“So are a lot of people. But it doesn’t mean they’re good enough for my little girl.”
Cassie smiled. “Your little girl is all grown up.”
“Not in my eyes. Be careful, Cassie. You’ve been through a lot over the last few years.”
“I will. I love you, Dad.”
“Love you, too. Tell Noah and his grandfather I said hello.”
“I’ll tell them. Bye.” Cassie ended the call and picked up the cake box. Tonight didn’t have to be about her relationship with Noah. It could simply be dinner with two people whose company she enjoyed.
With that thought in her mind, she closed the front door and walked across to Acorn Cottage.
Noah wipedhis hands on his apron and took the oven-baked fries out of the oven. So far, so good. His granddad was keeping Cassie entertained with stories about his vacation adventures, and dinner was ready to be served.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
The tray of fries landed on the counter, knocking over the ketchup and spraying the wall with thick, red sauce.
“Oops, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Cassie reached for the dishcloth, mopping up the worst of the mess while Noah rescued the fries.
“It’s okay. I should have been paying closer attention to what I was doing. Did you enjoy Granddad’s story about Alaska?”
Cassie smiled. “I did. I thought he was going to tell me the whale swallowed him whole.”
“That would have been a little too close for comfort. At least the fishing boat made it back to shore before everyone was tipped overboard.”
While Cassie rinsed the cloth, Noah took the dinner plates out of the cupboard. “You put a lot of thought into what you’ve provided in the cottage. Your guests must enjoy staying here.”
“I wasn’t sure what people would expect, so I included everything I would want in a vacation home. There’s probably a little too much, but I thought it was better than forgetting something.”
“I agree.” Noah scooped the fries into a large bowl and placed them on top of the dinner plates. “If you could take this outside, I’ll grab the sweetcorn and salad.”
“And I’ll find the butter,” Noah’s granddad said from the kitchen doorway. He looked at the corn and grunted. “Gordon was right. The vegetables we picked today look fresher and better than those we get in New York.”
“Mr. Jessop’s biased, but he knows what he’s talking about.” Cassie handed Patrick the butter. “I never thought organic vegetables tasted any different from other vegetables until I tried the food he grows.”
“Did he tell you he wants to build a greenhouse?”
Cassie nodded. “It’s on our list of improvements. I think Pastor John wants to leave it until the tiny home village is completely finished.”
Patrick followed Cassie and Noah outside. “That will be months away.”
“It’s probably closer to two years,” Cassie said sadly. “There’s only so much money to go around.”
“Hmm.”
Noah studied his grandfather’s face. “You can’t build a greenhouse for The Welcome Center.”
“I wouldn’t do anything without speaking to Pastor John first.”
Noah’s eyebrows rose. “That’s not like you.”
Instead of looking insulted, his grandfather smiled. “I’ve mellowed in my old age.”
“Really?” Noah looked at Cassie. “Don’t believe anything my grandfather says. He’s still as determined as he was thirty years ago.”
With a heavy sigh, Patrick dropped onto one of the wooden chairs. “Forget determination. I’d settle for having my fifty-year-old body back. It would solve a lot of my problems.”
