Free Sweet Escapes: Romance Story Boxed Set by Leighann Dobbs Page A

if he were the garlic toast.

Chapter Four
     
    Oh my God, could things get any worse?
    The thought had barely registered in Olivia's mind when Twitch, Dani's dog, came padding across the foyer to Jordan's side and calmly hiked his leg
    "Twitch, no! Bad dog!"
    Jordan burst out laughing. "This is why Ariel has goldfish. Do you have any other pets I should be aware of?"
    Covered with a flush of embarrassment to her toes, Olivia said, "Mr. Foofums, the cat. But he's locked in the basement right now, so you don't have to worry."
    Pulling out a chair from the dining table, she dropped into it and covered her face with her hands in miserable embarrassment.
    Jordan chuckled. "So how about that toast. Did it survive?"
    From between her fingers, she mumbled, "Burned. Horribly. It's all your fault. You and your insatiable appetite for kisses."
    Jordan thought she might be going to cry until she peeked out from behind her fingers and mumbled, "Hope you brought that chocolate."
    Glancing around the kitchen, he spied the pasta, saw the sauce still simmering on the stove, and said, "Nope, no chocolate. Remember? I opted for flowers instead. But it's not a total loss. Pasta's great. Sauce smells heavenly, and look--"
    He walked over to the counter, grabbed a knife and a piece of charred toast and began to scrape the black off the top. He held it up for her inspection, a grin wreathing his face.
    Olivia sputtered with laughter.
     
    * * *
     
    Thanks to Jordan, the night wasn't a total fail.
    Between chuckles and bites of barely salvaged burned toast, the evening managed to turn out quite enjoyable.
    After dinner she went to the freezer to collect the two desserts she'd made earlier in the day the only part of dinner that hadn't been wrecked.
    Two frosted bowls of vanilla bean ice-cream topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce looked divine, especially with the one strawberry sitting up top at a jaunty angle. Olivia only hoped she wouldn't trip on her way to the table with them.
    He took one look at the frozen concoctions, wiggled his brows comically, and said, "So you are partial to whipped cream."
    She could feel a blush spreading over her cheeks, but his playful mood brought out her own fun-loving nature. "Only on alternate Tuesdays."
    Olivia motioned toward the back door. "Want to sit outside?"
    "Anything for whipped cream," he said with a grin.
    On the swing, Olivia asked about his daughter.
    "I think she's fairly well adjusted. Being without her mother doesn't seem to have affected her as much as it might have. I mean, Ariel never had a chance to know her."
    "It must be tough, though, with all her friends coming around with their moms..."
    Jordan shrugged. "There are times. We get through them."
    Olivia crossed her legs at the knees, enjoying the slow movement of the swing beneath her and the warm scent of Jordan at her side.
    Talking about kids with him felt easy. Natural.
    "Sometimes I think Danielle could use a bit of male influence in her life," she admitted, "especially in the area of discipline. I think I'm much too soft on her at times."
    "Oh, so she's spoiled, is she?" he teased.
    "No, not really spoiled, just sometimes it's hard for me to say no. Being a single parent, I don't really have as much time for her as I'd like."
    Jordan leaned back in the swing. "I understand. It's the same with Ariel and me. After breakfast, there's school and the gym. In the evening, there's homework and showers and teeth to brush. We barely have time to enjoy each others' company before another demand on our time shows up."
    He grew quiet, and for long moments they simply sat there, enjoying the sound of crickets in the background while lost in companionable silence.
    "You know what I'd most like an answer to at the moment?" he asked.
    Olivia shook her head, arching a brow in question, and he grinned.
    "How you taste with vanilla bean ice cream. I confess, I have been fantasizing about it for ages now."
    Placing their dessert bowls on a low