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“Jack?”
The decision to stand his ground or run had been made for him.
“Hi. This is a surprise.” Was his voice neutral enough? It sounded a bit squeaky to him. Like he’d been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
“A good one, I hope?” The obvious delight, blended with a hint of teasing in her voice, made his heart skip a beat.
“Absolutely.” And he meant it; Bro Code or not, she’d just become the highlight of his day, even if only for a few minutes in the grocery aisle. “This isn’t your part of town.”
“No, popped in for a bottle of Gatorade and a bag of chips. I’m shooting some new photos. Something different for that gallery I told you about. I finally got a chance to chat with Veronica, the owner. She seemed to genuinely like my work, but implied even with professional recognition, like a ribbon from the State Fair, some diversity might be needed. I’ve been focused on recognition, but figured I should probably work on finding something different, so I’ve abandoned wildlife for a day in the city.”
“I’m guessing that doesn’t include the toothpaste aisle of my local supermarket.”
That smile sucker punched him. “Not quite.” Eyes sparkling with humor were driving him crazy. “Doing a little experimenting with the local architecture.” She eyed his cart. “Frozen dinners and toothpaste. Interesting combination.”
“Stick around. I need shampoo too.”
That had her laughing out loud and him wondering how awful would it be to spend just a little more time with her.
“You should try cooking. I doubt that frozen lasagna tastes much better than cardboard.”
“Cooking and I are not the best of friends. Mom tried to teach me but it pretty much went over like a lead balloon. Though I do grill a mean steak.”
“I love cooking. At my flat in Ireland, I experiment with all sorts of recipes, but not so much here in the States with Hazel at the ranch doing all the cooking.”
Her own flat in Ireland? Of course she could have her own apartment. He had his own condo. He had to remind himself, little sister or not, she was no longer a kid but a grown woman—and that was the crux of his problem. “What do you cook?”
Wrinkling her nose in the direction of his cart, she waved a finger at it. “For one thing, my lasagna would taste way better than that cardboard box you have there.”
“You make lasagna?”
“Better than an Italian.” Her chin high and shoulders back, she beamed up at him. “Someday, I’ll make it for you. You’ll see.”
“How about tonight?”
“Tonight?” Her eyes widened.
“Unless you have other plans, we’ll pick up the ingredients and you can come to my place and do all the cooking you want.”
Siobhan cocked her head. And for a moment he thought he’d really stuck his foot in it. Been too forward. Considered that perhaps his interest in her was a one-way street. Relief flooded through him when that same smile spread across her face. “Okay. Deal.”
“But I’ll be buying the ingredients.”
“You don’t—”
She didn’t have to say a word, the narrowed glare she tossed in his direction silenced him faster than had she covered his mouth with a gag.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll make two trays this way you’ll have some leftovers.”
Whatever she said after that was going in one ear and out the other. With every item she grabbed from the shelf, the enthusiasm in her voice lifted. Whether it was over spending time with him or having an opportunity to cook, he didn’t know and didn’t care. The bottom line was tonight he wouldn’t have to conjure her memory up in his mind, he was going to soak in every face-to-face minute. Tomorrow he’d worry about tomorrow. And the Barons. And if he was going to live to see the day after.
The kitchen in Jack’s condo was to die for. Walls of white flat-front cabinets filled the large space. If the amazing amount of cabinets wasn’t enough to impress her, she stirred her sauce and drank in the top-shelf appliances. She couldn’t get over-the-counter space either. Oh, the fun she would have creating meals in this kitchen.
Seated at the massive granite-covered island, a glass of Zinfandel in front of him, Jack watched her every move as if he would need to pass a test on it shortly. “How long does the lasagna take?”
“Normally, I would make the sauce from scratch, but that takes a few hours. Since I’m pretty sure you don’t want dinner at midnight, I’m cheating, simmering jarred sauce for about thirty minutes with the sautéed beef while the noodles cook. In the meantime, I’m going to add some sausage too for a little more flavor. Then it will just be a matter of putting the lasagna together and another twenty minutes or so in the oven.”
