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going all out, maybe takeout from Bert’s.”
    â€œNothing wrong with that. I like the food from Bert’s. I do draw the line at microwaved meals, though. And I’m sure with a little effort you could probably cook.”
    â€œI can toss stuff on the grill. Throw a salad together. And make eggs and bacon. That’s the extent of my cooking prowess.”
    â€œYou can survive on that.”
    He dug in to the cheesecake first, and he had to bite back a groan. It was so damn good he wanted to dive face-first into the entire thing, gobble it up, and then grab the whole cheesecake and run out the door with it.
    â€œDamn, Megan.”
    She’d been watching him. “So it’s good?”
    â€œUh, yeah.” After he finished the cheesecake, he sampled the chocolate mousse cake.
    Sonofabitch, it melted on his tongue like a chocolate orgasm.
    He lifted his gaze to hers. “Why don’t you have a boyfriend? Or a husband?”
    She frowned, then wiped her lips with her napkin. “Excuse me?”
    â€œI mean, you’re hot as hell and you make great food. Not to mention these desserts. Why hasn’t some guy carried you off and married you?”
    He saw her cheeks blush crimson. “Oh. You think I’m hot?”
    â€œSure.” He waved his fork at her. “Soft hair, pretty eyes, sexy mouth, great ass. What’s not to like?”
    She laughed. “As far as compliments go, that was pretty good. So, thank you.”
    â€œYou’re welcome.” He busied himself with polishing off the rest of the dessert, and even contemplated askingfor seconds, then decided he’d regret that later when he was trying to sleep tonight.
    He went into the kitchen and helped Megan with the dishes, despite her trying to push him away. It was the least he could do to thank her for a home-cooked meal that came with the best damn desserts he could remember having.
    After her earlier nap, Roxie busied herself running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room to the dining room, her feet occasionally tumbling out from under her, so she’d go
splat
on all fours. Then she’d get up and scramble and do it all over again.
    Megan laughed at her as they stood at the sink. “She’s got some energy—that’s for sure. But she needs some chew toys to help her burn off that energy.”
    â€œI guess so. I’ll look into that.”
    After they finished the dishes, they took their glasses of iced tea and moved into the living room. Megan took a seat on the sofa. Brady picked the comfortable-looking chair next to the sofa. Roxie tried to claw her way onto the sofa, so Megan scooped her up and set her on her lap.
    â€œWould you like a beer or some wine?” she asked.
    â€œNo, thanks. I’m good with the tea.”
    He grabbed a flavored toothpick out of his pocket and slid that in his mouth.
    â€œI have some floss in the bathroom if you have something in your teeth.”
    â€œSome—oh, no. Nothing in my teeth. This is to keep me from wanting a cigarette.”
    She frowned. “Oh. You quit?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œHow long ago?”
    â€œAbout a year or so.”
    â€œWell. Good for you.”
    â€œThanks. After dinner is always when I get the toughest cravings.”
    â€œI never smoked, so I wouldn’t know. Your brother did, though.”
    He stilled, pulled the toothpick out of his mouth. “You knew Kurt?”
    â€œSure I did. I dated him for a while.”
    His head felt fuzzy and full. “When?”
    She lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Let’s see. It was about two years before he died. We dated about six months or so.”
    â€œI didn’t know that.”
    She shrugged. “No reason for you to. You weren’t around then. He told me you were working in . . . Memphis, I think?”
    â€œYeah.” He’d been off learning his trade, working for a great body painter,