Free Hitched by Erin Nicholas Page B

way.”
    “Yes. I make the cookies. Snickerdoodles aren’t for two more weeks.”
    Wow, and she’d been accused of being a type A personality. “Then I’ll eat these. Or give them to Carter or something. Whatever. I just want something to do.” She pulled the cord from Lydia’s hand and turned to plug it in to a different outlet.
    When she turned back, Lydia was holding the bowl. “You can go make Carter cookies at his place.”
    “I don’t know where Carter lives.” Allie grabbed the other side of the bowl and pulled.
    Lydia pulled back. “I’ll give you directions.”
    Allie pulled harder. “I’m not here with Carter. I’m here with Gavin.”
    Lydia’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve been here with Gavin for a year.” She yanked hard enough to cause a drop of the sticky precookie dough to splash onto her shirt. She didn’t seem to care.
    Allie knew that there was nothing going on with Lydia and Gavin. Lydia was twenty, maybe, and if Gavin was with her—or anyone—he wouldn’t have been at Allie’s wedding. That was something she knew for certain.
    She had no reason to fight with this girl over Gavin.
    But she really wanted to make the cookies.
    She. Needed. Something. To. Do.
    Cripes, if Lydia had any idea how crazy Allie might get if she was just sitting around here thinking, the girl would be gathering recipes and offering to run to the store just to keep her sane.
    “Lydia,” Allie said, pulling on the bowl again. “I have no desire to take over your jobs. I’m not honing in on anything here.” Not that there was anything to hone in on except the kitchen duties. “I just need to keep busy. Please.”
    Even the “please” didn’t sway the other woman. “Go get busy somewhere else.”
    Right. Somewhere else. What was she going to do? Watch TV? She hadn’t sat in front of a television in months. Head into town? She didn’t have a vehicle and she’d be lost within five minutes of putting it into drive anyway. She could play solitaire, but that was a sure recipe for crazy. She could read but…well, okay, she could read. But she wanted to make cookies.
    “I’m already doing this.” She yanked on the bowl again.
    “Stop it. You…”
    “What is going on?”
    They both let go of the bowl at the sound of Gavin’s voice. The pink plastic hit the wood floor, and both women jumped back as the gooey mixture of sugar, eggs and butter splattered on both of their shoes, the bottom cupboard and the floor.
    “Ladies?” Gavin had his arms folded.
    “I was trying to make some cookies,” Allie said.
    “In my kitchen,” Lydia said, stomping toward the sink. “Without asking.”
    “If I’d asked you would have been okay with it?” Allie asked.
    “No. But it’s the polite thing to do.” Lydia returned with a wet rag and knelt to begin the cleanup.
    Allie started to reach for the bowl to help but Lydia grabbed it first, pulling it out of Allie’s hand. “Hey.”
    “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”
    Allie frowned. “I’ll help.” She headed for the roll of paper towels.
    “Don’t bother.”
    “It’s fine. I know how to scrub a floor.”
    “No one’s asking for your help.”
    Allie wet several towels and knelt next to Lydia. “You don’t have to ask.”
    When was the last time someone actually asked Allie to do something? Everyone just expected it would get done.
    “I’d rather do this myself,” Lydia said, not looking up as she wiped the cupboard clean.
    “Well, I’d rather—”
    “You have something else you need to be doing.” Gavin’s strong arm came around Allie and he picked her up.
    “Hey!”
    “You’re coming with me.” Holding her against him with just one arm clamped around her waist, he tossed the bag he’d been carrying toward the hallway where Lydia had appeared. “Take that to the clinic, okay?” he asked.
    “You got it,” Lydia said.
    Allie rolled her eyes. Was there anything Lydia said no to where Gavin was concerned?
    She let Gavin