AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She opened a cabinet and retrieved a bowl. “Sit down, and I’ll fix you some ice cream.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.” Without looking at him, she plucked two candy canes from the opened package on the island and dropped them into a baggie after unwrapping them. She located a small mallet among the other kitchen utensils stuffed haphazardly in the blue and gray earthenware crock beside the stove. She began crushing the peppermint candy without making much of a sound at all.
Chace noticed she’d only set out one bowl. “Aren’t you having any?”
“No. I’m good.” Holly crossed to the fridge and pulled a half gallon of vanilla ice cream from the freezer drawer. She scooped three overflowing dollops into the single bowl and poured the pulverized peppermint on top. “Do you want any chocolate syrup?”
“No, thanks.”
“Here you go, then.” Holly set the bowl on one of the four handwoven placemats on the other side of the island. “Do you want anything to drink?” she asked while putting the lid back on the carton of ice cream. “There’s tea, soda, water. Probably some wine or beer.”
“I don’t expect you to wait on me, Holly.”
Her shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug. “I just figured I owed you,” she all but mumbled.
“Owed me? For what?”
She wiped the counter by the sink for the fourth time. “Rushing us to leave when we still had time for ice cream at Scoops, for one.” She folded the dishcloth and draped it over the gooseneck of the faucet. “Not paying better attention when leaving the girls’ room and practically running you over in the hallway for another.”
“I should have said something so you knew I was there,” Chace replied and popped a spoonful of Holly's version of peppermint ice cream into his mouth. It was pretty damned close to what Scoops actually served. “Or at least waited for you down here.”
Her brow furrowed. “Did you need something?”
“Just thought we could finish our earlier conversation.” He slid another bite into his mouth. “This is very good, by the way.” He scooped another spoonful and held it out toward her. “You wanna try it?”
With a shake of her head, Holly took a step back. “I’ve had some before. That’s how I knew how to make my own.”
It didn’t escape his notice that she didn’t address his comment about finishing their earlier conversation, but he let it slide and stuck with the peppermint ice cream topic. “Still as innovative as ever, I see.” He wasn’t surprised. She always had a special knack for figuring things out.
“It’s not exactly rocket science.” She filled a cup of water and began watering Lyss’s kitchen herb garden on the deep windowsill above the farmer’s sink.
He took a minute to finish his ice cream and then crossed the kitchen to where she stood.
Stepping to the side, Holly motioned with the cup. “Just sit it down there, and I’ll take care of it.”
“I’m perfectly capable of washing my own dirty dishes. And anyone else’s, for that matter.”
“Good to know.” Holly opened the dishwasher and stashed the watering cup on the top rack. “Your spoon goes in the utensil basket. Your bowl up top.”
Chuckling to himself, Chace followed her instructions, even taking the initiative to close the dishwasher door. Turning, he found Holly halfway across the kitchen, watching him as if she expected him to screw up the menial task. “Did I do everything to your satisfaction?” he asked as he leaned back against the edge of the counter.
“Smart ass.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Even if he’d wanted to, which, despite Holly’s obvious discomfort, Chace did not, he couldn’t keep the shit-eating grin off his face. “So, do we have plans already lined up for tomorrow with the girls?”
“They want to get a Christmas tree.” Holly sighed.
“I’m sensing that isn’t at the top of your to-do list.”
“Not really.”
“Is there something else you’d rather do?” He could think of a few things he wouldn’t mind tackling. In private. With her.
Lowering her gaze, Holly focused on pushing the toe of her boot against the tile flooring. “Not really,” she repeated.
“You just know you don’t want to get a Christmas tree,” Chace deduced, wondering why.
