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Manny chuckled the whole way to the barn.
Cord forced himself to walk casually to the porch. “Did we have a meeting planned that I’ve forgotten?”
She shook her head, her hair swishing around and framing her face. “I made you dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“I thought you might like it after working all day. The food…I need to check on it.” She raced across the porch like the house was on fire.
He followed her inside, smelling a foul stench. Was that dinner? She certainly hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d professed that she didn’t cook. In the kitchen, she rushed to the oven and yanked open the door. The smoke wafted through the air, setting off the smoke alarm. Yep, that was dinner.
She removed the baking dish and turned. “It was the right temperature. I know it. I double-checked.”
Cord opened the windows and back door before fanning the smoke alarm to quiet it. “How long did you leave it in for?”
Dawning filtered across her eyes before a defeated look pulled at her face. “I knew I’d forgotten something. I’m hopeless.”
Sympathy welled up in him. “No, you aren’t. Everyone forgets now and then.”
“I tried real hard to make a nice surprise for you.”
She’d wanted to surprise him? But why? What was she trying to tell him? He’d never been good at reading women. He’d have to tread carefully or risk her stomping off like she’d done the other day. And he wasn’t ready to see her go.
He smiled, not something he did often. “I’m very surprised. It isn’t every day I come home to a pretty lady and a dinner.”
She glanced down at the food and back at him. “I told you I was no good at homemaking. This is a disaster.”
“No harm has been done. Just put the dish on the stove to cool.” Even though dinner wasn’t salvageable, he was still touched by the gesture. “I’ll take care of it after I grab a quick shower. Do you mind waiting?”
She shook her head. “Want me to make something else? Like a deli sandwich? Surely I can’t burn that.”
At least she hadn’t lost her sense of humor. “How about you go back out and sit on the porch? It’s a lovely evening out. It’ll take me five minutes to get cleaned up. By the way, what was dinner supposed to be?”
“A taco casserole. I found the recipe in one of your cookbooks.”
He started for the bedroom, but then paused and turned back. “Just remember it’s the thought that counts.”
“That’s good. I certainly wouldn’t score any points for my culinary skills.” She shook her head. “How could I have forgotten the timer?”
“I’m sure if you h
ad remembered, dinner would have been delicious.” He disappeared down the hallway.
He didn’t waste any time before stripping off his grungy clothes and slipping into a cool shower. She hadn’t mentioned anything about the land, so maybe she was just here to see him. But why? He scrubbed faster. Had she been thinking about that hot, steamy kiss they’d shared at the canyon? He sure hadn’t forgotten it. No matter how hard he’d tried.
Less than five minutes later, clean and refreshed, he entered the kitchen to find Lexi seated at the counter. “Thought you’d be outside.”
She shrugged. One look at her glistening eyes and red, blotchy cheeks, and he knew she’d had a meltdown while he was gone.
“What’s the matter now?” He approached her and took a seat on the stool next to her.
“I tried to clean out the dish, and I can’t even get the burnt food out of it. On top of ruining your dinner, I might have ruined your dish. I totally failed. I told you I wasn’t good at this kind of stuff.”
Cord pulled her toward him, and she willingly followed until she pressed against his chest, her face buried in his shoulder. His hand stroked her silky hair, and he wished he could hold her close all evening. There was something special about her, something that had him craving for any scraps of time she’d share with him. Did that make him pathetic? Probably. But he was beyond caring about his tattered pride. All that mattered now was Lexi.
“The dish will clean up once it soaks,” he murmured, his chin resting against the top of her head. “I’m impressed you’d even consider entering the kitchen on my behalf. What gave you the incentive?”
“You did.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “I…I wanted to make you happy.”
