AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He grunted as if it was no biggie. “I got an employee discount. Remember what I said about a gift horse?” The abrupt way he spoke told her he didn’t appreciate her questioning him.
So Cade worked at the tire shop. “Okay, okay, got it. Thank you.”
“I won’t be long. I’ll be by to pick you up in a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
Sure enough, Cade arrived back at the cottage in short order.
“I can’t thank you enough for this,” she said, after she climbed into the truck, sitting next to him.
“No problem.”
“But it was,” she countered. “I mean, this took more than two hours out of your afternoon.”
“Didn’t have anything going on, so no sweat.”
How quick he was to dismiss her appreciation. She wanted to thank him and could think of only one way. While he’d been dealing with her vehicle, she’d cooked dinner. A real dinner, pork chops in mustard sauce, and not something quick that she so often threw together.
Cade pulled into the grocery parking lot and eased his truck next to her car. Even before she could ask him to join her for dinner, he said, “I’ll follow you home to be sure there aren’t any problems.”
Hope decided to wait until they were back at the cottage before she mentioned the meal she’d prepared. “I’d appreciate that.”
Her car ran as if there had never been a problem, and Hope was grateful.
And nervous.
She wanted to invite Cade to dinner. Past experience told her he would likely refuse. It came to her how much she hoped he’d agree to join her. She wanted to get to know him better. He’d built a barricade around himself, one as thick as the Great Wall of China, and she was eager to see the man behind that thick barrier.
After she’d claimed the parking spot next to the cottage, she got out of her car. Cade was already backing out when she stopped him by waving her arm over her head.
Rolling down his driver’s-side window, he looked impatient to leave.
“Thanks again,” she said, walking over to his truck. As awkward as this felt, she wasn’t about to let him go this easily.
Cade kept his hands on the steering wheel. “Like I said, it wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was to me.”
He acknowledged by dipping his head.
“While you were busy dealing with the tire, I cooked dinner…I was hoping you’d join me.”
“Not necessary.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
“Another time.” He started to close the window.
“It’s my grandmother’s recipe for pork chops in mustard sauce, with fried potatoes and salad.”
He hesitated. “Pork chops?”
She nodded, seeing a small crack in his defense. Her grandmother was right when she’d claimed the way to garner a man’s interest was to wow him with her cooking. Unfortunately, the handful of recipes she’d gotten from her grandmother was limited. She did make a tasty meatloaf, though.
That crack closed almost as fast as it appeared. “Another time.”
It was hard to disguise her disappointment before she accepted his decision. “Okay, I understand you’re probably busy. How about I put together a plate for you to take with you?”
