Anything for You (Blue Heron #5)(81)

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AN HOUR LATER, Davey sat in the kitchen with the dog on his lap. If Lady Fluffy could help Connor marry Jess, he’d commission a statue of her to be put in the park, like Balto, the dog who’d brought drugs to the sick kids in Alaska. Gerard had dropped Davey off and then went to the bakery to see Lorelei and said he’d be back around four.

“So you never cook at all,” Connor clarified.

“I can use the microwave to soften my ice cream.”

“You ever make popcorn or anything like that?”

“No.” He scowled.

“Right. I thought we’d start with scrambled eggs. So first rule of the kitchen, wash your hands.”

When Davey was clean, which took three tries, because he kept picking up Fluffy, Connor started him on cracking eggs. He had two dozen, since he thought it might be a little challenging.

It was. Davey crushed the first egg, getting it all over his hands. And table. And some on the chair. That was fine; Connor would do a bleach-down of the kitchen later on. “This is gross,” Davey said, reaching down to touch Fluffy.

“No touching the dog, remember? You’ll get it. Watch this.” Connor cracked an egg with one hand.

“So what?”

“So it’s one of my few tricks.”

“I don’t like your tricks.” The kid—man—was suddenly angry. The good old internet had said his mood might change on a dime, and for reasons that were unclear to someone unfamiliar with Davey’s issues. Little frustrations could build up, then explode.

“Listen, Dave,” he said. “I know you don’t like me a lot. And you don’t have to. But I would really like us to try to be friends, even if it doesn’t work.”

“I wouldn’t like us to be friends. You’re a show-off.”

Ah. Shouldn’t have cracked the egg one-handed.

“I have a question for you about dogs.” Redirect. That was one of the bits of wisdom that had been offered again and again. He remembered Jessica asking him about Superman or something when Davey had freaked out that time. Then, it had seemed she should’ve just told him to knock it off. Now it made more sense. “Do you think Fluffy would like it if I played music?”

“Yes.” Davey’s tone was sullen.

“Any particular kind?”

“No.”

“Like... I don’t know. I like the song from the Avengers. You know?”

“That’s too scary.”

“Right. Um, maybe...”

“‘Spirit in the Sky.’ That’s a good one.”

Connor nodded, then got up and wrote it down. “Thanks, Dave.”

“Everyone calls me Davey.” His tone was back to normal.

“I just thought Dave sounded a little older. Like someone who was old enough to have a girlfriend.”

Davey looked down at the table and smiled.

“Here,” Connor said, handing him an egg. “Let’s try it again.”

By the time Gerard came back from the bakery with cupcakes, Davey had successfully cracked three eggs out of fifteen attempts. The kitchen table was slimy, but Connor didn’t care.

“What’ve you been up to, big guy?” Gerard asked, slinging his arm around Davey.

“It’s a secret,” Davey answered. “So I can surprise Jess. And Miranda!”

Lady Fluffy—that name, God—barked to be let out. At least she was trained.

“Can I go outside with her?” Davey asked, cupping his hands around his eyes to peer out the back door. “It’s so pretty out there!”

“Sure.” The backyard was fenced in. And, yeah, it was pretty. Landscaped with hostas and ferns, a big linden tree in the back, huge vegetable garden that he tended like it was a child. Hey. Connor was Irish. Gardening was a thing.

Davey let the dog out and ran outside with her, the two of them chasing each other.

So this is what it would be like to have a little brother. Or brother-in-law.

“Does Jessica know you’re doing this?” Gerard asked.

“No,” Connor said. “I’m trying to teach him to cook some basic things. And I’d appreciate it if Jess didn’t know. We’re gonna surprise her.”

“Gotcha. Totally whipped, are you?”

“Yep. Here’s your money, pal. Thanks for your time.” He took two twenties out of his wallet and handed them to Gerard.

“You could just feed me for free this month,” Gerard suggested.

“This will cost less. Thanks again, man.” They shook hands, and Gerard left, calling for Davey. Connor got to work scraping up the egg mess, Lady Fluffy amiably licking whatever had fallen to the floor.

“Think this is gonna work, Fluff?” he asked the tiny dog. “Yeah? Me, too.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

ON SATURDAY, JESS watched from the window as Connor pulled up in his truck. She jumped back, but he saw her, and a smile spread across his handsome face as he came up the walk.

“Spying on me?” he asked, giving her a quick kiss.

He was way too good-looking. She smiled, then turned and called over her shoulder. “Come on, people! The cows await!”

Connor was taking her and Davey to a 4-H fair up in Penn Yan, part of his attempt to win the heart and mind of her brother. Another guest—her father.