“May I have a burger and pasta salad?”
“Of course, do you want any fruit?” he asked, piercing a piece of chicken for himself.
“No. I’m saving room for dessert,” she grinned.
“I see you’re insatiable,” he whispered. “I’ll have to think of somethingelse to tempt you.”
Scarlett swallowed as her mind went to carnal places. His arms felt firm and defined. When the outside of her arm rubbed against his side, she felt the bulging muscles underneath his clothes. For a chef, he seemed in great shape.
“Besides cooking, do you have other skills?” she asked, before she slapped her hand against her mouth and moaned. “What I meant was, do you have any hobbies?”
Chuckling, Ty led her back to Ice and her chair and sat beside her. Kassie must’ve left to put the baby down because Ty spoke freely. “I own the ranch. When I’m not at the restaurant, I enjoy gardening, raising cattle, and having a few chickens and goats. My property has a lake and I enjoy fishing and hunting, too. What do you enjoy doing?”
Scarlett frowned. “I haven’t done much since the accident. I really miss reading books,” she admitted softly.
“What do you like to read? In the winter, I catch up on my TBR,” Ty said, passing her a napkin.
“I’m a thriller junkie. I like to guess who did it before the end. Sometimes I read romantic suspense or drama. What about you?”
“Thrillers, sometimes westerns, and history,” he said. “Have you checked out the library here in town? They have a large selection.”
Scarlett lost her appetite. She set her fork on the plate and held it on her lap. “No.”
“I’ll take you sometime,” he promised, not noticing her disappointment. “Have you visited Seattle?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s my first time on the West Coast.”
“We’ll have to remedy that. Seattle’s a fun city to visit. There are some great restaurants, and tourist attractions. The aquarium has a touch tank,” he said, listing off the possibilities.
She swallowed, fighting back the tears. Ty forgot shecouldn’t see. He wanted to take her to the library and ‘see’ Seattle. Part of her felt thrilled about him forgetting, while the other part reminded her she’d always be a burden. As much as she liked the man, she refused to allow herself to fall for him, only to discover he felt sorry for her. Ty kept her company while the others celebrated the two young men’s departures.
She searched for her cane, gripped the plate, and reached for Ice. “Excuse me, Ty. I’m getting a headache.”
He took her plate. “Do you want me to ask Kassie for acetaminophen?”
“No, thank you. It’s best if I return to the hospital and lie down. They’ve grown worse since the accident,” she explained, trying hard not to hurt his feelings.
She pulled her phone from her jacket and called Sledge.
“Hey, Sassy P. You having a good time?” he asked.
“I’m sorry to bother you and Kim. Can you pick me up from Kassie’s? I’m afraid I’m getting a migraine.” She asked, her voice trembling.
“I’m on my way,” he said with no hesitation.
Scarlett entered the kitchen and overheard Leo speaking to a woman and a little girl. “Daddy, how did my goldfish get a black spot under his eye? Did he get hurt? Because his fancy tail seems shorter. Usually, when I tap the glass, Fred swims over to me. He didn’t when I got home.”
“Melody. Why don’t you find Emma and Nugget? I need to speak to your Dad,” his wife said sternly.
Scarlett heard the little girl run off.
“Leo,” his wife warned. “What did you do?”
“Fuck. I’m gonna strangle Patch. I came home this morning to find the damn fish floating. I sent Patch to find an identical one,” he admitted. “How hard can it be to match a goldfish. He’s getting extra PT forthis,” he growled.
“Why didn’t you tell her it died? The fish lived long past his age,” she exclaimed.
“Because she’ll want a puppy again. With me working nights, you breastfeeding and handling Grace at all hours, and working in the morning, it’s the last thing we need,” he explained.
