Page 79 of Escape

“I’ll grab that, if you want to grab plates,” I told him.

Huck released me and moved in the opposite direction. “You’ve got it. Did you put the tea on?”

As soon as he asked, I stopped to look back at him. “Crap. I got so caught up in the pancakes and cleaning that I forgot about the coffee and tea.”

“That’s okay. I’ll put the coffee on and get the kettle filled up for the tea.”

Just like that.

Huck made everything so comfortable and effortless. He didn’t get angry over something so insignificant. He wouldn’t go into a rage and take his fists to me because I accidentally forgot to do something. Huck would just take care of it.

Maybe that was how it worked in the real world for most people. I’d never experienced it, so it was no surprise I couldn’t bring myself to do anything besides stare at him.

Stare at him while feeling the overwhelming desire to kiss him. More than anything else I wanted in the world, I wanted to know how it would feel to kiss Huck.

Being lost in that thought, I hadn’t managed to move. That’s when Huck glanced over at me, noted my inaction, and stopped what he was doing. “Are you okay?”

And there was that, too.

Huck was always concerned with my well-being. That hadn’t hit me as a surprise just now, but it didn’t negate the depth of appreciation I had for it.

Huck wasn’t selfish; he cared.

He was generous.

“Josie?” he called again.

God, I wanted to kiss him.

No. No, that wasn’t it.

I wanted to be kissed by him.

I shook my head, attempting to rid it of the thoughts I was having. Then I smiled at him and insisted, “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

I gave him a nod. “Yeah.”

He eyed me curiously, and I wasn’t entirely sure he believed me. But it didn’t matter, because I knew I was telling the truth. I was okay; I was the best I’d been in my whole life. And I wasn’t crazy to believe things were only going to get better.

So, instead of trying to convince Huck with words, I decided I’d show him by springing back into action. I turned toward the oven so I could get our breakfast out.

A few minutes later, after I’d cut and served some pancakes onto our plates while Huck took care of the coffee and tea, we sat down with one another to eat.

Huck didn’t hesitate to dive in, and he was even quicker to tell me how he felt.

“This is so good, Josie.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You like it?”

He shoveled in another massive bite with syrup and powdered sugar. “It’s excellent. I love it.”

This was exactly what I’d been hoping for, to give Huck something that he’d thoroughly enjoy. Judging by the way he was eating, it was obvious he was enjoying this. I had to keep reminding myself to eat, because I was so distracted by him and the way all that was happening this morning was making me feel.

It seemed impossible that anything could have happened to make the morning any better, but I should have expected nothing less from Huck. He’d gotten through the first two large helpings of pancakes I’d given him, gotten another serving, and sat back down. Before he took another bite, he asked, “So, did you have anything else planned for today?”

I shook my head. “No. Why? Did you?”