AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A corner of her lips hooked back into a smirk. “Would you like to—”
Seth cupped a hand over her hair and tugged her close for a kiss to shut her up.
“That’s really rude.”
“You kissed me back.”
She made a face. “I know you won’t leave me here.”
“You didn’t actually ask.” Seth put his hand on her back and scanned the place again.
“Let’s go watch Andrea and your brothers agonize over which stickers to get,” Clary said. That should be entertaining enough to distract Seth from whoever was or could be lurking in the store.
CHAPTER 5
Clary loved cooking. It was fun watching everyone work together to sort all the things they’d bought. It was hilarious to fight over the wrapping paper, the craft knife, and tape.
But they got it done.
She’d left the delivery to the others so she’d have time to cook and make sure everything was ready for dinner. Besides, cooking relaxed her. Even if she had one thing in the oven and three pots on the stove and was missing an ingredient or two.
And after all that had happened over the last few weeks, she wanted to do something she loved.
Seth stayed with her at the mansion. He’d ventured into the kitchen several times, checking to make sure she didn’t need anything. She’d let him taste everything, in case it didn’t suit the Andersons’ palate, but sent him out when he started to steal more than was necessary to taste.
“Is something wrong?”
Clary’s eyes flew open at the sound of Elton’s voice. It was the first time she’d ever heard anyone turn that question into an accusation. “You’re back.” She hadn’t realized she’d stopped what she was doing and closed her eyes.
Moving around in the kitchen she was so familiar with, but without Grandma Moretti and Mrs. E, felt somewhat sad.
Clary had pushed that aside. She was blissfully focused on making sure she had everything ready and running through the steps in her head. But when she was done with that, when she pressed her hands against the cool granite countertop and drew a deep breath to take in the kitchen and the garden outside, the heart-tugging grief swamped her.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing like that, so she quickly turned to check everything she had on the stove. “Nothing’s wrong.” But perhaps she should consider finding another place to stay.
She could never sell this place. Not with all the memories tied to it.
But it was difficult to stay here.
“You shouldn’t have offered to cook if you couldn’t handle it.”
She knocked her wooden spoon against the edge of a pot. “I miss Mrs. E. I miss my Grandma Moretti.” She blinked as she felt her eyes burn. She hadn’t realized that speaking those words aloud would magnify everything she was feeling.
She was only trying to annoy Elton.
She blew out a breath before continuing, “What do you need? Hungry?” She walked toward the bread dough. “I could bake the bread now, then I—”
Elton sighed heavily. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Do what?”
“I’m sorry,” he spat, seemingly with all the disgruntlement he could manage.
“Seth made you apologize?”
“Zane.”
She nodded once. “You didn’t have to. If it happens again, you can tell them I said so.”
