AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He stops in front of me and I search his eyes, trying to find the lies.
The deception.
And all I see is curiosity.
“So, why do you want to spend your weekend with me?” I ask bravely, tipping my chin up and crossing my arms again.
The action is comfortable.
Or, at the very least, comforting.
“You’re alone. I was alone. I want to get to know you.” He shrugs and gives me a half smile. “Makes sense, doesn’t it?”
His eyes roam over my face and I find myself smiling even though I want to hold myself back from this man; I want to protect myself from any potential dangers. “I suppose.” I turn on my heel and head toward the house. “I got a room ready for you. I wasn’t sure if you had one in mind, but I chose the one that overlooks the lake on the east end of the house. It’s my second favorite room.”
“And what one’s your first favorite?”
I can hear him right behind me and I throw a smile over my shoulder. “Why, the one I’m occupying. The one on the west that overlooks the lake. The one with the balcony.”
“Damn, I like that room.” His tone is clearly serious, but I can hear the hints of laughter.
“It’s a good room.”
“It is,” he agrees, and I think that maybe this won’t be such a bad weekend.
Not that I thought it would, but I was afraid of the awkward small talk.
I don’t think it will be so awkward, after all.
***
After Cade settles in, I futz around the kitchen. Unsure how long he’s going to take, I decide to make a batch of my grandma’s chocolate chip cookies, a recipe I’ve known by heart since I was ten years old.
I have a cookie sheet full of to-be bite-sized cookies in the oven when he makes his way downstairs.
Before he steps into the kitchen, I can smell that he showered.
The man smells divine.
“Sorry. Decided to wash the plane off me. Those things are a cesspool of germs. Whatcha’ making?”
“Cookies,” I set the timer as I tell him. When I turn, I see a perplexed look on his face. “What?”
“Are they small cookies? Like, two bite cookies?”
“I prefer one bite.”
“And have you made them for Charleigh?”
I nod, and his face breaks out in a huge smile, one that shows off laugh lines near his eyes. He’s only going to grow up to be even more handsome, if those little lines are a foreshadowing.
But men are like that.
They age like a fine wine.
“She’s passed them off as her own. Unless you’ve taught her.”
“That brat,” I laugh, shaking my head. “Nope. I’ve never taught her. It’s not a recipe that’s written down. It’s one you make by feel.”
