“I could use a break. Have a seat.” He gestured toward the table and chairs on the deck. “I’ll get us some sweet tea.”
“I won’t stay long,” she said, following him to the deck. “I just wanted to say hi.”
He turned to look at her again once he reached the sliding glass door. “You know you’re always welcome.”
He reemerged with two tall glasses of iced tea and joined her at the table. She gave him a shy smile and took one of the glasses.
“So, what brings you this way? Just needed to take a walk?”
“That’s part of it. But I did plan on stopping by while I was at it.”
“Oh?”
“I was out and about. I got a few things to make the house feel like home while I’m here. It helped a little. But it’s still big and empty.”
Andy waited for her to continue. Stopping by to talk was a big step for Samira, and he didn’t want to say the wrong thing and scare her off. It was a relief that she seemed to be getting comfortable around him again, though it still took her a few minutes before she went on.
“Tonight, I planned on cooking up the crab cakes and soft-shell crabs you brought over. Care to join me?” she asked nervously. “If you aren’t busy, I mean. I know it’s the last minute.”
Andy answered before she could go on rambling. “I’d love to. Just give me a couple hours to finish up here and get cleaned up, and I’ll be over.”
The smile she flashed was filled with relief before she turned and headed back to the beach. Andy wondered if there was a reason behind her nerves. She had seemed relaxed once theyagreed to just be friends. He hadn’t expected the shy, nervous Samira to reappear.
He finished working on the crab pots quicker than he expected so it was less than two hours later when he climbed into his truck to head over. Friends were allowed to show up early and offer a hand, and they were friends.
“You’re early,” Samira said as soon as she opened the door.
“I brought wine.”
“Okay. Then come on in,” she said with a laugh.
As they walked to the kitchen, Andy noticed she had made a few changes. Instead of bare walls, there were a few decorative signs hanging up. A vase with fresh flowers was now on the table in front of the window. She had draped a cheerful blanket across the back of the sectional. The changes weren’t major, but they livened the place up.
“It looks nice in here,” Andy commented.
“Thanks. I’m trying to make the best of it.”
“What can I help you with?” he asked once they made it to the kitchen.
She hesitated a moment. “Nothing. I should have everything ready soon.”
She went to the refrigerator and started taking things out. He leaned against the counter next to the refrigerator and watched her. Her hands were unsteady when she took the seafood out.
“Have you cooked soft-shell crabs before?” he asked.
She looked at him and hesitated again before answering. “Well, no. But I have seen it done. And I’ve eaten them. I think I’ll be fine.”
Before she finished speaking, he was at her side. “Why don’t I fry the crabs, and you do the crab cakes?”
She looked lost. “I invited you for dinner. I can’t have you cook it.”
He smiled as he watched her. She was clearly flustered—torn between wanting his help and being embarrassed about wanting the help. Without giving himself time to think about it, he grabbed her by the arm, pulled her close, and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. It was hard to ignore the shockwave that coursed through him at the contact.
“I’m not cooking all of it. Just helping,” he said as he opened the pantry and grabbed what he would need.
He thought she was flustered before. Once he kissed her, she noticeably flushed beneath her naturally bronzed skin. She didn’t argue; she just watched him as he moved through her kitchen as if he’d been there a hundred times.
“Help yourself to what you need,” she mumbled sarcastically, returning to what she was doing.
