Besides, even if Spencer was the first guy to pique her interest since she broke up with Kipp, she didn’t have time in her life for a relationship. Heck! She didn’t have time for a date, let alone any kind of romantic involvement.
Heavy footsteps in the hallway interrupted her internal dialogue and Dani spun around to face the door. Her heart was thudding in her ears, and although she knew there were four other people in the mansion, after the break-in, she was too jittery to stop the tiny scream that escaped from between her lips.
An instant later, Spencer rushed into the kitchen, an alarmed expression tightening his handsome features. “What’s wrong? Is someone trying to get in? Lock yourself in the pantry.”
“No. Uh…” Dani thought fast. She didn’t want to seem like a wuss. “I stubbed my toe on the corner of the island. Sorry for screaming.”
“Which one is it?” Spencer knelt down and tugged her foot into his palm. “Are you all right? It’s really easy to break a toe.”
“The little one,” Dani lied, enjoying the sensation of his warm palm on the sole of her foot. “But it’s fine. I’m sure it’s not broken.”
After running his finger over her toe, Spencer nodded, put the foot back on the floor, and got up. Leaning against the counter, he asked, “Did you sleep all right? I thought I heard you moving around.”
“Oh. I forgot that you were below me.” Dani’s cheeks heated at the unintentional innuendo. “I couldn’t stand the mess so I cleaned up a bit. I hope I didn’t keep you from falling asleep or wake you up this morning.”
“Nah. My friend has already been here and changed the locks for you.” Spencer handed her four sets of keys and a bill. “Didn’t you hear the drill?”
“I guess not.” Dani stared at the coffeepot, willing it to drip faster. “I was dead to the world until my alarm started shrieking.”
“Good. You needed your rest. Last night was tough on you.” Spencer reached toward her, then jerked back his hand. “So…uh…is the coffee ready?”
“Coming right up.” Dani scanned the locksmith’s invoice, relieved to see the total was much less than she’d feared, then she tucked it in her pocket along with the keys. “How do you take it?”
“Black with three sugars.” His ears reddened. “I have a bit of a sweet tooth.”
“Me too.” Opening a cupboard, she reached into it for a mug. “Thank goodness my intruder only busted the dishes and glasses that were sitting out in the sink rack drying or we might be drinking our coffee from a gravy boat or a ramekin.”
“I’d take it intravenously if necessary,” Spencer joked and tapped a vein in his forearm.
“You’re singing my song.” Realizing that her sugar bowl had been broken and the bin of sugar dumped on the floor, Dani grabbed the freshly washed containers from the sink. Holding them up, she said, “One second. I need to get some supplies from the carriage house. I have storage shelves and an extra refrigerator out there.”
“I’ll give you a hand.” Spencer followed her toward the back door.
A few minutes later, Dani and Spencer returned carrying a couple egg cartons, a half-gallon of milk, tubs of flour and sugar, and bottles of honey and molasses. As they walked into the kitchen, they found Tippi in the kitchen staring into the open fridge as if it held the answers to her next test. She had on sleep shorts with a thin tank top, and when she saw Spencer, she squealed, crossed her arms over her chest, and ran out of the room.
“Guess she forgot you were here,” Dani said, glad she’d remembered to put on jeans and a T-shirt before coming downstairs.
“I bet she’s warning the others right now.” Spencer chuckled and poured both of them a cup of coffee, stirring three heaping spoonfuls of sugar into his own mug.
“Waffles, pancakes, or French toast?” Dani asked, taking a cautious sip of the steaming hot beverage.
“Whichever is easiest.” Spencer rubbed his stomach. “I usually have cereal, so no matter what, it will be a real treat.”
“Pancakes it is.” Dani took a package of bacon from the fridge.
Grabbing a cookie sheet, she lined it with parchment, then arranged the bacon slices flat across the bottom and sprinkled them with brown sugar. After placing the pan in the oven, she programmed the temperature to four hundred, set the timer for seventeen minutes, and started on the pancakes.
“The girls will be down as soon as they smell the bacon.” Dani paused for another sip of coffee and saw Spencer watching her with a strange look on his face. Frowning, she asked, “What?”
“You really love this.” Spencer’s voice grew husky as he gestured to the stove and counter. “Cooking. Feeding people. Even after what happened last night, you just keep on taking care of everyone.”
“Well, I can’t send the girls off with empty stomachs.” Dani’s chest tightened defensively. Did he disapprove of her wasted education? Was he like her father? “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing.” Spencer shoved his hands through his hair. “But most women I know, after your experience, would be demanding someone serve them breakfast in bed, not up making it for everyone else.”
“Then you know the wrong women.” Dani hid her pink cheeks and relieved smile as she turned the heat on under the built-in griddle and continued to mix the batter while she waited for it to get hot.
“I’m beginning to think you’re right about that.” Spencer grinned.
Before he could go on, Ivy and Starr rushed into the kitchen. They both squinted at the bright sunshine pouring through the sliding window and put up their hands as if warding off a death ray. Dani shook her head. What was it with college kids? Were they part vampire?
A fully dressed Tippi followed close at her friends’ heels. She kept her eyes down, avoiding Spencer’s gaze and headed straight to the coffeepot. Dani shook her head again. She’d seen Tippi wearing a bathing
