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“You disappoint me, city boy,” Iris teased as she turned back to the grill. “Okay, I’ll be a few more minutes, take a seat.”
“Can I help?” I asked, wincing when I heard the desperation in my voice.
Another glance over her shoulder, and I swear I saw a small smile. “You can, um, pick something from the fridge to drink?”
“Sure, what you wanting?” I asked as I straightened, and when she looked at me, I saw her indecision.
“I don’t eat with the guests.”
“Good thing I’m just a hobo off the side of the road then,” I teased. “Water?”
She thought about it and then gave a small shrug. “Beer, please.”
“My kind of girl,” I called over my shoulder as I headed into the kitchen to grab two beers.
The dish rack was above the sink, and as there were no place settings on the tables, I set a place for both of us. Knowing I made her uncomfortable with my hovering, I took my seat, and shortly after, Iris came in with dinner. I saw the flash of surprise, but without a word, she plated up burgers, then retrieved a salad bowl from the fridge.
“You okay with me eating here?” she asked as her hand hovered over the back of the chair.
“Sit down. I hate eating by myself.”
“Okay.”
The two of us stared at each other, the situation suddenly awkward. “Do I need to say grace or something?” I asked.
With a snort, the ice was broken, and Iris picked up her burger. “Eat your dinner, city boy.”
My first bite erased all memories of every burger I had ever eaten. It was delicious. I wanted to inhale it and savour it at the same time. Forcing myself to chew, I looked up at Iris, who was grinning at me.
“What?” I asked as I took another bite.
“You groaned.”
“This is a damn good burger,” I said around another mouthful.
Iris laughed as she ate a tomato. “It’s just ground beef.”
“So good,” I agreed, forcing myself to put it down and eat some salad. “You always lived here?”
Iris hesitated and then nodded. “Yes, it’s been in the family since one of my great-grandfathers built it. Not always as a guesthouse obviously.” She pointed to one of the beams. “That used to be a wall. There were a lot of kids in the good old days.”
“Large families were the way forward,” I said. “My dad’s one of seven.” Leaning forward, I whispered, “He’s the only boy.”
“Ouch,” Iris commiserated. “That’s a whole lot of sisters.” Taking a swig of her beer, she looked at me. “You? I know you have a brother, but any other family?”
“Nope, just me and Pierce. He got married on Saturday. We’re all very happy.”
Iris frowned as she listened. “Not close?”
“He’s my big brother, five years difference,” I explained. “We don’t…gel.”
“He gave you his car to drive.”
“I hate that fucking car,” I said with a shake of my head. “He’s borderline obsessed with it. When they told me he was marrying, I swear I was surprised when they said it was to a woman.”
Iris giggled at my eye roll. “But still, you don’t give your little brother your vintagebluecar to drive if you don’t like him.”
Putting my fork down, I wiped my hands on my napkin before taking a long pull of beer. “He got a hard time from my parents for not asking me to be his best man,” I told her, feeling defensive. “I didn’t want to be, honestly. His best man was his buddy from college—the guy knows my brother better than I do.”
