Kissing Kendall by Jennifer Shirk Read Free Book Online Page B

spruce as he waited for her to continue. A stance like that probably made him a formidable-looking police officer to would-be thugs. But she knew the toughness he portrayed on the outside had nothing to do with what was on the inside, so she had to smile.
    Say something, stupid . He’s waiting . “I made pie,” she squeaked.
    Not the most eloquent olive branch she’d ever extended, but it was safe. Pie was a neutral, friendly kind of thing to share. No sexual connotations could be inferred from pie. You had champagne and strawberries with a lover, but you sat down and had a nice piece of pie with a friend.
    Brad shifted his stance and seemed to consider her offer. “ Blueberry pie?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
    She swallowed. Goodness, why was she so nervous? She was only offering pie, not a one-night stand. But she was so used to pushing people away, it felt foreign for her to reach out to someone now—even in friendship. “Yeah, I, uh, was wondering if you wanted to come in and have some. You said it was your favorite, and you’ve been so great about agreeing to help me that…I kind of made it with you in mind.”
    Brad hesitated, then his lips slid into an easy grin. “Well, since you put it that way, I might be able to have a small piece with you.”
    Air rushed out of Kendall’s lungs. Deuce’s paw scratched at the screen, so she opened the door so he could greet Brad. “Thank goodness you agreed. I think Deuce would have been heartbroken if you’d said no.”
    “Would you have been heartbroken?”
    The question made her blink, and she looked at him more closely. The huskiness in his voice held an underlying message, but when she studied his face, his expression showed nothing more than friendly teasing. She let out a relieved breath. It was silly to think Brad was flirting with her. He never had in the past.
    She shrugged to hide her confusion. “Naturally, I would have been heartbroken,” she teased back. “And I’d be stuck with all this pie.”
    “Using me for my stomach, huh?”
    “It always was a black hole.”
    He winced, pretending to be offended. “Lucky for you when it comes to food, I’m not too proud or averse to begging.”
    She laughed. “Well, try to keep the begging to a minimum. The neighbors might complain.”
    Brad’s eyes lit with amusement before he scooped up Deuce and carried him into the house. Her puppy squirmed in Brad’s arms, his tail wagging with excitement.
    Kendall had to shake her head at the way her puppy had grown so attached to Brad in such a short time. “I see I’ve got a little traitor on my hands,” she said, wagging a finger at her dog.
    Brad scratched Deuce’s chin and grinned. “Dogs are excellent judges of character. And, well, you know the old saying— man’s best friend and all.”
    “That saying wouldn’t have applied to Jake. He hated dogs and dogs hated him.”
    “Really? Is that why you guys never got a dog before…” Brad seemed to realize his slip and let his question trail off. He was going to ask if that was the reason they hadn’t gotten a dog before he died. She turned away quickly to hide the hurt.
    “Would you like whipped cream on your pie?” she asked, her voice cracking.
    “Not a chance,” he said, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “I’m a total purist when it comes to your baking. I want to savor every bite unmasked.”
    After slicing the pie, she went over and set a plate and a glass of milk before him. Even though she had no appetite, she placed a piece of pie on the table for herself and sat down with him. Brad immediately picked up his fork and dug in like a man who hadn’t eaten in a month, while Deuce sat on his lap eyeing every forkful.
    “Best pie I’ve had all day.”
    The wink he sent her threw Kendall off-balance for a second, but she managed to cover it with a wry smile. “Thanks.”
    Brad went back to eating, and she picked up her fork and nonchalantly pushed her own pie around on the plate