No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(36)

“What kind of animals do you have? Do you have any pigs?”

“I don’t have animals right now. I grow artichokes.”

Jayden looked disappointed. “What’s an arti—What did you call it?”

“Artichokes are vegetables. I’ll have to send one home with your mom so you can try it.”

“I don’t like vegetables,” he said.

Dawson couldn’t help chuckling. “Then I’m glad I’m not depending on you.”

He wrinkled his nose. “What’d you say?”

“Nothing. I didn’t like vegetables when I was your age, either.”

“Jayden, why don’t you go potty and get dressed?” Sadie said. “And please don’t put so much toilet paper in the toilet this morning. If you stop it up again, Mrs. Clevenger is going to want to kick us out.”

“I don’t do that,” he said, but he shot Dawson a glance that was just devilish enough to indicate otherwise.

“Hurry,” Sadie prodded. “We can’t be late.”

“I’m going,” her son said, but he was barely inching along. Clearly, he was more interested in keeping an eye on Dawson.

“Hurry,” she said again. “Breakfast will be ready soon.”

“What’re we having?” he asked.

“How about French toast? You like French toast.”

He clapped his hands. “Yay! My favorite! Do you like French toast?” he asked Dawson.

“Sure, French toast sounds delicious to me,” Dawson replied and hoped Sadie would put on something a little less revealing while she cooked—almost as much as he hoped she wouldn’t.

*

Sadie peeled off the T-shirt and the shorts she’d worn to bed and tossed them in the pile to be washed. She was going to take a quick shower, but removing her clothes while Dawson was in the house felt rather...erotic, especially after what she’d imagined last night. She could hear his voice as he talked to Jayden, which made him sound very close...

Something had changed between them, she decided. The attraction that’d flared last night wasn’t gone. He’d grown aware of her in a sexual way—and she liked the attention.

“You gotta be smart,” she reminded herself with a stern glance in the mirror. Then she pushed those feelings of excitement to the side, doing her best to ignore them, so she could get ready and wouldn’t be late. She hated to make Dawson stay until she and Jayden could get out the door, but what had seemed so innocent last night—having him stay for a few hours because she needed the company—felt entirely different now that she’d spent hours dreaming about feeling his naked body against hers.

“Ready, Mom?” Jayden hung on the doorknob with one hand while fighting to keep the bag they took to and from Petra’s each day on his shoulder with the other.

She straightened the apron that was part of her uniform for Lolita’s. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Dawson was watching the news when they came through the living room. He hadn’t been able to shave, so he had a dark shadow of beard growth on his chin. That together with his wrinkled clothes made him look a little unkempt, but Sadie liked him that way. He looked good sitting there on her couch in those faded jeans and that Tennessee Williams T-shirt. She’d found him attractive from the start, but his sex appeal seemed to be growing fast, which worried her. They’d be spending a lot of time out at the farm alone—and she’d only be spending more time with him once she was finished working at the diner.

“Have a great shift,” he said.

“Will you be here when we come home?” Jayden asked.

He chuckled as he shook his head. “No. You’ll have your couch back.”

“You can use it. We can share,” he said, repeating what Sadie had told him earlier. To her ear, Jayden sounded a little disappointed, which surprised her.

“Thanks, but I should be okay at my place. I’ll be careful not to drop by when I’m so tired.”

Jayden hitched the bag higher on his little shoulder. “Maybe I can come see those things you grow sometime.”

“I’ve already told your mother she can bring you whenever she wants.”

Jayden immediately turned to her. “Can I go today?”

He had been at Petra’s so much recently. Sadie knew he missed being with her. And some of her previous fears seemed unfounded—given that Dawson could’ve murdered them both in their sleep last night and hadn’t so much as given them a threatening look. But she was still worried about Sly’s reaction. Ironically, she was far more frightened of her ex than her new employer.

“Can I, Mommy? Please?” Jayden begged.

If Jayden came only for this afternoon, would Sly have to know?

He could too easily find out, she decided. He’d been keeping such a close eye on her—had always kept a close eye on her, but more so now that she was working for Dawson.

“I’ll think about it while I’m at the diner.” She was so tired of letting Sly dictate what she could and couldn’t do, but she had to be careful or he’d sue her for custody.

She took the bag from him and they walked out to find Maude Clevenger spraying off the stepping-stones in the yard.

“Mornin’!” Maude called and turned off her sprayer in anticipation of their usual chat.