something?”
She gazed at him for a long moment and he saw something hot flash in her eyes before she quickly concealed it. “Er, yes. This is for you.”
From the other side of the porch swing, she slid out a cooler he hadn’t noticed.
“What’s all this?”
Pink bloomed on her cheeks. “That chair. That was...an amazing gift.”
He wanted to kiss those cheekbones. Start there and work his way to her mouth and then wherever else he could touch. “It seemed a shame to waste such a perfect spot, there along the creek. You needed a proper chair.”
“It’s perfect,” she said, her voice soft. “Really wonderful. I’ve sat out there every night since you left it for me.”
“That’s what I was hoping.”
He didn’t tell her the chair was part of his master strategy, demonstrating to this prickly, independent woman that she didn’t have to do everything by herself. Sometimes leaning on somebody else once in a while could be immensely rewarding.
“Thank you. It was...extraordinarily thoughtful of you.”
“I had fun building it,” he assured her. “Ethan helped, as I’m sure he’ll be sure to tell you when he sees you again. He hammered in several of the nails.”
“Then I will cherish it even more.”
The chair had only taken a couple of evenings the week before. Yeah, it was time he could have been spending working on making the house ready but he was suddenly very glad he had decided to devote a little energy to this. He liked seeing her flustered and a little off balance.
Her foot nudged the cooler. She was wearing flip-flops and her toenails were painted a rosy pink. He could always start there and kiss his way up....
“This pales in comparison as a thank-you,” she said, “but it’s the best I could do.”
“Okay, you’ve piqued my curiosity. What is it?”
“Stick with what you do best, right? In my case, that’s food.”
He opened the lid and discovered three stacks of neatly wrapped containers, each with handwriting on the top. One read Chicken Parmesan, he saw at first glance, another Portobello Ravioli, Pork Tenderloin on yet another. There were more but that was all he could see.
“I guess you could say this is my version of TV dinners. Everything should be labeled and most of it can be heated in the microwave. Of course, it won’t be as good as when I originally cooked it, but it’s the next-best thing.”
“There must be a dozen meals in here.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t really count. But most of the serving sizes are probably big enough for you and Ethan both.”
He hated cooking and considered it his hardest task as a single father, coming up with something nutritious and half-decent that Ethan would actually eat. Having that worry taken away would be a huge plus.
“I’m astonished,” he said honestly. “Completely astonished. This will be a great break from fast food.”
She shrugged. “Like I said, I know my strengths and most of them involve a kitchen somewhere.”
“I will love this. So will Ethan. Thank you.”
Color seeped along her cheekbones. “It hardly seems commensurate. I’m a little embarrassed, if you want the truth. I’ll be enjoying the chair you made me for years to come while you’ll probably polish off the last meal in a few weeks.”
“You didn’t have to do anything like this, Alexandra. I gave you that chair because I wanted to. I didn’t expect anything in return.”
That seemed to fluster her. “Yes, well, I appreciate it. More than I can say. Um, we should probably put these in the freezer as soon as possible. I can’t believe I fell asleep and left them sitting out this long. I should have just gone back to my house and put them back in the freezer while I watched for you from the window.”
“You looked as if you needed the nap.”
“It’s been a crazy few days. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays but I spent most of today cooking for you and some other friends.”
He hoped she still considered him a friend, despite everything else that simmered between them. “Come on inside. Let’s see if I can find room in the freezer.”
He unlocked the door and led the way inside, aware as he did that the house was cluttered with construction mess, especially the living room. The family room in the back was moderately livable but he had been using this room to store all the supplies and paint cans. Sawhorses, trouble lights and ladders cluttered the floor.
She apparently didn’t notice. “Wow, look at all the progress you’ve