Chapter 3

She woke up to the smell of cigarette smoke swirling around her. She could feel his flesh against her, his body heat warming her under the blankets. She opened her eyes. She was facing away from him. All she saw was a wall covered in various coloring pages and drawings, mostly in pinks and purples. It was the true sign of a parent.

Linden rolled over, making sure the sheet and blanket was securely covering her. As she turned, she was met with Holder's smiling face. He was on his side, facing her, a cigarette between his lips.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Watching you sleep," he answered honestly.

"Creeper."

"Hard not to watch a beautiful woman as she sleeps."

"Flattery's not going to get you anywhere."

"Worked last night." She took the cigarette from between his lips and popped it into her own mouth. She took a long drag, letting the feeling overwhelm her senses.

"Thought you quit," he observed.

"Some things never change."

"And some things do," he said, taking the cigarette, stamping it out in an ashtray on the table next to the bed, and kissing her hard. He rolled on top of her, covering her face and neck with kisses. As his hand began to travel from cupping her cheek, down her neck, and torso, her stomach growled. Holder chuckled.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Guess we were so busy last night, we forgot to eat," he said.

"Forget about it."

"Ain't no woman gonna go hungry in my pad. I'll make us something for breakfast."

"We can just get takeout."

"When was the last time you had a home-cooked meal, Linden? And microwave food don't count."

"Neither does that vegan crap you eat," she commented.

"You sound like Kalia."

"She doesn't buy into your vegan crap either?"

He gave her one more swift kiss before rolling off of her. "What do you want? Pancakes? Scrambled eggs?"

"Eggs aren't vegan."

He sat on the edge of the bed and slid his boxers on. "Yeah, well, I ain't vegan today."

"How about some Habanera jelly eggs?" She suggested. He looked back over his shoulder at her and saw the smile on her face.

"Habanera jelly eggs it is. But this time, you gotta promise me you'll eat them."

"I promise."

"Pinky promise?" He asked, holding out his pinky towards her. She linked his pinky with his and they shook on it.

"Pinky promise," she agreed.

He brought her pinky to his lips and kissed it lightly before letting it go. He walked out of the bedroom towards the kitchen. Linden took the moment alone to close her eyes. She thought about everything that had happened, everything that had brought her to that moment in his bed. Every case, every minute spent in the car with him, every second they spent sitting across from each other in their office, every bad takeout place they had ever eaten from. Even the time they had spent apart when she had gone out to find herself and he had gotten himself clean and healthy. She knew if they had allowed themselves to sleep together during their partnership, it never would have lasted. It just wouldn't have been the right time. They would have split and most likely ended up hating each other. He never would have been her home. But things were different. She was different. She wasn't only home, she was happy.

Linden got out of bed and immediately worked her hair into a pony tail with her fingers. She searched the bed for her hair elastic. Holder had pulled it out of her hair some time in the middle of the night. She finally found it underneath her pillow. She looped it around her hair, securing her pony tail in place. She looked around the room for the first time in the daylight. His room was exactly what she expected it to be. Not decorated in any particular style, slightly messy, and full of kid's toys. Smiling, Linden grabbed one of Holder's gray hoodies off the floor and pulled it over her head. She didn't bother putting on any type of bottoms. His sweatshirt was so long on her it practically came down to her knees. She walked into the kitchen where he was busy whisking eggs in a bowl. He had thrown on an apron. The vision of him in nothing but his boxers and an apron made her laugh.

"Yo, what you laughing at, Linden?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

He put the bowl of eggs down on the counter and walked over to her. He pulled on the ends of the strings that dangled down from the hood on his sweatshirt.

"You look like a teenager lost in your big old bad boyfriend's clothes. Let me help you out of there."

She placed her palm against his chest. "Not until we eat."

"Can't dangle it right out there in front of me and then saying no."

"Just cook, Holder."

He turned his attention back to the eggs. He finished whisking them before adding some habanera jelly. He poured the egg mixture into a frying pan, set the heat on low, and waited. He turned and leaned against the counter as Linden opened a cabinet. When she didn't see what she was looking for, she opened the cabinet next to it.

"Next one," he instructed.

She opened the third cabinet and took down two coffee mugs. She looked around, trying to spot a coffee pot.

"Don't have any coffee," Holder said.

She looked at him like he had ten heads.

"What?" She asked sharply.

"It's all about herbal tea, Linden. Coffee messes up your chi. Bad for your health and all that."

"You've got to be kidding."

He cracked a smile. "Coffee pot's under the sink."

She breathed a sigh of relief and brushed past him. She quickly grabbed the coffee pot and a can of coffee. Within minutes, she had a fresh pot brewing.

"I should get my bag from the car," she said, realizing she had no clothes or toiletry items with her. She had been living mostly out of suitcases for months. She had everything she needed in her car.

"You ain't using that as some kind of excuse to run, are you?" He asked.

"No. I just need a toothbrush. Besides, I don't think I'd get too far. I don't have any underwear on."

"Damn, Linden, you sure know how to get a man hot under the collar."

"When was the last time you wore a shirt with a collar?"

"Touché. You don't have to get your bag. I got a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Second drawer down."

"For all the girlfriends you have over?"

"Five-pack was on sale."

"Of course it was."

"Just don't use the pink, princess one. That's mine," he said with a smirk.

Linden disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Holder to deal with the eggs. She quickly located one of the spare toothbrushes and brushed her teeth. She splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She could see the happiness on her face and it was all because of him. She was about to walk out of the bathroom to join him back in the kitchen when she looked at her hair. She pulled it out of its ponytail, letting it hang loose around her shoulders. She had always kept it back, away from her face, because it was practical and easy, but it was time to put her practical side away. She ran her hand through her long locks and took a deep breath. By the time she walked back into the kitchen, Holder was dishing the eggs out onto two plates.

"Smells good," she complimented.

"Last time you said that, you ran out without even trying some."

"I already promised I'd stay, didn't I?"

"Just making sure you remember, Linden. Just making sure."

They both sat at the table across from each other. Linden began to chow down.

"It's as good as it smells," she commented with her mouth full.

"Slow down, Linden. Don't wanna have to do the Heimlich. Although that could be fun if you really are naked underneath that sweatshirt."

"Ha ha."

"By the way, did I happen to mention how much better that looks on you than me? And I like your hair down like that. Looks nice."

"That how you get women, Holder? Compliment them so much they have no choice but to fall into bed with you?"

"Nah. I'm a dad now. Don't got no time for women."

"Practicing celibacy again?"

"Until last night."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"What can I say? 1-900-Linden shows up and you gotta answer the call, you know what I'm sayin'?"

She laughed as she finished up her eggs.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

"Well, I cooked. Only fair you do the dishes."

"After that," she prompted.

"Thought we could go back to bed. We got a lot of time to make up for, Linden."

"And then?"

"What you worried about, Linden? Gotta live in the here and now."

"Just…what are we doing?"

"Thought we agreed on what we were going to do next. Me. You. Bedroom. Stop worrying, Linden and start living. Ok?"

"Ok," she agreed.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Not only am I back to school, but I'm also working on another fanfic at the same time. Thank you for sticking with me!