“Yeah, if there’s enough. Bugger seems to eat anything we do.”
“Let me cool it first.” Rather than put a bowl in the fridge, she grabbed the dishwashing tub, went to the front door, and scooped some snow. She set two of the steaming bowls in it. Smart. She knew better than to break the seal on the fridge with the power now out. A fridge I’d probably have to empty or pack with snow so things didn’t perish. It should be fine overnight, but I’d most likely have to do something by morning if the electricity hadn’t returned.
I sliced the whole loaf of bread and stacked three slices per plate only to have Nicky snort. “One piece is enough for me and Zaza.”
“Mind if I give the extras to Percy?”
“Can Zaza do it?” she asked.
“’Course.” I grabbed a slice, not too hot anymore, the bread cooling rapidly, and held it out to the baby. “Wanna give it to Percy?”
Zaza eyed me suspiciously until Nicky spoke to her in Italian. I heard the word dinosaur in there and it led to the baby snatching the slice and essentially tossing it at Percy.
Who caught it!
Damn. That lizard had fast reflexes, at least where food was concerned.
The bowls in the snow cooled enough one could be given to Percy and the other placed in front of Nicky, who shared it with the child. I wasn’t sharing that savory goodness with no one. I practically inhaled that first bowl and only slowed down on my second. The bread tasted just as good and I used a fourth slice to sop up the juices. I might have gone for a fifth with jam, but a certain lizard kept begging, and Zaza kept feeding.
By the time a round-bellied Percy waddled to lie down in front of the woodstove, there was nothing left.
Nicky shook her head. “And to think I didn’t believe you when you said it liked to eat copious amounts.”
“Not sure where Percy’s putting it,” I admitted with a wry smile.
Smile? Me?
Nicky put the baby on the floor and then reached for the dirty dishes on the table.
“Don’t you touch those,” I chided. “You cooked, therefore, I do cleanup.”
“Oh. But I don’t mind. I’m used to it.”
“Sit and relax,” was my curt reply.
A half smile curved her lips but she listened, leaning back in her seat, her gaze darting between me and the child who’d plopped herself beside Percy with a book. Judging by the babbling, she was pretending to read to the lizard. Even my hardened ass found it cute.
I made quick work of the dishes, scrubbing, rinsing, and then placing them on a drying rack. When I finished, I hung the tea towel and turned to find Nicky watching me.
What to say? What to do? It had been a while since I’d entertained someone of the opposite sex. Actually, anyone for that matter.
“I should bring in some wood and make sure the stove doesn’t go out overnight.” A task to keep me busy for a few minutes as I brought snow-covered logs in and placed them in the rack for drying after removing those already waiting. A glance at the kid showed her plopped on the floor, a tablet in hand, playing some kind of children’s programming. Percy lay draped in her lap watching the screen. Looked like those two were becoming fast friends.
With them out of reach, I cracked open the woodstove door and fed some fresh fuel into the fire. The heat that blasted out had me pursing my lips. This was the only source of warmth in the chalet and while it did a good job, its reach would only extend so far.
I headed back to the kitchen where Nicky had a moka pot going on the stove.
“Coffee?” she asked.
“Sure. So, with the power out, the baseboard heaters obviously aren’t working. If you keep the bedroom door open, it might not get too cold, but I’d recommend maybe dragging the mattress out here for you and Zaza to sleep on.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be upstairs.”
“Which will get cold,” she protested.
“There’s not enough room for two mattresses and I’m a touch too long for the couch.”
