Noah’s eyes narrowed. “Is there something you haven’t told me?” His grandfather hated going to the doctor. If it weren’t for Noah and Jack’s constant reminders, he doubted he would even go to his annual checkup.
“There’s nothing you don’t already know. Now get those ribs off the barbecue before I help myself.”
Noah wouldn’t put it past his granddad to do exactly that. “You might be just as determined, but you’ve got less patience.”
Cassie handed Noah a pair of tongs. “They smell divine.”
“It’s Jack’s recipe.” He lifted the ribs onto a plate and hoped they tasted as good as they smelled.
When he turned around, his grandfather had a napkin tucked in the front of his shirt. “Cassie will think you don’t get fed.”
“Nonsense,” Patrick said as he rubbed his hands together. “Cassie is just as keen as I am to taste your ribs. You’ve been tantalizing our taste buds with the smell all evening.”
Cassie helped herself to a corncob. “It’s true. The smell was driving me crazy, too.”
Noah’s heart leapt. If he’d known driving her crazy was as easy as cooking ribs, he would have done it weeks ago.
He placed the plate on the table. “Help yourselves. I need to get something from the cottage.”
“I’ve got plenty of soda, juice, and wine at my house if you need some more.”
Noah shook his head. “We’ve got plenty. I’ll be back soon.”
His grandfather picked up a fork. “Come on, Cassie. Let’s start. It would be a shame if the ribs got cold.”
Noah hurried inside. He was glad his grandfather was here. Without his ability to smooth over the awkwardness of seeing Cassie again, he didn’t know whether the evening would be going quite so well. He just hoped the flowers he’d picked made Cassie realize how much he cared about her. If they didn’t, he’d have no choice but to send her barbecue spare ribs each week.
Cassie glanced at Acorn Cottage.She had no idea why Noah had gone inside, but it must be important. Hopefully, he wasn’t replying to a phone message he’d forgotten or answering a work email.
“Don’t worry about my grandson,” Patrick said. “Tell me about the land where the tiny home village will be built. It looks as though the groundbreaking is about to start.”
“It is. On the weekend, a team of volunteers are removing the last of the fences between the properties. The bulldozers arrive on Monday. Did you like helping the apprentices?”
Patrick handed her the salad. “It brought back a lot of good memories. We had an apprenticeship program when I started my first construction company. I’d forgotten how rewarding it is to help young builders.”
Cassie had spent a few minutes watching what was happening in the construction area. The students from Montana State University enjoyed seeing their plans come to life. And from the looks of things, the apprentices welcomed the challenge of creating a tiny home.
“I feel the same way when I’m showing students around my studio. It doesn’t matter whether they’re nine or nineteen years old, it makes you feel proud of what you’ve achieved.”
Patrick’s eyes twinkled. “I enjoyed the tour of your studio the other night, and I’m a little older than the students. The judges couldn’t have chosen a more deserving recipient of the Wilson Award.”
“Thank you.” Cassie bit into a spare rib and sighed. “This is incredible.”
“Noah has hidden talents.” He looked over Cassie’s shoulder and smiled. “And talking about my grandson…”
Cassie turned around and stared at the huge bouquet in Noah’s arms. Daisies, roses, snapdragons, and lilies were a rainbow of color and texture against his white shirt.
He sat beside her and handed her the flowers. “These are for you. I want you to know how much you mean to me. Will you give me another chance to show you how wonderful our lives could be together?”
Cassie held the flowers against her chest and inhaled their sweet fragrance. “They’re lovely.” The uncertain frown on Noah’s face made her heart squeeze tight. “You don’t need another chance, because I’ve never stopped loving you.”
Noah’s eyes filled with tears. “I thought you’d given up on me.”
Cassie shook her head. “I wanted to call you, but I didn’t know what to say. When I saw you this afternoon, I realized I want our relationship to work. It wasn’t fair that I held you responsible for what happened.”
Patrick cleared his throat. “There’s something Noah hasn’t told you.”
“No, granddad.”
