Noah cut a slice of beef and pushed it onto his fork. His granddad was never spontaneous. Everything, right down to what day of the week he went grocery shopping, was planned with military precision. “You do know it’s Friday.”
“Of course I know what day of the week it is. Now tell me about Cassie. How are you going to woo her back?”
Noah nearly choked. His granddad had never asked about any of his girlfriends.
“Well?” Patrick asked. “You must have one or two ideas you want to try.”
“I’m not sure Cassie wants to be wooed.”
“Nonsense. Everyone wants to feel special, and Cassie is no exception. She’s a bright, intelligent, and beautiful young woman. If you don’t do something, she’ll fall in love with someone else.”
Noah’s heart sank. “Does Jack know you’re getting in touch with your feelings?”
“Not yet, but I’ll make sure I see him before I leave Manhattan. Someone needs to talk with him before he turns into a replica of you and me.”
“I turned out all right.”
Patrick’s smile was full of pride. “Of course you did. You’re a chip off the old block.”
Noah didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Thank goodness his granddad had Jack on his radar. That would give him something to focus on while Noah concentrated on Cassie.
Because his granddad was right. Cassie would fall in love with someone else if he didn’t show her she could trust him.
On Sunday night,Cassie opened her front door. When she saw who was standing on her veranda, her mouth dropped open. “Mr. Devlin? What are you doing here?”
Noah’s grandfather smiled. “I believe you’ve received a booking for Acorn Cottage for the next seven days. I’m your new guest.”
“Are you sure? The only reservation that came through was for a Mr. Potts.”
Patrick shrugged. “Noah told me he hasn’t spoken to you for a couple of weeks. I was worried you wouldn’t accept my booking if you knew it was me. In my haste to get here, I borrowed the name of my neighbor’s cat.”
Despite her shock at seeing Patrick, Cassie smiled. “I would have been more concerned if Noah were standing in front of me.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that.”
Cassie studied the innocent expression on Patrick’s face. “Noah said you worked long hours and never took time off.”
“That was the old me. From now on, I’m going to enjoy life. And it starts with a relaxing vacation.” He turned toward Flathead Lake and took a deep breath. “This is a beautiful place to call home.”
“It is.” She still wasn’t convinced Patrick’s intentions were entirely honorable but, he’d come a long way, and she wasn’t going to turn him away. “I’ll take you across to the cottage. There’s an information pack in the cottage with lots of ideas about things you can do while you’re here. I can book any tours you want to do.”
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the things Noah told me about.”
“If there’s anything he did that you can’t find, just let me know.” Taking a set of keys off the hall table, Cassie stepped outside. Patrick’s car was parked by the cottage, so she didn’t have to worry about carrying his suitcases across the grass. “There’s a basket of local food on the dining room table and fresh milk, bread, and butter in the refrigerator. If you need anything else, I’ll be happy to bring it across.”
“Do you treat all of your guests so well?”
Cassie smiled. “You’re extra special.” She slowed her pace to make it easier for Patrick to walk beside her. Coming all the way from Manhattan was tiring for anyone, but for an eighty-one-year-old, it would be worse. “Have you had dinner?”
Patrick stopped and caught his breath. “I bought a sandwich at Polson Airport.”
“Would you like to share some of my soup? I made it this afternoon and, if I do say so myself, it’s delicious.”
The twinkle in Patrick’s eyes was good to see. “Homemade soup sounds wonderful. Did I tell you that Noah’s grandma loved making soup? Mary had a favorite recipe for each season.”
Cassie wrapped her hand around Patrick’s elbow. “No, you didn’t. Which one did you like the best?”
As Patrick told her about the pumpkin soup that was better than anything he’d ever tasted, Cassie smiled. Regardless of why he was here, she would make sure Noah’s granddad enjoyed every moment of his stay. She just hoped he hadn’t told Noah where he’d gone.
