AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Noah grinned, showcasing his dimples. “It was pretty close to perfection,” he admitted. “It’s what I’d like to give my kids one day. The great outdoors as a playground. Strong family values. Siblings to make things interesting. An appreciation of the simple treasures in life.”
Sophie smiled as images of dark-haired little children came to her. She didn’t say it out loud, but she would have loved a sibling or two. It would have been nice to walk through childhood with a brother or sister.
“Are you hungry?” Noah asked. “Taste of Love has been pretty amazing, but I’m starving.”
“Truthfully, I’m famished,” Sophie admitted. “I was so busy servicing the crowd, I forgot to eat anything.”
“Well, we can’t have that, can we? I don’t think Cameron would mind if I whipped something up for us over at the Moose.” Noah gestured toward the packaged-up supplies. “We have to take these boxes back there, anyway. He gave me the keys to lock up the place.”
“Cameron wouldn’t mind one bit if we ate a little something. He’s one of the most generous men on the planet.”
“He’s a good guy. So far he’s shown me nothing but kindness,” Noah said.
Sophie nodded enthusiastically. “There’s an abundance of that in this town, isn’t there?”
“Yep. There sure is,” Noah agreed. “It astounds me every time I hear someone calling to me from across the street, or asking me over to dinner because they think I might be lonely. I’ve never known a place quite like this before. It’s almost as if there are no strangers here.”
Sophie beamed with pride. Yes, indeed. This town was one-of-a-kind. She was now officially a resident of Love, Alaska, since she’d lived here for over a year. It made her happy to know Noah was getting acclimated to the community she loved so much. This town was good for him. He was opening up more and more every day. Noah was allowing light to shine on him rather than hiding himself away behind a somber disposition.
Sophie wanted him to stay here in Love and continue to work at the Moose Café alongside her, Hazel and Cameron. More than anything, she wanted to continue to get to know Noah better. It wasn’t simply because he was a nice person, either. Sophie was beginning to suspect that Noah Callahan might be one of the most wonderful newcomers that Love, Alaska, had ever welcomed to town.
* * *
Noah and Sophie loaded up his car with the leftover items. Despite her small frame, she held her own with carrying the boxes. He drove over to the Moose Café and parked in back by the kitchen door, making it easier to transfer the boxes inside.
As he unlocked the door, Noah couldn’t help but think of Cameron and the way he’d simply handed over the key to him. The man trusted him, Noah realized. He didn’t want to think about it for too long, or guilt would nag at him. In a few weeks he would be tendering his resignation and leaving Cameron high and dry, without a cook for his establishment. The very thought caused a tightening sensation in his belly.
For the most part, Noah conducted straightforward investigations and serviced the needs of his clients in an uncomplicated fashion. He wasn’t in the business of hurting people. This time around the fallout would leave ripples all over town. That knowledge burned his insides.
He had tossed and turned last night, going over the details of his current situation with as much finesse as he could. He’d even devised an exit strategy so he could get out of town if he needed to. But he didn’t think he could ditch and run. If nothing else, he liked to think that he wasn’t a coward. And he couldn’t imagine leaving this town without saying goodbye to everyone who’d shown him kindness.
For the moment he was going to focus on fixing dinner for himself and Sophie. He was going to live in the here and now. Later on, he would figure out how to wrap up this investigation, get paid and head back to Seattle. In the meantime, there was no harm in cooking a meal for Sophie.
“What’s your favorite food?” he asked her. They were standing in the kitchen, having unloaded all the boxes and stashed the contents in the supply room.
“Grilled cheese. And french fries.” Sophie clapped her hands together. He chuckled at the sight of her. At the moment she resembled a small child. “Oh, and I like pickles on the grilled cheese.”
Noah wrinkled his nose. “Pickles? On a grilled cheese sandwich?”
“Hey! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. It might just be your next favorite thing.”
Noah found himself laughing out loud. Grilled cheese and pickles! As if he could ever enjoy that wacky combination.
He began scrubbing a bunch of potatoes, then took out a cutting board and chopped them up. When he’d placed them in a bowl, he drizzled olive oil over the lot, adding rosemary, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. He then placed them on a baking sheet and slid them into the oven.
“Hey! Can I do something to help?” Sophie asked eagerly.
“Sure thing.” He nodded toward the fridge. “You can cut up some cheddar cheese for the sandwiches. And grab the jar of pickles while you’re in there. Unless, of course, you’ve changed your mind about them.” He made a face. “I won’t hold it against you if you’ve decided to skip the pickles.”
Sophie poked her head out from behind the fridge door, triumphantly holding up a jar. “Are you kidding me? These pickles are going to make this the best grilled cheese sandwich in the history of sandwiches.”
Noah nodded approvingly. “I like your moxie. If you’re going out on a limb, do it with conviction.”
As Sophie began working with the block of cheese, conversation flowed easily between them. With every passing moment, Noah felt as if he was really getting to know her. And with every second that ticked by, he found himself trying to reconcile his client’s portrayal of her with the charming barista in his presence. Sophie didn’t seem cold or calculating. As far as he could tell she seemed genuine and sweet.
“You’re obviously a natural in the kitchen. Did you always want to become a cook?” Sophie asked, a curious expression on her face.
Everything Noah had learned about cooking had come from his parents. Dee Dee and Randy Catalano had owned a diner in Homer since Noah was a kid. The Highline Diner had been his stomping grounds, the place where he’d learned to make everything from eggs Benedict to Belgian waffles to Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.
