Page 43 of Searching for Love

ChapterFifteen

As the soft rays of morning sunlight filtered through the curtains that hung over his living room windows, Lucas stood at the stove, humming a tune as he moved about the kitchen, the tantalizing aroma of sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee filling the air.

They had showered together, enjoying each other slowly, and she’d realized that it was the first time she’d ever showered with a man. Feeling too embarrassed to tell him that, she appreciated every single touch and moment she could.

It had taken her a while to comb through her hair and when she stepped into the kitchen, he’d handed her a cup of hot coffee.

She watched Lucas with interest as she sipped the coffee. He did a little twist while he flipped a piece of toast in the pan. “You’re chipper this morning,” she said, smiling.

“You aren’t?” he threw back at her, and she laughed.

When he set a plate of bacon and French toast in front of her, she groaned with pleasure.

“Keep feeding me like this and I’ll have to go on a diet,” she warned.

Lucas brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, his touch so gentle. “You’re perfect no matter what,” he said simply, his gaze never leaving hers.

Together, they sat down to enjoy their meal, the simple act of sharing breakfast filling them with a sense of warmth and contentment. As they laughed and talked, Avery couldn’t help but feel grateful for the man sitting across from her. He’d given her more purpose in the short time they’d known one another than anyone else ever had.

He’d trusted her with far more than just a job. This was his baby. His passion. It was so obvious to anyone who had ever watched him cook.

Each day she worked here, her passion for the place grew. She needed to see this through. No matter what.

After breakfast, they cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes together. With a satisfied sigh, Lucas turned to Avery. “Care to head to Edgeview with me?” he asked, his voice tinged with anticipation.

“Absolutely,” she replied.

The moment they stepped out of the building and into the bright sunshine of the morning, she felt a swell of happiness hit her. This was where she wanted to be. The day was going to be perfect.

Hand in hand, they walked towards his truck, greeting every person they saw along the way.

“I guess the news will be out about you staying with me last night,” he said once they were in his truck.

“Oh, I’m sure everyone knew last night,” she joked. “It’s hard to keep secrets in a small town. Is that a problem?”

“No,” he answered quickly and took her hand in his. “For you?”

She shook her head. “No. If it were, I would have insisted we head to my place. It’s a little more off the pathway than leaving my car parked overnight in a lot at one of the main intersections in town.”

“Right.” He nodded and started heading out of town.

“How much stuff do you have?” she asked as he drove.

“Not much. I was hoping to buy some of the necessities after I opened and sold a lot of my older stuff. I have a newer sofa and chair, coffee table, bed frame, and nightstands, and that’s about it. A bunch of boxes of things my mother saved of mine over the years.” He chuckled. “Drawings I did when I was a kid that should have been tossed years ago.”

“My mother has two boxes of my stuff in her attic. I swore to her that if she tried to give me any of it, I’d have a bonfire that night.”

He laughed as he drove towards Edgeview. They continued to talk about their childhoods while the scenery whizzed past, a blur of green fields and winding country roads. Avery leaned back in her seat as Lucas told her the story about the day after his sister was brought home.

The stories reminded her of the pictures she had of the day her parents had brought Wyatt home. Even though she was too young to remember, it was the only proof that she was indeed older than her brother. Because she was a lot smaller than him, Wyatt always joked when they were younger that his parents had gotten confused and that he was actually older than her.

Lucas glanced over at her. “I’m glad you’re coming with me,” he said, taking her hand in his. “It means a lot to have you by my side.”

Avery returned his smile, her heart fluttering at his words. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she replied, her voice filled with sincerity.

The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence. As they pulled into the parking lot of Lucas’s storage unit, Avery couldn’t help but feel a pang of curiosity about his previous life in Edgeview and what he would have in his storage unit.

“This is my unit,” he said, his voice tinged with pride. When he opened the metal door, she realized he hadn’t been joking. Inside sat a brown leather sofa, a cream-colored headboard for his bed, a metal bedframe, two nightstands, a newer coffee table in soft light wood, and a few lamps and boxes.