Page 17 of Matthias’s Protective Embrace (Cardinal Falls #3)

“It’s all coconut milk ice cream,” I say quickly.

“So hopefully, you can eat it.” It took some research to ensure that everything I got would be suitable for his allergies.

“Everything else is also safe, but I have all the original packaging, so you can check for yourself.” I don’t expect him to take my word for it.

If it was me, I’d never trust anyone. The fact that he continues to put his faith in me is intoxicating.

I’ll do everything in my power to maintain that trust.

“Really?” He looks over the buffet set out in my kitchen.

I may have gone a little overboard, but I wanted to be sure I had his favorites.

Since I didn’t know precisely what those were, I got a little bit of everything.

It’s part of the reason I left work early this afternoon.

I ran by a specialty store to get all the things I needed to make this sundae bar happen.

It also gave me a chance to stop by and see the progress on my backyard in the light of day.

I hoped that maybe I could find an excuse to talk to Frank, but I got caught up with Sam.

If Sam caught on to my interest in his employee, he’d never shut up about it.

If I get my way, I’ll eventually have to tell him. But that’s a future problem.

Frank picks up a couple of the containers and turns them over in his hands a few times, looking at the labels.

I felt safe purchasing things labeled as vegan, but I don’t know enough to be sure.

A fact I plan to rectify with extensive research over the next few weeks.

I’m happy he’s taking a few seconds to look over my work.

He stares at the container of whipped cream, or rather whipped cream substitute, for an extra long time.

When he looks up, his eyes are glassy and full of tears.

“What’s the matter? Did I get the wrong thing?” I should’ve done that research first. I had no idea how hard it would be to find things. It gave me a brief glimpse into the daily difficulty Frank faces, simply trying to ensure he has enough to eat.

“It’s perfect,” he whispers. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

I open my mouth to push back. I mean, it’s ice cream.

It’s nice, but it’s not a big deal. Except from the expression on Frank’s face, it clearly is.

“You’re welcome.” My throat tightens as I get the words out.

He deserves a lot more than this. “How about we dish some of this up and then we can move to the living room to watch a movie?”

“Yes, please.” He licks his lips, and I turn away so my mind doesn’t get any ideas of what else he could do with that tongue.

It’s not long before I have two scoops of ice cream in my bowl—one chocolate and one cookie dough—along with a small helping of whipped cream.

It looks indulgent, but nothing compared to the concoction Frank’s put together.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he’d never had ice cream before.

Now, thinking about his reaction, I wonder how long it’s been since he had a treat like this.

His bowl is piled high with a scoop of each of the four flavors I chose—including the coconut mojito, which doesn’t seem like it will pair well—plus whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles.

I’ll be surprised if he eats the whole thing. Or avoids a massive stomachache.

Sundaes ready, we retire to the living room, where the TV has a few options ready for him to choose from. “Pick whatever you like,” I say as I settle on the sofa.

He flips through the options for a few seconds before landing on a newer action movie I haven’t seen yet.

“This okay?”

“Perfect.” Even if it wasn’t, I’d still say yes to him. This is his celebration; he should get to watch whatever makes him happy. Frank hits play, and we both sit back in our seats and dig into our ice cream as the opening credits roll.

The first few bites I take are hesitant.

I’m a bit old-fashioned, and I don’t think I’ve ever had anything but regular ice cream.

Maybe frozen yogurt, back when it was popular a decade ago, but nothing since.

I’ve seen plenty of substitutes on the shelf over the years, even seen people order them a time or two.

I’m expecting… well, I’m not sure what I’m expecting, but it’s not this.

These are shockingly good. If I didn’t know for a fact that it’s not the real thing, I’m not sure I’d even notice.

Yes, it has a slight coconut flavor, but it blends well with the rest of the flavors.

Even the whipped cream seems normal after my first couple of bites.

If Frank’s surprised, he doesn’t let on. Instead, he continues to shovel spoonful after spoonful into his mouth. “Slow down. Don’t make yourself sick.” I can’t help myself. This is where my friends would roll their eyes and make a joke about me Daddying them.

Frank looks at me sheepishly, slowing his pace a bit.

A few minutes later, he sets his near-empty bowl down on the coffee table.

I’m surprised how much he got through. I’m still not convinced he won’t hurt later.

I finish off the last few bites of mine, still wondering how someone managed to make vegan food taste so good.

I swear, it wasn’t this palatable the last time I tried it. Either times have changed or I have.

I’m not sure which option I prefer.

We both sit back and watch the movie. If I happen to spend a little more time watching Frank than the action, well, no one could blame me for that.