Being(s) In Love 03 - A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate by R. Cooper Read Free Book Online Page B

yes. Something like that. Are you guys sure you’re asking right?”
    Theo’s cookies were burned. He moved to yank open the oven and look over a ruined batch. Only a minute too long, but it was enough to leave them less than perfect. Luckily Theo had more to replace them. He tossed the overdone batch in the trash and ignored Violet’s protest that they weren’t that bad. Robin’s Egg had said the sheriff barely managed a word, so how could he have asked incorrectly? As for Theo, he knew he hadn’t asked correctly. He’d known it the second he’d done it. His failure was his own.
    “Poor Sheriff Neri,” he commented, setting the sheet aside to cool before going back to his dough. He had more to go. If he stayed up late he could get them all baked and iced and packed away. He wasn’t on shift tonight. There was nothing stopping him.
    “You’re going to bake all night, aren’t you?” Violet did not seem surprised. Theo could detect their guilt now, and something saltier, sadder. People often smelled like that around Theo, as if it wasn’t enough for them that he was up and walking around, part of the world again.
    He said nothing for a few minutes. Violet finally threw their hands in the air and went to the fridge for more juice.
    “Are you going to help me with these or what?” Theo wondered, although Violet had no talent or interest in baking and generally got in his way and broke his concentration.
    “I will help you eat them,” they answered cagily, although making no move to leave Theo’s kitchen or Theo’s house. So Theo wasn’t to be left alone tonight. He wasn’t surprised. His mom or dad would probably call later. He hadn’t told them, but someone would.
    He stamped out another bear shape. “You know I won’t eat any. I don’t like cookies.” Yet his counter would soon be overflowing with them. Theo felt very obvious sometimes, though no one but Violet ever seemed to notice. No one else knew him; that was the reason. No one else would ever know him.
    “Teddy baby, if I could get you drunk, I would.” Violet gave him a sideways hug, then took a second to pat down their hair.
    “If I could stay drunk longer than a few minutes, I probably still wouldn’t,” Theo argued. He’d lost control two times before in his life and had no desire to repeat either experience. They’d had this discussion before. Violet thought Theo should let loose, express the feelings Violet felt he was suppressing. Theo wanted to be left alone.
    Today Violet went easy on him and didn’t argue. “Did you seriously promise people bear cookies? Why?”
    “They’re going to be pandas,” Theo corrected, then shrugged. “I had nothing else to do.” He was glad he’d made that promise. Otherwise he wasn’t sure what he would have done tonight. Of course, the coffee shop at the library didn’t need more than two dozen, and neither did Robbie’s son for his birthday party.
    If he was going to keep baking at this level, he ought to do it full time, but Theo couldn’t imagine this as a real business. His stuff was good, but it wasn’t amazing, no matter what people sometimes said. Baking was a relief for him more than a side income. It kept him in the house and gave him something else to focus on. He needed that today. His heart was still racing from hearing that name.
    “Theo, you know you can go out. You can even date whenever you are ready. You’re not dead.” Those were also words Violet had said to him before. Theo crushed the soft cookie in his hand before he could get it onto a cookie sheet. “Or you and the sheriff can start a support group,” Violet added, greenish eyes twinkling.
    Theo let out a frustrated breath. After a moment’s hesitation, he threw the lump of dough at them. It hit Violet’s cheek before they grabbed it and ate the entire thing. “Oh my goodness,” Violet moaned around a mouthful of sugar cookie dough. Their cheeks flushed with color. “This is too good to be made by