LITMIR.BIZ

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      Kaleb reached up and wrapped his forearm around Chloe’s waist and swept her off his shoulders with a flourish and propped her on his hip. Then they climbed the steps to the podium together. Maddy’s only hint of unease about making him accept the prize with them was when they were asked to pose together for a picture for the local paper. But she smiled, hoping no one got any strange ideas about why they were all together. Too late to worry about that now, though.

      They were presented with the tickets for the Space Needle and a voucher for dinner reservations at a day and hour of their choosing. Maddy tried to hand them to him, but he shook his head. “You keep them. We’ll work out the details later.”

      More flashes went off indicating pictures being taken. Then they descended the platform. Roxy met her at the bottom and hugged her. “Let me put my stuff in the car. I’ve got a little something out there for you.”

      Maddy frowned. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

      “Are you kidding? Of course I did. You’re my baby sister.”

      Roxy glanced at her watch and then at Kaleb. “Would you mind carrying Chloe out to my car for me? It’s later than I expected and I promised Little Miss Kite Winner that I would get us a movie and a pizza to celebrate.”

      “Sure.”

      Maddy helped gather the majority of their things, handing Chloe the winning kite—the prototypes for all the kites would go on display in the pediatric oncology ward of the hospital to help cheer its young patients. “Can you carry this for me, honey?”

      “Yes.” Her daughter cradled the kite carefully against her chest, and Kaleb wound the tail around its body.

      Once they had everything loaded in the car and got Chloe strapped into the car seat that Roxy kept in her vehicle, her sister handed her a gift bag out of the back with another hug. “Happy birthday, honey. Enjoy your night. And for what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re here in Seattle.”

      Moisture stung the backs of Maddy’s eyelids. She tried to laugh it off before anyone noticed. “You noodle head, there’s no place I would rather be.”

      “Not even home? I know Mom asked you to move back. She told me.”

      Maddy leaned back and shook her head. “I’m happy at my job, and I love everything about this city. I’m here to stay.”

      * * *

      Kaleb did his damnedest not to listen in on their conversation, but he couldn’t help but hear the last part of Maddy’s statement. She loved everything about this city. He didn’t know why, but he was glad that what had happened with her ex wasn’t going to drive her back to Nebraska. He realized he had no idea where in Nebraska that was, actually. It was one of a growing list of things he wanted to ask her, however.

      Once the sisters had said their goodbyes, Maddy turned to him, her gift bag in hand, the lawn chairs propped against the box that contained her other items. “I know you said you’d put these in the car, but I think I can get it, if you need to get going.”

      “I’m not in any hurry.” He picked up the box and then slung the straps to the chairs’ carry bags over his right shoulder. He nodded at Roxy’s present. “Don’t you want to open that?”

      “Oh.” She glanced down. “It can wait. Roxy already told me what’s inside it. I can get the kite back from Chloe and give it back to you on Monday, if you want to keep it as a memento.”

      “No. It’s hers. I want her to be able to fly it again.” He started walking in the direction of her car.

      Once everything was tucked into Maddy’s vehicle, he leaned against the back bumper. “Let me take you out to dinner. It’s your birthday, and I don’t feel right sending you back to your apartment by yourself.”

      “You don’t have to do that.”

      He couldn’t tell if she didn’t want to go with him or if she was just trying to feel him out. He decided to make it as plain as possible. “You’ll find I rarely do anything that I don’t want to do.” He touched her cheek. “Go out with me. I want to buy you dinner.”

      There was a few seconds’ pause before she nodded. “Thank you, then. I’d like that. It’s been a busy day, but I was actually kind of regretting promising Chloe she could go home with Roxy. I’d need to run home and check on Jetta and feed him first, though, if you don’t mind.”

      “It’s on our way. We can drop off your car in the process, if that’s okay?”

      “More than okay.”

      When he followed her up to the elevator of her apartment building, his arms full, they found a box sitting in front of her door. And from the imprinted logo on the side along with the scent of ginger that lingered in the hallway, someone had already made dinner plans for Maddy. So much for taking her out. Maybe it was just as well. Because standing in her hallway reminded him of Maddy’s original plan of soaking in the tub.

      She opened the door, pushing the box inside with her foot. Jetta met them almost immediately, meowing and winding around her in a way that made him smile. That was a lot of effort to garner sympathy. The cat had been working on that act for a while, from the looks of it.

      “I take it he’s hungry.”

      She laughed. “He’s always hungry.” Motioning to the stuff he was holding, she said, “You can just set that anywhere, and if you don’t mind putting the take-out box on the counter, I’d appreciate it. I’ll rustle up some food for Jetta. He’s earned it for inspiring the kite design. I guess this means we don’t have to go out for dinner after all.”

      Hearing her say the words punched his gut in a way he didn’t like. Hadn’t he just been thinking that himself?

      “I guess not. I’ll leave you to your meal, then.”

      She turned around in a flash. “What? You’re going?”

      “I assumed...” He nodded at the box. “I’m sure that’s a meal for one.”

      “If I know Roxy, it’s enough for five or ten people.” She glanced down for a moment at the cat, who was still meowing up a storm, before looking back at him. “Please stay, Kaleb. I thought I wanted to be alone, but...”

      “Are you sure?”

      “Yes, I really am. And if there isn’t enough in that box—although I know there will be—we can call out for more to supplement it.”

      Kaleb set the items he’d brought in next to a floral padded bench she had just inside her door. Then he picked up the box of food and set it on the counter as she’d asked him to do. “Where are your plates?” He peered into the box and saw several cardboard containers inside. There was indeed quite an assortment of food, from the looks of it.

      “In the cabinet to the left of the sink.”

      While she popped the top on a can of cat food and scooped the contents into a small silver bowl inside a walk-in pantry, he found plates, silverware and glasses and set the dining-room table.

      By the time she came back in the room, he had the cartons unloaded from the box and the plates set on bamboo place mats. There were a couple of candles poking from a centerpiece, but he didn’t want to light them and risk her thinking he was pushing for things that he wasn’t.

      Was he sure about that?

      “Wow, thanks. I didn’t expect you to do all of that.”

      She put the gift bag on the far end of the table.

      “I didn’t know it was your birthday before today, or I would have gotten you something.”

      “Why?”

      Kaleb hadn’t expected the bald question, so he shifted for a second, trying to figure out a good answer for what had been an impulsive statement. “Because you work hard,

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