“Six-thirty.”
“Hmm.”
Noah glanced at his granddad before covering the sauce with a sheet of foil. “What does that mean?”
Patrick picked up his glass of wine. “Nothing.”
“Hmm isn’t nothing.”
“Sure it is, especially where Cassie is concerned. What are your intentions?”
Noah crossed his arms in front of his chest. “My intentions depend on what Cassie wants.”
“What she wants is a man she can trust. You have to tell her what happened.”
“It doesn’t matter. It was four years ago.”
Patrick shook his head. “You can be as stubborn as an old, cantankerous mule.”
Noah picked up his beer. “Didn’t you say I was a chip off the old block?”
“I should have listened to your grandma. She warned me about Emanuel Ricardo, but I didn’t listen.”
“It wasn’t your fault. No one knew what was going to happen.”
“Your grandma was a shrewd judge of character. All he wanted was his moment in the spotlight. Well, he got it, but not in the way he expected.”
“Nothing turned out the way we thought. Even grandma was shocked by what happened.”
“Talking about your grandma…” Patrick looked around the cottage. “We need flowers.”
Noah frowned. “Why?”
“It’s good luck. You can’t romance a woman without giving her flowers.”
If his granddad was trying to make him less stressed, it wasn’t working. “I’m not romancing Cassie. We’re having dinner. With you.”
“On my first date with your grandma, I gave her a bouquet of daisies. From that moment forward, we never left each other’s side.” Patrick’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “You deserve a woman who loves you like there’s no one else in the world. Someone who gives you the best of who she is and doesn’t expect anything other than the best of who you are. If Cassie is that woman, give her flowers.”
Noah looked at the pride on his granddad’s face, the love for his wife that would never die. His grandparents had found a once-in-a-lifetime love that changed their lives. It had given their son a glimpse of what could be, and their grandsons a life filled with joy.
With tears in his own eyes, Noah walked around the counter. He hugged his granddad and wondered where the years had gone. “Grandma loved you and so do I. I’ll find some flowers for Cassie.”
Patrick’s arms tightened around him. “Good boy. I’ll make the salad.”
With the story of his grandparents’ courtship ringing in his ears, Noah headed outside. If there were any flowers around Flathead Lake, he’d find them. If there weren’t, he would have to be a little creative.
Cassie heldthe cake box and took a deep breath. She was having dinner with Noah and his granddad. They would share some food and talk about what they were doing. After dessert, she’d come home and spend a few minutes staring at the stars before going to bed.
If tonight was going to be so straightforward, why was she nervous? She’d tried on three pairs of jeans, one skirt, and all three of her dresses before she’d settled on what she would wear. Her yellow sundress wasn’t new, but it was comfortable.
At least Noah’s dinner would be better than the frozen meal she was going to have. The smell wafting across the yard had sent her taste buds to heaven and back. She was a sucker for a good barbecue, and Noah’s smelled divine.
As she was about to leave, her cell phone rang. Rushing across the kitchen, she answered the call. “Cassie speaking.”
“You sound like you’ve run a marathon.”
“Dad! It’s good to hear from you.”
