She frowned for a moment, studying his guarded expression. “You don’t take compliments very well, do you?”
“I—what?” He scowled, obviously caught off guard by her observation.
“You should be proud of your work. It’s wonderful.”
“I am proud of it.” His jaw tightened ever so slightly.
“Then why don’t you show it?” she challenged, her gaze holding his.
He ignored her question. “If that’s all you need, I’ll be leaving. Taking Brooklyn for a swim.”
He strode out of the cafe, and she stood there holding the carving, marveling at its delicate curves and the beautiful tones on the wood. He was amazingly talented. And all that talent washidden in his workshop. It didn’t seem right. But then, it wasn’t her decision to make, was it?
Connor eased himself down onto his worn couch cushions and put his feet up on the coffee table. The old wood table creaked under the weight. He truly enjoyed it when his sister and Brooklyn came to visit him. He did. But Brooklyn was a whirlwind of activity—though he adored her—and his sister asked entirely too many questions. He settled back on the couch and took a moment to savor the stillness broken only by the steady ticking of an old antique clock hanging on the wall.
The peace was short-lived when an insistent knock sounded at the door. He reluctantly pushed up off the couch, annoyed to have his solitude interrupted again so soon. Who needed his attention now?
He crossed to the door and flung it open. His eyes widened in surprise to see Amanda standing there.
“Hi, Connor. I brought over slices of peach pie for the three of you for your dessert tonight. Just a thank you for Megan inviting me over last night. I’m still learning how to bake pies. I hope it’s good.” She held out a plate.
“Uh… they just left.”
Disappointment crept over her face. “Oh, I’m sorry I missed them.”
The rich aroma of the freshly baked pie wafted toward him, enticing him. And he swore he felt his sister nudging him. Chiding him. Her voice rattled in his brain, insisting he ask Amanda in.Be nice to her.“Would you like to come in? We could, uh… each have a piece of pie?”
Amanda’s eyes widened slightly and a flicker of surprise crossed her face at his unexpected offer. Well, fine. He was startled by the words that had tumbled from his lips too. Why on earth had he invited her in?
A warm chuckle reverberated through the room as if Megan was offering an approving“Good Man.”Now he was imagining things.
“Um… sure. I could come in.” She gave him a tentative smile.
He stepped back to let her pass, then closed the door behind her. He took the plate from her, its sweet contents enticing him as she followed him into the kitchen. He got out two plates and placed the pie on them, then dug in the silverware drawer for forks. He handed her a plate.
“Thank you.”
“Here, take a seat.” He cleared off a stack of Brooklyn’s books from the table.
Amanda took a seat, and he sat across from her. He took a bite of the pie and tasted its sweet and tangy flavor. He didn’t bake pies and rarely ate out, so this was a nice treat. “This is really good.”
She blushed at the compliment. “Thank you. I keep trying to improve the crust.”
“Not sure you could improve on this crust.”
Her eyes lit up in pleasure, then she ducked her head, concentrating on her pie. They sat in silence for a bit, eating. She finally broke the silence. “I do appreciate you donating for the festival fundraising.”
He nodded. Then he swore his sister kicked him under the table.“You’re welcome. Hope it helps.”
“I really want to be able to have the fireworks.” She set her jaw in a determined line.
“Everything going okay with the planning?” The words seemed foreign as they left his lips. Chitchat. He was making an effort, just like Megan requested.
“It is. But I’m afraid I’m not going to get everything finished in time. I only had a few weeks to plan all this. Usually, I plan out my events way in advance.”
Another phantom nudge from Megan, and he had to look at the empty seat to make sure his sister wasn’t sitting there. “So you need help?”
She looked at him skeptically, one eyebrow arched.“Are you offering?”
