AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then, basically, you’re useless to me.”
I know she’s teasing but those words burn as they pierce my heart. I’m not useless. And I’m not a child. But try convincing my brothers or Soleil otherwise. Not a chance.
“But I am pretty to look at.”
I strike a pose with my hip jutted out and my hands under my chin. Heat flares in Soleil’s eyes before she blinks and it’s gone. But it was there. I saw it. And I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.
She drops her gaze to stare at her coffee. “You’re something all right,” she mumbles.
“I prefer the words charming, adorable, funny, spontaneous…”
She holds up a hand to stop me. “Too much for early in the morning.”
I may not be able to help with her pottery, but there are other ways I can help. “How about breakfast? I can whip up some eggs and bacon.”
Her mouth drops open. “You can cook?”
“What’s with the surprise? Why wouldn’t I be able to cook?”
“I didn’t expect you to be able to cook since you spend your life mooching off of your family and friends.”
I ignore the sting her words cause and plaster a smile on my face.
“What’ll it be? Eggs, bacon? Pancakes?”
She perks up. “Pancakes? You can make pancakes?”
“It’s not hard,” I say as I begin to gather the ingredients. “You sit there and look beautiful while I get your breakfast ready.”
“Beautiful?” She snorts. “I knew you were crazy but I didn’t know you were blind, too.”
“Beautiful and modest. Great combo.”
“Whatever,” she mumbles. “Get to making those pancakes before I tell the entire town you’re a liar who can’t cook.”
I clutch my chest. “I can too cook.”
I don’t touch the liar comment since I’ve been known to fiddle with the truth on occasion. What can I say? Sometimes a little white lie is necessary. I just hope Soleil doesn’t lose her mind when she discovers the truth about my ‘allergies’.
After breakfast, Soleil trudges out to her pottery shed in the backyard. I watch to make sure the building doesn’t fall down upon her when she shuts the door. To say her shed has seen better days is a massive understatement.
I clean up the kitchen before setting up my computer on the dining room table and getting to work. I’m currently developing a feudal fighting game. It’s a passion project I’ve waited years to work on, but I can’t concentrate on swords and crossbows today.
My mind keeps replaying pictures of how tired Soleil appeared this morning. How hard she’s working herself all the time. She needs to let loose. Lucky for her, I’m on the case. I’m the perfect person to help her let her hair down. But how?
I give up on the game and save my work as I throw myself into project ‘Get Soleil To Loosen Up’. She needs an incentive to kick back. There’s no way she’ll be relaxing on her own.
I tap my chin as I consider ideas. When nothing springs to mind, I decide to do a bit of recon.
I step outside and tiptoe to Soleil’s shed. My ears perk up when I hear music coming from the building. I creep closer until I can peer into the window. Soleil is dancing around the shed while singing asI Knew You Were Troubleblares in the background.
Soleil is a Swiftie? I would have never guessed my ‘uptight, too busy taking care of everyone else she ends up neglecting herself’ woman is a Taylor Swift fan.
This is awesome. I retreat as the perfect plan to cheer Soleil up begins to form in my head. She’s going to love this.
I don’t need much time to arrange my surprise. Not to toot my own horn, but I am a whiz when it comes to electronics after all.
Once everything’s set up, I return to the shed to watch the show. This is going to be wonderful. We’ll have a great laugh. Maybe Soleil will fall into my lap. Maybe my lips will accidentally brush hers. Maybe my hands will touch those curves my fingers itch to feel.
