Hammer's Fall (The Breakers' Bad Boys)(34)

She felt her heart skip a beat at seeing how he had made room for her in his bedroom. It was a little thing, but after going through a battle to even leave a toothbrush at her ex’s place, it meant so much to her that Jared made her feel welcomed into his home and his life.

He chuckled when her stomach growled, and they had gotten dressed when he promised to feed her. She’d chosen to wear a pair of black sweatpants, a tank top, and a zip-up hoodie all with the Rough and Tough logo displayed in hot-pink. He had dressed in his own sweatpants and t-shirt, then they made their way down to the kitchen to make dinner.

He had opened a bottle of red wine, pouring each of them a glass, then he handed her one of the glasses of dark ruby liquid. “Why don’t you just relax while I get everything ready?”

“I can help.”

“You always cook for me. Let me just get these potatoes ready, then I’ll have the steaks going in a few minutes,” he’d said.

She’d taken a sip of her wine and hummed in pleasure as the rich flavor hit her tongue. “Steak and baked potatoes. My favorite.”

He smiled. “We have a salad, too.”

Her brow had lifted at that. “From a bag?”

He’d sent her an injured look that had made her laugh. “Just because I’m a guy that doesn’t mean I can’t put a salad together.”

It shouldn’t have surprised her that he was so adept in the kitchen. He’d obviously had his share of salads while he had been training. Thinking about that time of his life made her curious, but she hadn’t wanted to push for information that still might be painful after he had been forced to retire.

He had poked holes in some potatoes before placing them in the microwave while she began cutting veggies for their salad when she insisted on helping. They worked together with ease, comfortable in each other’s presence. As soon as the salad was finished, he’d ushered her out on the patio, settling her in the comfortable chair then he draped a soft throw blanket on her lap before going in to grab the steaks.

Hammer fired up the grill that he had cleaned and filled with new coals earlier. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction having Kali at his house. He wanted her to feel at home, since he wanted her to eventually get used to the idea of living there with him. When the coals were lit and a nice fire started, he left them to get nice and hot.

Sitting down on the chair next to Kali, he leaned back and picked up his own glass of wine. “Okay, I have to ask. How much do I have to apologize for? You met my mother today, right?”

Her laughter rang out like audible starlight, warming his heart. “You don’t have to apologize. She loves you. It was nice to hear just how much she cares as she talked about you. It would have been nice to get a heads up, though.”

He fidgeted on his chair. “So, how did everything go?”

“It was great. I love the rescue center and the work they’re doing there.” She paused, nibbling on her lower lip until he reached out to soothe the place where she had bitten it.

“What is it?”

“There was this puppy…”

He chuckled as he set his glass down and stood up, walking over to the grill to throw their steaks on. “One of the pit bulls they just rescued? I heard about that. Some sick fucker… sorry, I meant—”

“No, I think that is an accurate description of the person who could treat those puppies like that.” She turned in her chair so she could look at him and couldn’t help the tears that burned in the back of her eyes. “They tossed them away like garbage, Jared. They didn’t deserve that.”

He walked back over to her and stroked a hand over her short hair. “No, baby. They didn’t. Evie and the others will find them good homes.”

“Well, about that. I was thinking…maybe I could adopt one. There was this little gray puppy that seemed to like me and I hated leaving him there. It’s silly, right? Evie told me there were all kinds of rules to having pit bull, which seems so unfair because they seem so friendly.”

“They are, but it’s the sick bastards that have abused them in the past and made them aggressive that has caused people to fear that breed,” he said as he walked back over to the grill to turn the steaks. “How do you like your steak?”

“Still mooing.”

He laughed. “That’s my girl. These are almost ready.”

He went back inside to grab the potatoes from the microwave and put them on plates with some salad they had tossed with Italian dressing. He cut both of the potatoes open and sprinkled them with salt, then added a pat of butter and a heaping spoonful of sour cream. He walked back outside carrying both plates, and put one cooked steak on each plate. Kali had gotten up from the chair, moving over to the patio table where she filled both of their glasses. He set the plates down on the placemats he had set out earlier then pulled out a chair for her to sit.