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Evie only listened with half an ear as she finished the salad preparations. Her mom and Macie set the table, then Macie pulled out the baked chicken breasts from the oven. Evie began filling glasses with ice water, if only to distract herself from the fact that Carson had just entered the house with her brothers.
The murmur of male voices floated in from the front room, and Evie found herself going hot all over again. Because she still felt embarrassed, and not for any other reason. Not because when she was confronting her brothers, she’d noticed how good Carson looked in a cowboy hat. And not because she’d appreciated his clean shower scent, and the way his long-sleeved shirt was rolled up to his elbows, showing that although he was a grad student, he obviously spent plenty of time outdoors as well. His sculpted forearms also spoke of an athletic past that wasn’t so far back in his history.
Now, his voice rose above the others in the front room as he answered a question, apparently about how he’d spent the day. Gardening?
Interesting.
“Looks like everything’s ready,” her mom said, clapping her hands together. “Evie, will you call the men to the table?”
“Sure,” Evie said, although she was reluctant. Pasting a smile on her face, she entered the front room. Her gaze zeroed on her dad and little Ruby. “Dinner’s ready, everyone.”
Then she turned without making eye contact with anyone else. Moments later, everyone was seated at the table, and Evie had purposely sat next to Ruby, who was perched on her booster chair. She’d be the perfect distraction.
After her father said grace, Evie used the salad tongs to set a portion on Ruby’s plate, then hers.
“I don’t like salad,” Ruby proclaimed.
“Not even cucumbers?” Evie said as she reached for the dressing to drizzle over her own salad. She knew that the dressing would be homemade and delicious. Her mom was the type of cook that made almost everything from scratch. She oversaw all food preparations, keeping the men out of the kitchen until it was time to clean up. Then the dishes were all theirs.
“They’re green,” Ruby said, as if that was the biggest fault ever.
“They sure are,” Evie said, hiding a smile. The other adults were talking about adult stuff, and Evie was perfectly content to chat with a four-year-old. “Do you know what else is green?”
Ruby’s eyes rounded. “What?”
“Grapes.”
“I like grapes.”
Evie smiled. “Me, too. And guess what? Apples are green.”
“Sometimes.”
“Yep, sometimes. And pears are green.”
Ruby looked down at her salad, biting her lip.
“How about you dip the cucumber into the dressing? Then see if you like it.” Evie poured a small circle of dressing on the side of Ruby’s plate.
Ruby picked up her fork, stabbed a cucumber slice, then dipped it into the dressing. She took a tiny bit and chewed.
“Do you like it?” Evie pressed.
Ruby looked like she didn’t quite know, then she smiled. “I love it.”
“Yay,” Evie said.
“You’re a miracle worker,” said Macie, who sat on the other side of Ruby. “I don’t think she’s ever eaten salad without threats before.”
Evie smiled as Ruby took another bite, then another.
“It’s the dressing,” Evie said. “I don’t like salad without Mom’s dressing either.”
She glanced up then and found Carson’s gaze on her. His eyes were warm, amused, and Evie tamped down the flash of heat threatening to build. He’d taken off his hat, and his hair was mussed. Adorably.
Evie dug into her own salad. If there was one thing she missed about Prosper, it was her mom’s home cooking. Her sister, Cara, had been the one in the family to inherit the talent, although she’d taken it to the extreme. Evie could fix the basics, but hadn’t ever really been in charge of a whole dinner. There just wasn’t a need for it in college dorm living.
“Can you play dolls with me after dinner?” Ruby asked.
