see coming.”
“Sounds good to me.” I grin.
Cody finishes his food around the same time that the rest of it finishes cooking. He decides to go get the movie cued up while Katie and I get our food plated. I quickly glance to make sure Cody’s gone before I wrap my arms around Katie’s waist, my chest to her back.
“Goddamn, you smell good, woman,” I whisper into her neck. She shakes her head and turns in my arms, a smirk quirking up the side of her mouth.
“I’m sorry this isn’t the night you imagined it to be,” she says quietly.
I shrug one shoulder. “I’m still getting to spend time with you. That’s all I wanted.”
“You’re too charming for your own good.” She tries to look unamused, but the purse of her lips gives her away.
I press a quick kiss to her mouth before taking a step back and handing her a plate. If I spend any longer with her body pressed against mine, I’ll do something neither of us would want Cody to walk in on.
“Would you like a soda or something? I have Diet Coke, wine, or water.” Katie grabs a can of soda for herself.
