“What do you miss most?” She wasn’t just making small talk, she was genuinely interested in what made this man tick.
“It’s hard to compare to here. Both places are lovely, but the atmosphere is wildly different. I suppose if I had to choose just one thing, it’d be the food.”
“Kentucky’s doesn’t compare?” she teased.
He shook a loaf at her. “Don’t go putting words in my mouth. It’s like the atmosphere—both wonderful, but not the same.”
“Fair. If you could have anything you wanted from there right now, what would it be?”
He thought for a moment. “Usually, it’d be fresh fish and chips or steamed clams, but today I’d pay a pretty penny for a good peanut butter burger.”
She paused with a handful of spinach leaves half out of the bag. “A what?”
He snickered. “Yeah, I know. All my American family and friends are horrified at the thought, but I tell you it’s good.”
“It doesn’t sound absolutely disastrous. But I think I’d be afraid to order one without trying it first.”
“Fair.” He grinned and started loosely rolling roast beef slices like she’d requested. “Tell you what. Next time, I’ll fry burgers and give you a taste of something you’ll never forget.”
Next time? She hadn’t stopped to consider there might be a next time. But she was enjoying his company, and she had to admit she wouldn’t mind spending more time with the man.
Peter glanced toward the living room, seemingly oblivious to her thoughts about him. “Jenna’s not allergic to peanuts, right?”
She blinked. Remembered what they were talking about. “No,” she said quickly. “No allergies at all that we’ve discovered up to this point.” The fact that he’d even thought to ask—and that he’d automatically assumed her daughter would be part of any plans they might make—bumped him up a few notches in her estimation.
“Oh good.” He held up another slice of roast beef. “And I’ve got to ask, why roll these instead of just piling them on?”
She tossed some shredded carrots onto the mass of greens, then reached for the carton of cherry tomatoes. “Not sure I can explain it. It just has a better texture. If you slap three slices of meat and a piece of cheese onto a piece of bread, you get a really dense sandwich. If you do exactly the same ingredients but with rolled or folded meat, it seems lighter and more appetizing somehow.”
“Seems reasonable. I might have to try a bit each way to see if I agree though.” He shot her a mischievous grin.
“Be my guest.” She finished the salad and joined him in front of the large cutting board that would double as a sandwich platter once everyone arrived. He was almost through the roast beef, so she grabbed a package of turkey and started on that set of subs. “When you’re finished, you can add a layer of Swiss, then cut the sub into four- or five-inch sections.” Working together, they were able to speed through the rest of the prep work—only bumping hands or elbows occasionally.
When they were done, Peter looked at her expectantly. “What now?”
“Now we wait.” She draped slightly damp paper towels over the sandwiches, then slid both them and the salad into the refrigerator. “Water?” At his nod, she grabbed a couple of bottles and motioned for him to follow her into the living room, where Jenna was fully engrossed in her attempts to build a tower with a set of colorful wooden blocks.
She considered plopping onto the couch, but when Jenna caught sight of them, she beckoned her to join her on the floor. Setting the waters on the coffee table, she sat down cross-legged. To her surprise, Peter did the same. Well, he didn’t sit cross-legged, but he did get down on the floor with them.
He nodded toward the fireplace. “That masonry is incredible.”
“It’s local river rock. At least, that’s what the previous owners claimed.”
“It’s lovely. You really have a beautiful home.” He picked up a block and added it to Jenna’s small but wobbly stack.
“Thank you.” Although the place had always felt a bit too large—especially once she’d lost Wesley—she very much appreciated the open floor plan that allowed her to better keep an eye on her daughter while cooking or cleaning in the kitchen.
And it made for an easy place for local family to gather. Bryce and Corina used to host in their backyard, but with the addition of their new baby, Allye’s fiancé, and the two boys Allye and Eric were in the process of adopting, their group no longer fit comfortably in the patio space. Add in the occasional extra friend or other family members, such as her parents, Aunt Julie, Corina’s dad, or even Hailey’s siblings and nephews when they happened to be in town, and meeting at her house was practically a necessity.
Jenna placed a yellow triangular-shaped block in Hailey’s hand and signed for her to build. Carefully, Hailey placed it on its side atop Peter’s. Her daughter then turned to Peter with a purple square and repeated the sign.
“She’s not afraid to take charge now, is she?” Peter chuckled and did as requested.
“Not at all.” Hailey laughed. “She’s shy at first, but she’s quite happy to boss people around. We’re still working on when that’s appropriate and how to react when she doesn’t get her way.”
“That’s a hard one. I think I’m still learning.”
“Same.”
