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He kept making patties while she said West’s life insurance had paid for the house in Texas, and she could let it sit for a summer if she had to.
“Well, I can’t wait to meet Conrad,” Harrison said.“He sounds like he’s trying, Cass.”
“You’re probably right,” she said.“It felt to me like he rushed right home to make sure I didn’t do something he didn’t approve of.”She spoke with a touch of irritation, and Harrison let her have that moment while he washed his hands.
“I’m going to go start the grill.Be right back.”He stepped outside and lit the grill, adjusted the flame, and then grabbed the industrial box of tin foil sheets from the outdoor countertop.
Back inside, he detoured over to her, and sure enough, she’d shucked all of the corn.“Look at you.”He handed her the box of tin foil sheets.“Do you want to wrap them too?I usually just drop in some butter, salt, and pepper.I put the cheese on once they come off the flame.”
“I can, sure,” she said.But she didn’t take the box.“I want to come over to the island.”
She scooted to the edge of the couch, and Harrison abandoned the tin foil sheets on the couch in favor of helping her.She got to her feet and took a second to balance.
“I’m going to try to put some weight on it,” she said.“And I’m afraid I’m leaking on your carpet.”
“It’s fine,” he said, noticing the water as it turned the beige carpet a darker brown.“It’s not the nice stuff like what you’ve got.”
“It’s great,” she said.“I like your house.”She smiled at him, an edge in her eye he hadn’t seen yet.He didn’t know her well enough to know what that glint meant, but he knew to smile.
“What?”
“I mean, maybe not thisdark brown leathercouch, but overall, the house has a nice vibe.”
“Oh, so you’d like a tour later so you can critique my decorating skills, is that it?”
She put one hand against his breastbone and tilted her head back as she laughed.“Yeah.”She kept giggling.“I would like a tour later, but not so I can criticize.”
“I saw the leather you left in Texas,” he said.“I should’ve let you order food and have it sent to your house.”He backed up a couple of steps to give her room to test her weight on her foot.
He kept his hand on her good arm, telling himself it was because he didn’t want her to fall.And it was that.He also really liked touching her, and having had her in his arms a couple of times now had broken that physical touch barrier.
She hobbled a bit, but she managed to move.He kept backing up, and she followed him into the kitchen.She slid up onto a barstool, and Harrison rounded the island to get the butter and seasonings.
He retrieved the tin foil sheets from the couch, giving the dark leather the evil eye.Perhaps he should have a lighter couch.Something the color of canvas, with the fabric to match.
“What kind of couches did you get?”he asked.“I saw them in your living room, but I couldn’t see through the plastic.”
“They’re a great taupe canvas,” she said, and Harrison burst out laughing.Cass watched him with curiosity on her face.
“Sorry,” he said amidst his chuckles.“I’m sorry.I was just thinking I could probably get a couch made out of canvas, and then you said it was canvas.”
“Your couch is fine,” she said, her voice a touch aloof now.“I didn’t mean to comment on your décor.”
“Oh, you’re getting the whole tour later,” he said, pointing a head of Romaine lettuce at her.“AndI want the commentary.I can’t have my beach house looking like Dracula’s dungeon.”
Cass giggled and shook her head.“It’s not a dungeon.One, the windows would never allow that.”
“The windows are fantastic,” he said.
“What’s your favorite part of the house?”she asked.
He nodded behind her, where the floor to ceiling windows showed the ocean beyond.
“The view?”
“Not the view,” he said.“You have an amazing patio, but I built out my place to have an outdoor kitchen.That’s what I love the most.”
Her eyebrows went up, and she stopped wrapping the ear of corn she’d started on.“You have an outdoor kitchen?”
