They were cheap and filled his growling gut. Pancakes and mac n’ cheese the way Ms. Evelyn used to make them. Not the kind out of the box, the real deal. He wiped his hands on the sunflower dishtowel. The smell of hot syrup accompanied the ding from the microwave. With the ease of a seasoned chef, he flipped the pancake and smiled as the round delight sizzled in the pan.The sound of tiny claws on the wood floor preceded the voice he was waiting to hear. “You stayed.”It wasn’t a question, Sean noticed, but a rather a statement of disbelief.“Yeah, you hungry? I hope you don’t mind. You had some box stuff, but I like them homemade.”She looked over at the dining area. Her gaze flew back to him. Her shy smile was so damn sweet. “Y-You cooked for me?”“No, I cooked for your dog.” He slid the perfectly golden pancake onto a plate piled with a stack of others. “Sit down and I might let you have some, if it’s okay with her.” He tipped the flat end of the spatula at her feet, where Penelope looked up at him with a lopsided smile.The sound of Abigail’s laugh made him want to wake up like this every morning.
