But two days before I’d woken up in a dream come true after a night that included spending time with Mitch on the couch which was (almost) a different kind of dream come true. I fought it but not hard enough. It lulled me, sneaking up on me, taking over my safe cocoon and wrapping me in one that felt safer, snugger, warmer and much, much better.

* * *

The morning Mitch’s Mom and sister came over, Mitch made oatmeal while decreeing he was taking Billy to school. He did this again without discussing it with me. Then again, he was going out, I had Billie to look after so I didn’t argue since his bossy edict made sense.

He had a shower while I talked to his (surprisingly) easy to gab with Mom and sister who were both really nice with Penny being very forthright and equally very funny and his Mom letting Penny mostly carry the show while smiling sweetly a lot.

Mitch took off to take Billy to school and himself to work. But not before he grabbed my hand, led me to the door where we stood with our audience watching (including Billy standing right there) and said good-bye like an old married couple. That was to say he curved an arm around my waist, pulled my body into contact with his, brushed his lips against mine then muttered there, causing a belly whoosh, “See you tonight, honey.”

Then he and Billy were gone. I was in a daze that took awhile to shake off and Mrs. Lawson (who insisted I call her Sue Ellen) and Penny hung around and gabbed with me until Billie got up. They stayed long enough to meet Billie and for Billie to charm them then they left.

Mitch called me late morning to ask about Billie and I slid deeper into my dream world listening to his deep voice on my cell phone asking about Billie. In this dream world, I told him she was fine, up, her appetite was normal and all seemed well in Billie world.

Then he asked me about my day and I told him I was doing laundry, going to the grocery store and picking up Billy and asked if I could go to my place to do the laundry. Then he told me to use his washer and dryer. I decided not to argue because there was no purpose but I would add laundry detergent to my grocery list so we didn’t use all of his.

Still in the dream world, I shared that I’d called my insurance agent the day before and asked if I could get into my apartment the next day because the agent was coming over to inspect the damage and make a report. To this, Mitch told me he didn’t want me over there unless he or LaTanya or someone was with me, asked when the agent was coming and informed me he’d meet him. I argued about this because the agent was coming at eleven and Mitch would have to leave work. Mitch told me the Station was just a ten minute drive and Pierson’s was not and it wasn’t a big deal. Then I told Mitch he was doing too much. Then Mitch said something in his gentle voice that ended with “baby” and I immediately agreed with a breathy, “Kay.”

Argument over.

I asked him if he wanted pizza for dinner. He said that would be great and informed me his sister and mother liked me. Then I let the happy whoosh that created flow through me before I informed him I liked them.

The conversation went on with him telling me we had reservations at North for Thursday night. I informed him I liked North because I did and I also spoke so I wouldn’t hyperventilate at the thought of an actual, bona fide, official date with Ten Point Five Detective Mitch Lawson. Then he told me Billie and Billy were spending that night at Penny’s house. I didn’t argue about this either because I figured at this point I was turning insane and also thinking about why Billy and Billie were spending the night with Penny would definitely make me hyperventilate.

We hung up after what was a surprisingly lengthy, easy, informative but chatty, warm, familiar and intimate conversation.

So, with Mitch off the phone, I allowed myself to hyperventilate.

Then I loaded Billie up in my car, got the stuff for my barbeque chicken pizza, came home and immediately put the chicken to marinade. I did laundry and cleaned the house from top to bottom as a small thank you to Mitch for being so cool and letting us stay there. Then I went to go get Billy. When we were home I helped him with his homework. Then, because it was warm and summer was coming, we all walked to the playground down the greenbelt and Billy horsed around while Billie sat in my lap and we swung in a swing.

We came back and I made the pizza having to do the crust by hand because my breadmaker was at my house.

Then Mitch came home.

“Mitch!” Billie shouted, launching herself off the couch, hurtling the short expanse to the door that he’d taken one step through and wrapping her arms around his hips, giving him a tight hug leaning her head way back to look up his long length. “We’re havin’ Auntie Mara’s chicken pizza!”

Mitch’s hand cupped the back of her head as he grinned down at her and muttered, “I know, gorgeous.” Then he leaned down, picked her up, stepped out of the door with her in his arms and closed it while asking, “You doin’ better, honey?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

“Good,” he murmured and I actually saw his arms give her a squeeze which made another sweet whoosh swoop through my belly. Then his eyes went to Billy and he called, “Hey Bud.”

“Hey Mitch. My homework’s all done,” Billy announced swiftly and the swift way he announced it was not in a braggy kid way or the precursor to asking for something after pointing out he’d been good. It was something else, something that didn’t sit right with me and I studied him trying to figure it out but stopped studying him when Mitch plonked Billie over the back of the couch so she was seated beside me then his lips were at my neck.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he whispered there then kissed me.

My chest warmed and I turned and tipped back my head as he slightly lifted his.

“Hey,” I whispered, immediately lost in his eyes.

“Finally,” he murmured, those eyes now smiling, “I get your pizza.”

At that I frowned.

And at that, Mitch burst out laughing. Then I felt his fingers wrap around my ponytail, he gently tugged my head back further and touched his laughing mouth to mine.

Obviously, I quit frowning.

Then he let me go and walked toward his bedroom, shrugging off his jacket.

I watched him go, unable to shrug off the safer, snugger, warmer, better cocoon that was fitting itself around me and this was mostly because I didn’t try.

We ate pizza and we did it at the dining room table because Mitch decreed we would. And as we ate pizza at his dining room table, I slid deeper into my dream world because I’d never had this, never, not in my life. Sitting around a cool table. Eating great pizza (if I did say so myself). Listening to kids jabber and a beautiful man’s deep, attractive voice interject. Watching people I cared about smile and share their days, their lives, their thoughts.

And I knew Billy and Billie hadn’t had that either and I knew they liked it as much as me.

Maybe more.

Watching Billie’s animation which, if it could be believed, had ratcheted up three notches while her own personal safe, snug, warm cocoon fit around her. And watching Billy watch Mitch and emulate the way he used his utensils and sat in his chair, finally having a good, decent man as role model…

Definitely more.

My safer, snugger, warmer and much, much better cocoon only felt slightly funny when Billy announced what appeared to be desperately he was going to do the dishes. Then he also apparently desperately went about doing that quickly so Mitch nor I could talk him out of it or help. He didn’t even let us clear the table.

I watched this feeling troubled then I felt something else. That something was coming from Mitch so my eyes moved to him and saw that he, too, was watching Billy working diligently in the kitchen and his eyes were also troubled.

He must have felt my gaze on him, his came to me, I tipped my head to the side and he whispered, “Later, sweetheart,” so I nodded.

Mitch was stretched out on the couch watching a baseball game after I’d got the kids to bed. I rounded the couch, his eyes came to me and my eyes went to him.

“Come here, baby.”

My gaze drifted over him and he looked so good lying on his couch, his eyes on me as gentle as his voice had been, my mind settled deeply in my dream world and my body automatically drifted to him. When I was in arm’s reach, he did an ab curl, his fingers gripped my hips and then I was tucked with the couch at my back, his side at my front and my cheek was to his chest.

“Finish the game with me and then I’ll let you go to bed,” he muttered.

“’Kay,” I muttered back.

His arm curled around my back and his fingers trailed random patterns over the material of my jeans at my hip. I sighed and wrapped my arm around his stomach.

See? Totally insane.

I heard his voice rumble even as I felt it when he murmured, “Your pizza isn’t good.”

I blinked but I was so deep in my dream world, snuggled on the couch with Mitch that was all I had the capacity to do before I murmured back, “It isn’t?”

His fingers dug into my hip when he replied, “No, honey. It’s fuckin’ great.”

I didn’t know I could relax more into him but at his words, I did and I added a squeeze of my arm around his stomach.

His arm around my back reciprocated the squeeze.

Then he muttered, “Thanks for cleaning the house.”

He noticed.

God, he was so nice.

“You’re welcome. Thanks for letting us stay,” I muttered back on another squeeze of his abs.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered.

Another whoosh swept through my belly then his fingers went back to trailing and I stared vacantly at the game. Mitch stared at it too and I figured his wasn’t vacant but with all that was happening and another full day, I didn’t have the energy to lift my head to look. All I had the energy to do was feel his warm, hard body at my front, the relaxing movements of his fingers at my hip, the steadiness of his chest rising and falling with his breathing.

My lids were getting heavy when the TV suddenly went off and just as suddenly I was on my feet and one of his arms was around me, the other hand at my jaw tipping my head back. Then his mouth was on mine, mine was open, his tongue slid in for a sweet, delicious touch to the tip of mine and then his lips were gone.

“Go to bed, sweetheart,” he murmured.

“’Kay,” I murmured back.

His arm gave me a squeeze, his lips gave me a grin and then he turned me, gave me a gentle shove and my feet took me to his bedroom.

I didn’t know if he had his pajamas and I didn’t know if he had a blanket or pillow. In record time I was in my nightie in his bed fast asleep. So I didn’t know he came in, got his pajamas, changed in his bathroom and nabbed a pillow I wasn’t using after sliding my hair off my neck then gliding a finger along my jaw before leaving the room, closing the door and bedding down on the couch.

* * *

The next morning my eyes opened and I heard Mitch, Billy and Billie in the kitchen.

Then I closed my eyes.

Then I smiled into the pillow.

Then I rolled out of bed, did my bathroom business, tugged on Mitch’s flannel and headed to the kitchen for coffee, Mitch’s oatmeal and to help Mitch get the kids ready for school.

* * *

When I got back to Mitch’s place after work, I saw a note on the kitchen counter.

It said:

Sweetheart,

The kids are with me on the greenbelt. They’ve had a snack. We’re going out to dinner when you get home, come find us.

M

He wrote, when you get home.

Home.

Oh boy. I liked that.

I went to Mitch’s room, changed into jeans and a tee, making a mental note to ask Mitch when I could get back to my apartment for clean up (and moving back in) but also so I could get more stuff. Then I slipped on some flip-flops and went to go find them.

As I walked down the back steps to the greenspace behind our unit, I saw LaTanya and Brent sitting at a picnic table with a woman I didn’t know. They were watching Mitch, Derek and Billy playing catch with another extremely hot guy and two mini-hot guys (also who I didn’t know) at the same time watching Billie race around chasing what looked like nothing but I was assuming in her imagination was something.