He brushed her hair back with a small smile. *** She rolled her eyes playfully. "Except one is literal."
She leaned into his touch, and he would be surprised by the almost hungriness for affection he would feel from her action. Her eyes didn’t leave his face and she considered him. “I really think you’re something special.” *** He shook some sort of spice into the soup, stirring it slowly. “Well, duh.”
He tilted his head at her. "Do you?" *** She leaned back. "And apparently it's not hard to win dogs over with treats. I suppose humans are different."
She nodded slowly, her gaze flickering down. “I do. Is that too clingy?” *** “Why do you think I’m feeding you soup?”
She leaned against him slightly, still frowning. *** “My mama taught me that the way to a girl’s heart is her stomach.”
He put an arm around her, relaxing as he cooked. *** She sat down, observing him with a smile. "That's smart."
She leaned up against him, her head hesitantly resting against his chest. “I hear it,” she said quietly. *** “She was,” he agreed with a small nod, bringing the soup out to her. “My mama was a very smart woman.”
Her eyes had fluttered closed, soothed by the steady rhythm in his chest, but she opened them to look back up at him. “Your heart. It’s beautiful.” *** “Sure, Starlight,” he said, moving over to make himself a bowl.
He tilted his head. "But you can't see it." *** She relaxed at the nickname, tasting the soup. "You're really good at cooking."
"I don't need to," she replied quietly. "I can hear it. It's steady and clear and consistent." * * * "Just Root Soup," he replied modestly. "Logan an' I look forward for this time of year, where we can start making it again."
"Hearts are supposed to be like that," he replied slowly. *** She nodded, looking back down at the bowl. "Thank you for letting me stay."
“Then yours is perfect,” she replied, looking up at him. “It does it very well.” *** “Sure, Ma’am. I’d never let someone get away without some soup.”
