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“You, sir, are not able to get away with that like you have any extra pounds on you. Nuh-uh. Not happening around a genuine big girl. Okay?” She waves a clean spatula at me.

“I’ve been told I’m a genuine big guy, Sofia. It’s hard to argue that point.” Most of it might be muscle, and I have to cut off the thought of how badly I want to prove it to her.

She narrows her eyes at me playfully before she pivots. “Come grab your plates. I’ve dished up first servings.”

Two plates lift in her hands as Birdie squeezes by to grab her own. I take the last one, spying another half tray of Shepard’s pie on the stovetop and the bottom third of a salad on the counter.

Dinner is a delight. Sofia is quick-witted, firing flirty jabs at me, silly ones at Birdie, and motherly ones at Noah. She has all of us laughing through the meal. But the way she stares into me when she pokes at me has me on edge as we near bedtime.

Birdie gives Sofia a hug before she goes up for her nightly shower. Noah is asleep on the couch, and Sofia has everything packed away by the door as she waits for her father to come pick her up.

“I can always give you a ride home if you need it.”

“It’s okay. He’s on his way home from school, anyway. Late-night research is his favorite Sunday evening activity.” She leans against the door, and it takes all of my strength not to crowd her.

“I know we haven’t specifically talked about the conference, but I trust you to take care of Birdie for an entire weekend. If you’ll take the job.” My hands are fists in my pockets.

“Yeah, I’d love to. Which weekend?”

“Not next weekend, but the one after that.”

“I can do that.” Her voice is suddenly softer.

Mine dips, too, when I say, “I won’t be home until late that Sunday.”

I swear she shivers a little.

Headlights flash behind her in the window panels beside the door. She doesn’t turn, maintaining eye contact for an extended beat. Her lip pulls between her teeth, and I’m so goddam tempted to pull her lip free with a kiss.

When the lights go dark, I pull away, sucking in a deep breath and pivoting to scoop Noah up from the couch. He’s light and easy to carry to Charles’s car.

I nod a hello to my friend as he rolls down the window.

“Conked out, is he?”

“Sugar crash, I do believe,” I offer with a small smile.

“He does like cookies.”

That makes all three of us chuckle as I slip him into his car seat and buckle him in. I turn back to Sofia, and the smile she gives me tightens every muscle in my body. Her hand finds my arm as she leans closer.

My body screams with the want to touch her back.

“Thank you, Braxton.”

“My pleasure, Sofia.” My words should not be this rough, this telling. I slip away from the car and turn to watch them go.

Sofia pauses at her door, looking at me for another moment before sinking into her seat and grinning at her dad.

My best friend.

God, I am so fucked.

10

CEDRIC

I’m going through some of the rough edits Sofia has made to the first two weeks of her footage. It still needs to be cut in half, refined, but the storytelling is there. I have faith in her to make it shine.