For Fiona

15. Push Over

Tamara approached the table where Lucy was seated near the collection of food trucks and said, "Hey!"

"Hi!" Lucy greeted her. "If you keep stopping by here at lunchtime, people will start thinking you want to become a cop."

"A cop? No way. I want to make real money," she scoffed.

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"So, why aren't you eating?" Tamara wondered.

"I'm waiting for Tim. He does this cute thing where he makes sure we have lunch together everyday that we're both on shift, but even though today is his day off, he promised he would come by anyways. Isn't that sweet?"

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what again?"

"Swooning like a teenager over him."

"Am not!"

"You're blushing."

"I'm not! She felt her cheeks and confirmed they were warm. "Okay, maybe a little."

"How sweet that you're in love with your husband and the father of your daughter."

"No one is in love," she replied shakily.

"Mommy!" Fiona yelled the second she saw her mom. She shimmied so her dad would set her down.

"Hi, sweetheart!" She said as her daughter raced over from the parking lot, and then she bent down to pull Fiona into her arms.

Tim saw how happy Lucy was to embrace their daughter, so he gave them a moment, and then when the hug was over, he invaded her space, cupped her chin to angle her head up, and kissed her softly and slowly. "Hey," he husked, his face a whisper apart from hers.

"Hi," she responded with a growing smile.

"Umm, hi, I'm here, too," Tamara interrupted.

Tim waved at her while Fiona went over to give Tamara a hug.

"Aunt Tamara! Hi! Look! Daddy said I could bring my baby bear and Kojo to visit mommy!"

"Hey, Fi! Wow, you brought the whole family." Tamara noted with surprise as the little girl settled in her lap.

Lucy had not even noticed Tim was holding Kojo's leash. "Thanks for bringing the whole family," she whispered to Tim before bending over to pet their dog.

Tamara stifled a giggle when she eyed Tim checking Lucy out.

Lucy shook her head when she caught Tim staring; there was something so unmistakable about the glint in his eye that made her want to launch herself into his arms and kiss him senseless. She ran her index finger over the space between his collarbones. "I really do appreciate this."

"I wanted lunch to be just the two of us, but Fi wanted to see her mommy, and then she asked if Kojo could come with, and-"

"And you can't say 'no' to our daughter for any reason."

"I told her 'no' last night when she asked for ice cream for dinner."

"You gave her ice cream after she finished her burger."

"I wanted ice cream, too."

"You're bad," she said fondly with a smile.

He kissed that grin until he was wearing the same one. "I'll order us lunch. You stay here with Fi and Kojo." He placed the leash in her hand then used his thumb to brush over her wrist to linger on her skin for a few seconds.

Once Tim had walked away, Tamara gathered, "Looks like the laundry room has been good for you two."

"W- how do you know about that?" Lucy wondered bashfully.