Home to Stay (The Long Road Home #2) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,62
that needs more repairs—and that’s after I’ve spent a couple of weeks doing lots of repairs—and say that you love it.”
“Are you determined to get on my bad side before we go inside?”
He leaned over the console, his hand on the back of her head, and pulled her gently toward him, landing a kiss on her lips. She immediately melted, and it hit her that she might never stay irritated at him as long as he kissed her that way. But that was a secret she was willing to keep this early in their relationship.
Separating the barest inch, he held her gaze. “I never want to get on your bad side, and to be honest, I love that you love old houses.”
Her smile widened as he let her go. He rounded the vehicle and assisted her down as she carefully maintained hold of the pie. Stepping inside the kitchen, she sniffed in appreciation at the scents coming from the stove. An older man turned, his gaze taking her in before the creases deepened as he smiled. His hair was white, the top sparse but the sides combed neatly. His pants were a little baggy but clean and his white shirt was pressed. After everything John had told her, she could tell he’d made an effort, and she was glad she’d chosen to wear a skirt. She smiled as he walked toward her.
“You must be Lucy.” His voice was gravelly but warm.
“Yes, Mr. Roster. Thank you for having me.”
“Call me Gramps. Nobody’s formal around here.”
“Okay, I will. And I brought a strawberry crumble pie for dessert. I hope that’s okay.”
“Never knew a man to turn down a pretty girl with dessert in her hands.” He winked, and she caught sight of John rolling his eyes.
“Gramps, are you flirting with my girl?”
“Never knew an old man to not flirt with a pretty girl with dessert in her hands.”
Lucy laughed as she set the pie on the counter. She looked around at the kitchen; clean, but it hadn’t been updated in years, and she wondered how different it would have been when John’s grandmother was alive.
“Lucy commented on how much she loved the house when we drove up,” John said.
“It’s old. ‘Bout the best you can say for it.” Gramps moved slowly back to the stove. “John, take the fish pie out of the oven.”
John moved to handle the hot dish, placing it on a worn potholder sitting in the middle of the table. Three places were already set, and she glanced over to see a pitcher of iced tea on the counter. “Would you like me to pour?”
“Be fine, Lucy,” Gramps said. “Then sit yourself down, and we’ll eat. No ceremony here, so make yourself at home.”
Soon, they were at the table and she moaned in appreciation at her first bite. “It’s been a while since I’ve had fish pie, and this is delicious.”
Gramps grinned. “My wife’s recipe. I don’t do fancy cooking, but she was a good cook. Whenever we had company, she’d make her Maine Haddock Pie. Figured John bringing home a girl was reason enough to celebrate.”
“Well, I’m honored.”
The conversation was easy as Gramps asked her about teaching and then asked John about his first day at work. She could tell John was fluffing his answers, but Gramps didn’t seem to care that John had to keep most of what he’d be doing a secret.
She served the pie and was thrilled when Gramps pulled vanilla ice cream from the freezer. Making a pot of coffee which they took to the living room, Gramps settled into an old recliner while she and John sat together on the sofa.
“I hear you’re working on your house,” Gramps said.
“Yes. I bought an old house that needed a lot of love. My parents despaired since I knew nothing about repairs. But I’ve learned as I go. I contracted out the electrical work and larger plumbing work, but I’ve updated the kitchen and the master bathroom, doing a lot of the work myself.”
“What’s this youbie tubie thing John said you were learning from?”
Her eyes widened, not understanding, and she shot John a questioning look.
John laughed, saying, “He means YouTube.”
“Oh,” she laughed as well, blushing. “It’s a… um… well, it’s a place on the internet where people can post all kinds of videos. And some of them show you how to do things. So, I just search for whatever I’m working on, like how to tile a kitchen backsplash and a bunch of videos will pop