“I think you should leave and not come back,” Federico snapped.
Fine.
That was cool with me.
“Come on, Remi.” I put my arm around her, but she stopped short and turned around, the fire coming out of her red hair like flames.
My sweet girl was hot when she was pissed.
Except when that ire swung in my direction with the force of a cast iron pan in full swing like I sensed it was about to do in about five minutes when we reached the car in the parking lot.
“I’m taking my pie.” Remi packed up her burnt pie and put it in her little Tupperware container. I sort of hoped she would have left it and we could have gone to the diner, but I had a sinking feeling I was about to eat not just burnt pie, but a huge helping of humble pie.
8
Remi
I couldn’t even look at my husband I was so mad at him. “I cannot believe you got me kicked out of the cooking class. You just couldn’t control your caveman jealousy in the least, could you?” I huffed, storming out of the building toward Evan’s SUV. The man had some serious brass balls, convincing me this was going to be a double date and then oops, no Chase or Winnie because they got sick.
“Remington.” He huffed, following close behind me. There were few times he used my full name, and I wasn’t in the mood for an explanation of his bad behavior. His heat trailed after me, and I quickened my pace, too angry in the moment to be reasonable. How dare he! He dared because he thought he was protecting me in some weird, white knight, old-school way. He was more likely to get himself socked in the noggin with my good fry pan if he kept this up.
I pointed my finger at him, shaking it. “Don’t you Remington me, Evan Eoghan Rooney.”
He winced when I used his middle name. “Sweet girl, come on.” He pointed back at the building. “That guy was a total pervert and you know it.”
“I was finally, finally learning how to cook something decent, and you had to come in all overprotective caveman and ruin it for me.” My stomach rolled and I wiped tears from my face. If he thought for a minute I was okay with his behavior, he was in for it.
“I am sorry, sorry, sorry.” He stepped forward.
I stepped back, cradling my burnt, sad pie in my hands.
“No, you’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not sorry I came tonight, but I am sorry you feel like I humiliated you and took something away that you wanted.”
“Oh shut up and get in the car,” I snapped, not feeling very forgiving in the moment, even as my husband opened the car door and helped me get in, even buckling my seat belt and kissing me on the cheek. Evan was the master at groveling when he knew he screwed up, but I was hurt, and mad, and I needed time to process this.
“I could see if maybe Carmen would give you private cooking lessons.” Evan focused on driving the car and when his hand moved to turn on the radio, I slapped his hand from the knob, wanting silence for my surly mood. “Is that a yes, sweet girl?”
I turned my head to face the window to avoid looking at him. Petulance was my primary disposition at the moment. I glared out the window and clucked my tongue. Once we pulled into the driveway, I got out of the car and relieved our babysitter, paying her extra for what I felt was a waste of her time. She was pre-med and loved kids. Poor girl could be in her dorm room on campus studying, making something of herself and not much younger than me. Here I was a young mom and wife unable to master cooking. It was frustrating and made me feel a little bitter.
She smiled and slipped out while I checked on Ethan in his toddler bed. I brushed back his hair and mentally did my best to calm my raging temper.
“I love you.” Evan joined me in Ethan’s room and hugged me from behind. We swayed in the dark. His masculine scent calmed my frayed nerves and ignited something else in my core I chose to ignore for the time being. I had no intention of letting him think I was remotely okay with what he’d done tonight, even if it felt like I was suffering right along with him. I needed the mental space tonight even though I wanted his physical proximity.
He kissed the top of my head, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I would not give in, but I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to acknowledge him either. “I know you do, even when you behave like an idiot Neanderthal.”
Evan chuckled but coughed it off when my rigid shoulders wouldn’t turn in to his embrace. I was a stubborn red-head through and through.
“Let’s go to bed.” Evan grabbed my hand, tugging me along. We went to our bedroom together, starting our bedtime routine. It was impossible to stay mad at Evan for long. I slipped under the covers, and he joined me, wrapping his arms around me and nuzzling his face in my neck. He kissed me goodnight, and I lay next to him, hot from my temper but silent in the dark. It took a while for his breathing to slow down to the rhythmic pattern that told me he was asleep and even longer before I could settle myself.
This was nothing more than a bump in our road. I would get over this, but now I was more determined than ever to cook a decent holiday meal. We’d probably see his parents, despite their strained relationship, maybe even his sister. For me, it meant something for us to be at home together and for me to feel like I was adding something. I didn’t have family outside of Evan and Ethan; this was it for me.
He might drive me crazy, but his intentions were sweet and pure. I couldn’t say the same for my one past relationship, and that was why I would let this go, and we’d start fresh in the morning.
Evan wouldn’t let me sulk forever, and since I knew he texted Hunter last night, leaving his phone on the dresser where I could clearly see the message, I knew it was only a matter of time before Carmen was solicited to help me in the kitchen.
9
Evan
I’d been officially kicked out of the house for the afternoon. Something about needing girl time and less penis in the house followed by her leaving a basket of laundry for me to fold on my own. I took that as a husbandly clue.
That was partially how I ended up at Chase’s house, holding onto a sink while Chase was underneath with a wrench and questionable skills. I kind of wanted to drop it on him, and I was pretty sure he knew that by the way his hand kept reaching up to make sure it hadn’t slipped from mine.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t call anyone?” I said, pretending to juggle the sink.
“Like who, numbnuts?” Chase growled, wrenching a pipe loose.
“Oh, I don’t know? A professional, maybe.”
He snorted and then used his best Darth voice. “Your lack of faith in me is disturbing.”
I scoffed. “Says the guy who expresses anal glands for a living.” He loved when any one of us brought up the crappy parts of his job as a veterinarian.
“You have no idea how important that is to animal health,” he said dryly as the front door opened and shut, interrupting us.
“Or you just like dog ass.” Damien Hart, one of my least favorite people, but master plumber, strolled in with his tool bag and swagger.
Chase sat up and yelled after bumping his head.
“Who called you?” he snapped.
Damien drawled, “More like who doesn’t call me.”