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I had to persuade her to consider it. She hesitated. I knew her well enough to know that it wasn’t because she was satisfied with a few stolen minutes each morning. It was because she wasn’t used to taking an evening for herself. She had disconnected from the part of her that wanted things like free time or hobbies or even romance. Duty had made it necessary, but I was making it my mission to wake up that sleeping part of her, the part that she’d neglected while looking out for everyone else. I wanted to spoil her. Something better than a lukewarm biscuit that I’d brought along with the thermos of coffee—always sweetened after that first day. When she’d gotten excited over the crème brulee flavored creamer I got her at the convenience store, I knew it was time for grander things. A woman who thought flavored creamer was that big of a treat deserved something better. A lot better.
I wanted to cook her dinner, see her relax and laugh and be herself. That was it. It wasn’t an elaborate seduction. It was a wish for more than thirty minutes together, time to let things unfold, whether it was conversation or more.
“I wasn’t prepared for the All American to give me the full-court press,” she said, trying to keep it light.
“I was upfront from the beginning. I want more time. Not to cause problems for you. So who can check on your dad?”
“The obvious answer is Ryan, since it’s his dad, too. But I’m not asking him for anything. He’d just come over and complain about how mistreated he is until Dad gets upset and his blood pressure starts to spike. I can’t leave them alone together,” she shook her head.
“What about the one with the day care?”
“Maggie? She might do it. She always offers to help. But she works at her parents’ B&B, too. So she might be busy.”
“I could ask the chief if he and Rema would go over there,” I offered.
“No. That’s sweet, but he’s already depressed. I think talking about my mom and when she was alive would just make it worse. I just don’t know what to do!” she burst out. “I mean, I don’t know what else to do besides what I’m already doing. I coaxed him into going back to physical therapy and shut down the yard for two hours to go take him myself since he didn’t want to ride the shuttle bus. I make him healthy dinners. I remind him about his medicine. There’s got to be something I’m missing that I could do.”
“The only thing you’re neglecting is yourself. I want you to come to dinner at my place. But if you’d rather go out with your friends, at least take a night off and do that. I’ll check on your dad and bring him some supper.”
“No. That’s sweet of you, but I’d rather have dinner with you than with them this time.”
“This time? Think you’re gonna get tired of me?” I said.
“No. I just haven’t had your cooking yet. It may be terrible.”
“So I have to impress you. It just has to be better than the nachos when you were with them at Cecil’s,” I said. “I can do that.”
“Oh really? I think you’re missing how fond I am of those nachos.”
“Good to know. Next time, you’ll get extra cheese.”
“Now there’s the way to my heart. I don’t need roses, but I’ll take unlimited queso. Although that could be a problem if I want to dump you. My cheese supply would be cut off,” she teased me.
“Only the best for you,” I teased.
“I’ll get Maggie to check on my dad so we can have dinner together.”
“Thank you. Six o’clock?”
“Better make it six-thirty. I’ve got to have time to shower after I get home from the lumberyard and make sure my dad took his afternoon meds.”
“Okay. Six-thirty it is,” I agreed.
With a kiss, I let her go to work. I took off in the other direction, looping around to the back of my house. I figured it didn’t matter if I left the cover of the willow fronds at the same time as her or five minutes later. If anybody had been watching, it still would’ve been obvious we were together. Plus, I’d found through multiple attempts that there was no casual way to exit. I hadn’t found any way of shouldering my backpack and jogging off that doesn’t look suspicious.
It was my day off from the station, so I cleaned up my house and folded the laundry I usually piled on a chair. I made a batch of deluxe queso and fired up the air fryer for homemade tortilla chips with sea salt. Then I took a shower. My dad called to see if I’d cover the bar because the part-time guy had concert tickets.
