Page 29 of Elevate With Me

Nope, definitely not everything. That was the stupidest thing I could have come up with. What outfit? The cozy homewear he was rocking? The regular grey sweats girls go crazy over? Shut up, Haylee.

“Yeah?” Luke grinned, stretching one hand out, showcasing his look, while the other still cradled Drixie. “I was trying to match your style.”

Glen swooned against me, making me work on my balance, and let out a long “awww.”

“It looks better on you,” I blurted. Goodness gracious, stop talking. Just take the cat and shut the door.

Glen clung to me like a jacket—only jackets do not keep pulling on your clothes and giggling. She could have been my grounding point but instead messed with my balance even further.

“Are you calling me gorgeous, Red Cheeks? Because I’ll take it.”

I blushed and chewed on my lower lip. It must’ve been the nickname. Definitely not the obvious flirtation. Nope.

“She sure is,” Glen said when nothing coherent came out of my mouth, not for the lack of trying.

I raised a shoulder and dropped my eyes on my tapping feet, murmuring, “Maybe.”

Bored with the conversation, and no prospect of petties, Drixie stretched in Luke’s arms, then pushed off, and landed softly on all four paws. She disappeared inside. Without the cat in his arms, the bag Luke was holding became the main focus. At least for Glen. Me? I was staring at my feet and his. Then counted the floorboards between the two. There weren’t many to be sure, since they stopped at the threshold where the floor continued in grey tiles.

“Okay, I’ve got to ask,” Glen buzzed. “What’s in the bag?”

Luke’s right foot slid on the floor, and I raised my eyes just in time to see him drag his hand through his hair. “I was baking,” he muttered, a tentative smile playing on his lips. “Too much for me alone.”

Glen squealed. “You’re a lifesaver! Hallie cooked today, and it was god awful. That’s why the waste needed to be taken out in the first place. I’m starving. Hallie is too, even though she wouldn’t admit it out loud.”

I nudged Glen, who finally stopped hanging on my shoulders and ‘humphed’ in annoyance. Well,humphright back at you; I thought we were rooting for me. He didn’t need to know I failed our dinner, an experiment as it was in the first place.

His eyes were burning through me, but I dared to meet his gaze this time. “Thank you, you didn’t have to.”

“You’re very welcome, Haylee. I hope you’ll enjoy these.” With the bag still dangling from his fingers, he stretched out his hand for us to take whatever baked goods he’d made this time.

“Why not see it for yourself?” Glen grinned broadly. “We’re watching The Notebook, come join us.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

“You’re sure?” Luke’s gaze flicked between me and Glen, but neither of us expected her to take hold of his arm and pull him across the threshold, the baked goods and all.

“Okay then,” he chuckled, “I suppose I could stay a while.”