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I smiled, feeling an immediate lift in my spirits. “Very funny.”
Stef winked and picked up the menu. “Come on, spill all the juicy details. What’s the latest with Wolfe?”
My cheeks flushed, but I couldn’t hide my smile. Stef’s presence always had a way of making even the most complicated feelings seem lighter. Fuck, I needed this. “Let’s order first. I don’t want to be interrupted halfway through,” I said, grabbing my menu and giving it a quick once-over.
Stef laughed, her eyes dancing with anticipation. “Hard agree.” She quickly scanned the menu and snapped it shut. “Okay, I’m ready. How about you?”
“Yep, let’s do this,” I nodded, grabbing Brayden’s attention, who promptly came over to take our orders.
“Burger and fries for me, thanks Bray.”
“Sure thing. Esme?”
“I’ll have the chicken salad sandwich with a side of slaw, thank you.”
“Done.” He slipped his notepad back in his apron, folded his muscled arms over his chest and just stood there. “How’s everything?”
Oh, he wanted a chat. Fuck. “Great. How about you?”
“Can’t complain.”
“That’s great.” Stef’s impatience was rolling off her in waves, I swear, so instead of doing what I’d usually do and give a rundown of everything the kids had been up to, I just smiled as sweetly as I could and waited.
Finally, Brayden got the hint and said, “Well, I’ll get these orders done for you.”
“Thanks so much.”
“Poor guy,” Stef said when he’d gone.
“I know, but I’m bursting to talk to you, and I can’t wait a second longer.”
“Fuck, this is exciting. Give it to me.” Stef’s eyes were fixed on me, her excitement and curiosity palpable.
“Alright,” I said, unable to contain my grin. “So, you know how he made us that make-your-own-burger dinner that one time?”
Stef’s eyes twinkled with interest. “Yeah, that whole gourmet burger extravaganza you raved about and that the kids loved so much they wanted them again?”
“Yes. Well, he made them again three days later and now he’s bringing dinner over twice a week.”
“What the fuck? That’s amazing!”
“And the food is really good. Meatloaf and veggies. Teriyaki chicken skewers with rice. Tacos. Chicken carbonara. Some sort of Irish stew.”
Stef’s mouth fell open, and she let out a delighted gasp. “I’m practically drooling just thinking about it.”
“I know! The kids love it so much and there’s two nights a week where I don’t have to think about what to make that they won’t complain about. But there’s more…”
“Go on.”
“Okay, so get this,” I continued, leaning closer to Stef, who was practically on the edge of her seat. “He went grocery shopping for me! He got everything on my list, right down to the kids’ favorite snacks. And when I tried to pay him back, he let me!”
“I don’t get it. Obviously, the grocery shopping is awesome, but what’s so good about him taking your money?”
A small frown furrowed my brow. I wasn’t sure I could explain this in a way that made sense. “Um, well, when I was with him before, he always insisted on paying for things. So this, just taking my money without argument, is different. I don’t really know what to make of it,” I finished, shaking my head, my heart a confusing mess of gratitude, affection, and utter bewilderment. “And don’t even get me started on the fight we had about him cleaning my bathroom.”
“What. The. Actual. Fuck? Please tell me you let him. And that you got it on video.”
I let out a giggle. “He was going on about this new technique he saw on YouTube, something about mixing baking soda and vinegar to get the tiles sparkling. I had to draw the line there. I mean, cooking dinner and shopping are one thing, but cleaning my bathroom? That’s a bit much! I told him, ‘Wolfe, you’re not cleaning my bathroom. I appreciate the thought, but no.’ We both ended up laughing about it. Can you imagine him on his hands and knees scrubbing my bathroom floor?”