Chapter 11
“You turn this valve on the propane bottle,” Boon said, opening the cabinet beside the stove and reaching in while at the same time making room for Angelle to see.
“Clockwise or counter-clockwise?” she asked.
“Counter-clockwise. Propane fixtures are the opposite of regular fixtures.”
“So, no righty-tighty lefty-loosey.”
Boon chuckled. “Exactly. Do the opposite. Open it all the way, then close it down to about halfway.”
Angelle nodded, followed his directions, then stood back. “Okay. Done.”
“Turn on the burner, strike a match and light the flame.”
Angelle chose a long match from the box sitting on the kitchen island, then turned back to the stove. She turned on the burner and listened for just a second until she heard the slight hiss of the propane feeding through it. She struck the match and held it to the gas burner. Immediately a flame jumped to life. “I did it!” she exclaimed happily.
“I knew you could,” he said. “And now you just adjust the flame however you want it.”
She filled a pot she found stacked neatly in one of the cabinets with water from the kitchen sink, then plopped a few tea bags in it. When she was done she turned around and grinned at Boon. “I got this.”
“No doubt,” he said, chuckling.
“I know we just ate, but do you want something to snack on?”
“I can always eat. You know that.”
“I saw a few cans of cinnamon rolls in the fridge.”
“Cans of cinnamon rolls?” he asked.
“Yes. You can buy them in a can, premade. You just open them and bake them. They come with a container of frosting, too. I guess Tempest likes them, because she included a few cans when she filled the fridge.”
“By all means. Let’s try these canned cinnamon rolls,” Boon said.
He sat at the kitchen table and watched Angelle as she happily dug through all the cabinets in her kitchen, taking stock of all the things one needs in their kitchen, before she chose a cookie sheet and greased it. Then she took a can of cinnamon rolls out of the fridge. “See?” she asked, walking over and showing it to him before she opened it.
“No more working for hours until the dough has risen so you can roll it out and fill it with cinnamon, sugar and butter.”
“Nope. Though I have no doubt they’d be better than these. But for a quick snack, these are pretty good,” she said as she wandered back over to the kitchen and tore the wrapper off the can before banging it against the edge of the island. The can popped and Angelle shouted triumphantly as she held the opened can in the air. “Hah!”
Boon sat quietly, a constant smile on his face as he watched her go through the process of placing the rolls on the baking sheet, then placing them in the oven.
She glanced his way after she closed the oven door and found him watching her with a goofy look on his face. “What’s that look for?”
He shook his head.
“Come on, tell me,” she said, fully facing him now with her hands on her hips.
He shook his head disbelievingly. “I’ve just never been this happy. I am peaceful. Completely at ease. All because you’recooking in our kitchen. I had no idea happiness could be so simple.”
Angelle smiled at him and went directly to him and kissed him, taking her time to let all she felt for him bleed into him through her kiss. She pulled back and looked at him. “I have to admit, it is nice. Being here with you, in this home, and it’s so quiet. I feel like I belong.”
“You do,” he said, pulling her toward him. “We both do.”
She leaned forward to kiss him again, but he leaned away from her, his head turning slightly toward the front door. “What…” she started to ask, thinking maybe she was taking too many liberties without asking first, but he gently moved her back a few steps and stood up.
“We have company.”
