Page 14 of Fragile Hearts

* * *

She’s attached a picture of the dog lying on the floor with his head between his paws and what could seriously be described as a sad expression on his face. I know Alana kind of inherited Mochi from Flynn’s former employer, but I also know that it was Sloane who he really gravitated to. She used to take him everywhere when she lived with them, and even after Alana moved in with Flynn, Mochi stayed at the house with Sloane and Daisy.

I wonder if she’s missing him just as much. Smiling, I quickly type out a response to Alana.

* * *

Me: I’ll come and grab him tomorrow. He can hang here too. It’s cool.

Me: Don’t tell Sloane though. I want it to be a surprise.

Alana: Softie! But sounds good, see u.

* * *

Laughing, I slide my phone into my pocket, looking up to find Sloane watching me. “Everything okay?” she asks.

“Yep,” I say, tipping my head toward the dough she is kneading. “Okay, what do you need me to do?”

We make the pizzas in a comfortable silence together, our only conversation to ask for an ingredient or to check that we aren’t making the same pizza. When we’re done, we head out to the deck to cook them, and I grab us a couple of beers to drink while we wait.

“So, how’d your test go today?” I ask before taking a long swig of beer.

Sloane blinks, a flash of surprise crossing her face. “Ummm, it went good, thanks. How was your day?”

I shrug. “All good, the usual really. Flynn helped out with a lesson this morning. The kids went ballistic when I told them who he was.”

Sloane laughs. “Sounds about right. I think they head to Oahu soon, right?” she asks. “I hope Daisy can look after Mochi while they’re gone.”

I really want to tell her that she can look after him because I don’t mind him being here, especially if it’s going to make her feel more comfortable and at home. But I also want to surprise her with him tomorrow, so I keep quiet, instead replying with, “I’m sure it’ll be cool,” as I check on the pizzas. “Alright, these look done. You ready for our pizza and movie night?”

“Have you decided what we’re watching?” Sloane asks as I slide first her pizza and then mine onto the cutting boards.

“Yep,” I reply with a nod, cutting the pizzas before carrying everything inside to the coffee table. I quickly grab two plates and some paper towels before dropping onto the couch.

“And?” she asks.

I grab the remote, scrolling through the streaming services until I find it. “We’re gonna do a Fast and Furious marathon,” I tell her, loading up the first movie.

“A car movie?” Sloane deadpans.

Laughing, I pat the couch next to me. “This is way more than just a car movie, Sloane,” I say, air quoting the words.

She raises a skeptical brow as she sits beside me. “Really? Because it kinda looks exactly like a car movie,” she says.

I grab a slice of each pizza and put them on a plate before handing it to Sloane. “Nope, it’s action, adventure, even a bit of romance,” I say, giving her a wink.

She smirks, taking the plate as she settles back into the couch. “Hmmm, we’ll see,” she murmurs, and I can tell she doesn’t believe me.

Chuckling, I grab some pizza for myself and sit back. Turning to her, I say, “Tell you what, next week, you can pick the movie.”

“Next week?”

“Uh huh,” I reply with a nod. “We can do pizza and movie night every week. Sound good?”

Sloane nods slowly, her expression unreadable as she lifts a slice of pizza and takes a bite. I watch as her eyes widen before she looks down, realizing she has eaten the one I made.

“Figured we could share them both,” I say quietly. “Is that cool?”