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When Nathan walked back into the room thirty seconds later, she stood waiting for him. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“We’regoing to eat. Your mom made country-fried steak,” she said. “Come on now. It’s going to get cold.”
“You sound just like my mom,” he said but was right in front of her the whole way to the kitchen.
Dressings decorated the table. A plate with a nicely folded napkin on top, and the three essential utensils delicately placed in the proper positions. Sandy set the last of the dishes filled with food onto the table.
Tully blinked at the sheer abundance of food. It was an absurd amount for only three people. It could feed her family twice the size. She was so focused on it all she didn’t see Nathan pull out a seat next to her until he cleared his throat. She blinked in surprise. If his mother wasn’t there, it would feel like a fancy date.
She sat down and kept a small smile on display.
Nathan sat right next to her with Sandy across from him. At the end of the table, a seat was left empty.
“This all looks delicious, Sandy. Thank you so much.”
“Oh, dear, it’s nothing at all,” Sandy waved away her compliments with the folded napkin and placed it mannerly onto her lap. “Dig in, please. Eat as much as you can.”
Tully looked to her right at Nathan. She wasn’t sure if it was for reassurance or permission, but he raised his eyebrows encouragingly and nodded towards the food. It smelled heavenly. After studying for so long, she might eat enough for two people.
She loaded her plate with everything there was to offer: a slab of country-fried steak covered in white gravy, a side of mashed potatoes, freshly cooked corn. She tried not to look like she was starving, but she kind of was. A nice home-cooked meal like this was far overdue.
Moans caught in the back of her throat with every bite, and it was a tough effort to keep them down. Sandy kept up a friendly conversation, to which Tully responded when her mouth wasn’t full. Nathan on the other hand seemed to know exactly what Tully was thinking. She caught him watching her from the corner of his eyes several times, all with a satisfied and amused smile on his face. If his mom wasn’t around, she would give him some snarky response to which he would fire back with something flirty.
That’s how they worked.
“So, Tully. What’s your favorite food? Maybe I can make it next time for dinner.”
Tully put down her fork so she wouldn’t be tempted to pile more into her mouth while talking and swallowed what she was currently eating before responding. “Unfortunately, my favorite food wouldn’t be a great dinner. It’s more of a snack.”
“Now I’m more curious. What is it?”
Tully pursed her lips. It was a little embarrassing. Her favorite food to her wasn’t because of taste or anything, it was the convenience of it that she loved. Perfect for any time of day, she could easily grab it and leave her house in a hurry when she needed. “Pop-Tarts.”
“Pop-Tarts?” Nathan snorted and looked at her in disbelief. “That’s your favorite food?”
“They’re very convenient,” she defended.
“What flavor?”
“Blueberry.”
“Wrong. Apple currant is the best.”
Tully narrowed her eyes at him. “Of course,youwould be an apple-currant fan.”
“It’s delicious.”
“It’s an assault on tastebuds.”
Nathan gasped as if she had told him they were breaking up. “I don’t think I can trust you with anything anymore if that’s what you think.”
“Ditto.”
There was a soft, tinkling laughter and both paused as Sandy’s chuckle interrupted them. Once the attention was on her, she grinned her pink cheeks, looking more delighted than when Tully agreed to join her for dinner. “Look at you two. You’re just adorable together.”
Suddenly, neither of them knew what to say.
Tully wracked her brain for some similar sentiment in the past, but as far as she knew, no one had complimented them together. She just assumed that she and Nathan were not an obviously good match and everyone else knew it.
