In the Line of Duty by Ami Weaver Read Free Book Online

told them, and nodded to Matt. “You can put your coat on the back of the chair there. Aldo is welcome to hang out here.”
    “Can we pet him?” Eli asked, and Matt nodded, unsnapping the leash.
    “Sure.” He grinned as both boys practically fell on the dog.
    “Good thing I had them wash up for dinner,” Callie said with a rueful little laugh as she started for the kitchen.
    “Oh.” Matt stopped, looked back, chagrin clear on his face. “Sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
    Of course he hadn’t; he wasn’t a parent. “It’s fine. Sit down, guys,” she called over her shoulder. “You can pet him after we eat.” To Matt she added, “You can have a seat.”
    But he followed her into the kitchen. “I can’t let you serve me,” he said, when she turned to protest. He stood so close, all she could smell was his scent. His words were teasing, but his eyes were—well, not so much. There was a heat in them she wasn’t ready for. She swallowed hard. There really wasn’t anywhere for her to go if she stepped back. And darn it, she didn’t want to step back.
    “Um. Okay.” She spun around quickly and pulled the plates out of the cupboard. “I’ll dish it up, you can serve it. That work for you?” Her voice was a little too high and her hand a little too unsteady, so the plates rattled against each other as she set them down. Matt stepped back and she moved around him to grab the salad. She pulled out two bottles of salad dressing, ranch and Italian. “Which, if either, do you like?”
    “Ranch is fine,” he said. “Do the kids get any?”
    “Eli does. Liam’s not really a fan.”
    He chuckled and the sound hit her down low. Very, very low. Goodness.
    She turned to the stove and managed to dish up the fragrant, gooey casserole without spilling any. Her handoffs to Matt were carefully managed so she didn’t accidentally touch his hand. If he noticed she was being overly careful in her movements, he didn’t let on.
    “What would you like to drink?” she asked him as she turned to the fridge. “I don’t really have any man drinks.” She hadn’t stopped to buy anything, either, thinking it would be too much. In fact, she’d done a great job of overthinking everything about what was supposed to be just a friendly dinner .
    He arched a brow as she put the half gallon of chocolate milk on the counter. “Man drinks? I can’t have chocolate milk, too?”
    Her face burned. That had been a stupid way to put it. “Oh. Of course you can.”
    He moved in a little closer. “I’m just teasing,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. Water is fine.”
    She busied herself with the drinks and was relieved when Matt left the kitchen. She gathered up the glasses and joined them at the table. Aldo, she noticed, had lain down underneath it. He didn’t lift his head from his paws, but he did thump his tail.
    Both boys were peering under the table.
    She managed not to smile. “Guys. You need to eat, then you can play with Aldo. Okay?”
    Matt jumped in. “He doesn’t mind waiting. I fed him before we came over here.” To Callie, he said, “This is great. I’ve only ever had mac and cheese from a box.”
    She laughed. “I’ll make sure I tell my mom. It’s her recipe. Usually if the kids have mac and cheese, it’s from a box. But this version—” she stopped herself from saying is for special occasions and finished “—is for company.”
    Eli was not to be deterred by small talk. “We can’t have a dog.” This was accompanied by a sideways look at Callie. She took a bite of her mac and cheese to cover her smile.
    Matt glanced at her casually. “Your dad wanted a dog when he was a kid, too.”
    Eli’s eyes got huge. “He did? How do you know?”
    Callie held her breath. This was what worried her, bringing Jason in so suddenly like this. Matt smiled at Eli. “We were neighbors when we were growing up, like you and I are now.”
    “Our dad died,” Eli told him. “That means he’s not here