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She smiled again but didn’t answer. He got the feeling it would take a lot of encouragement to get her to enjoy snow the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
“What about breakfast? You have any yet?”
“I was just headed to the kitchen for some cereal.”
“You can’t have cold cereal on a day like this. Especially after falling into a snowdrift. Come keep me company while I whip us up a hearty winter breakfast.”
Not waiting for a reply, Ash headed to the kitchen. He hadn’t planned on cooking breakfast. He wasn’t hungry…he’d had some cereal and a bagel at home. But he hadn’t been able to turn away from her and go to his office. The thought of her eating cold cereal alone in the kitchen while he worked in his office didn’t sit right with him. He didn’t try to analyze why.
The kitchen was one of the largest rooms in the place. The original owner had been a rancher with dreams of filling the house with a large family. Instead, his wife had died young, and the brokenhearted man had never remarried. Ash had read about the man before he’d seen this place. Didn’t take a psychiatrist to explain why he’d identified with a man he’d never met.
Jules stood in the doorway as he went about his work. From time to time, he glanced at her, wondering if she would ever sit down. Then a thought came to him. “Can you sit down in those clothes?”
She flushed a perfect pink and shook her head. “Not well.”
“The oven is heating the kitchen up. Why don’t you discard a few layers and see if you’ll be comfortable?”
When he turned back around, he was pleased to see she’d discarded the jacket, cap, scarf, and sweatpants and looked a lot more comfortable. He nodded toward the table. “Have a seat. It’ll be ready in about five minutes.”
“I can make coffee.” Showing she was familiar with the kitchen, she grabbed the canister from the cabinet. They worked in companionable silence for several minutes. Once the coffee was brewed, she poured two cups and set them on the table.
“Where did you learn to cook?” she aske
d.
“My mom. After my dad left home, it was just her and me. We took turns.”
“Your father abandoned your family?”
“Not exactly. I finally got big enough to kick him out.”
“He was abusive?”
“Oh yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
“We got through it. We had each other. And good friends and neighbors.”
“Is he still alive?”
“No.” Ash didn’t elaborate. The old bastard wasn’t worth the breath required to tell her how he’d died.
Apparently sensing a change in subject was needed, she said, “Does the team use this kitchen often?”
“On occasion, we’ll pull an all-nighter. Rose has fresh food delivered weekly, so we always have something on hand. What food we don’t use goes to a food pantry in Missoula.”
“Whatever you’re making smells delicious.”
“Cold-weather food is the best.”
“I agree. My mom used to make the best vegetable soup.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “You don’t talk about your parents. They died in a car accident a few years back?”
“Yes.” Her eyes met his. “It was horrific.”
“I’m sorry. Losing a parent is rough.”
