“Jack – make the toast,” Mimi ordered and then whispered to her, “I think you’re good to break the yolks – but keep stirring.”
Nodding, Heidi ignored Jack as much as possible as everyone set about working on this casual, impromptu breakfast that felt almost… normal. She never had casual breakfasts like this with her ex, and it had been years since she had one with her parents. Everyone always seemed so busy, their lives so hectic between work, meetings, running to appointments, the grocery store, everything… and they werejust here, making some weird breakfast, like it was nothing.
“Jack,” Mimi interrupted Heidi’s thoughts just in the nick of time because she could feel a lump growing in her throat and a feeling of emptiness because – this – felt like it had been missing from her life. Something so simple, so easy, so normal… felt abnormal, and that seemed wrong on so many levels in her mind. “C’mon with the toast.”
“I can’t make ittoastany faster,” he admonished, his voice full of humor as the toaster popped. He plucked them from the toaster, dropped them in a plate, and held it out toward where Heidi was standing – still stirring. “Grab a spatula or spoon before Mimi bites one of us…”
Her eyes met his, saw the sparkle in those hazel eyes – before looking away. His smile faded as she quickly spooned up some of the ‘gravy’ onto the toast. Mimi plucked the plate from Jack’s hand only a second later, taking it to the table. He was glancing at Heidi, making more toast, and their eyes kept meeting, but neither said a word. He looked concerned, and frankly, she was trying her best to keep from looking at him. She didn’t want to like him, didn’t want to think he was funny or cute, and sticking around here could be dangerous to her mindset… and her heart. Two more slices of toast popped, and he put them on a plate, leaning toward her.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a hushed voice, keeping it between them.
“I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“I’d be better if you left me alone…” she tossed out, avoiding his gaze – only for him to stand there pointedly, still holding the plate that she’d just dumped more of the weird egg gravy. “Go sit down,” she begged under her breath, trying to get him to leave her alone.
“Never,” he murmured. “Ladies are always first – and that includes the lovely ones who would like to cheerfully rip my head off, or stomp on my feet.” Her eyes moved to his – and he reached over, taking the spoon from her as he pressed the plate toward her once more. “Go enjoy it while it’s hot, Heidi…”
“I wish my name were Mary, Beth, or Jessica…”
“Why?”
“Because you’re making things weird.”
“By saying your name?”
“You know what I mean,” she whispered to him, trying to move away from him, but he was blocking her.
“I don’t know what you mean…” Mimi chimed in from the table. “Jack, move your scrawny hide out of the way and take a hint, young man. She’s hungry – and not for you.”
Heidi and Jack looked at each other – and let out a choked laugh between them that instantly made her feel a little better… and a little worse. This is not what she needed and probably needed to tell him that, explain things, and check on her tires so she could get out of here sooner rather than later… and all of that needed to happen away from Mimi.
“How about a walk later?” he breathed in a hushed voice.
“Maybe,” she replied – and then neatly sidestepped him, moving to the table where Mimi had already devoured half her meal.
“Jack, sweetie, be sure to turn off the heat when you make your plate.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
Six
JACK
She wasn’t goingto make this easy on him.
Jack stared at Heidi as she ate – occasionally darting a look toward his grandmother, who wasn’t helping things. All Heidi had to do was look up to see his grandma wagging her eyebrows toward him. She kept angling her head, or making coughing sounds while pointing and making jabbing motions with her fork. Yeah, he got the hint – make a move, tell Heidi he was interested in her, or talk to her, but maybe his grandma didn’t understand.
Heidi didn’t want to talk to him for some reason.
He’d tried to be nice, tried to be chivalrous, and frankly had a roaring case of rampant adoration affecting his thought processes. For Pete’s sake, he ordered five rose bushes from a catalog that was several months old. He’d seen it in the bin, picked it up, and walked barefoot to the kitchen to dial the 800 number. Yeah, it was a complete pain in the butt to not have signal out here, but the phone company assured them that they’d have it – eventually. Oh, he had a cell phone and used it all the time to take photos or make notes… but everything else?
It might as well be a shiny, expensive brick.
“Mimi, how’s your breakfast?” Jack asked politely. “Is it just like you remembered? Heidi, I’ve tried to make it for her, but don’t have the patience or the knack that you must have…”
“Shouldn’t you be asking Heidi if she is enjoying her breakfast?” his grandmother asked pointedly, making him feel about three inches tall as Heidi looked at him – and promptly looked away.
