June hummed a tune that was too low for him to hear what it was as her hips swayed back and forth.
“Can I help you with something?”
June jumped, stood up, and spun around, her eyes as big as saucers as her hand rested over her heart as if she were afraid it would beat right out of her chest.
He noted she had changed.He hadn’t realized she’d packed spare clothes.She wore a floral printed shirt that hugged her curves and stopped just above the waist of her shorts, showing off just a hint of skin.Even her hair was down and draped over her shoulder.
He had never seen June in something so feminine.Normally she wore shorts and a t-shirt in muted colors.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What did you expect walking on silent feet,” she snapped defensively.“Sorry, that wasn’t your fault.I snap when I get startled.This is your house, not mine.Walk however you choose.”She waved off and then went back to looking in the fridge.
“Thanks.”He could hardly say he was being stealthy in his own house a second ago.Just walking.Obviously, she hadn’t been paying attention.“What were you looking for?”
If June was hoping to learn anything about him by raiding his cupboards, she would be sorely disappointed.
“I was going to help you with dinner, so I was looking at what options you had.”
“I told you, we’re having steaks.”
“Yeah, but we need something to go with it.”
“I honestly didn’t think of a side other than salad.”It had been the only thing he could think of as a side to go with steaks.He felt like he was being a terrible host.He hadn’t thought about feeding her, and now he didn’t even know what he had inthe fridge and pantry.
“We can do that.I don’t have anything against salad.Or I hope you don’t mind, I just poked through your fridge and cupboards and decided on asparagus and garlic-roasted potatoes.I already started the potatoes.”
“You don’t have to trouble yourself.”It was his house, and he’d offered to cook.She wasn’t required to help.
“It’s no trouble.I enjoy cooking.I don’t get to cook for more than myself often, so this will be nice.”
June looked at him with big innocent doe eyes that made him feel he couldn’t deny her anything.“That would be great.”
June smiled then, and Rob felt like he had just climbed K2.It was an odd feeling, feeling like he was a hero to someone.Sure, he had been thanked for saving people in the past, but that had been his job.Here he’d just agreed to make dinner her way.It wasn’t that big of a deal.
“I’ll work on the potatoes.They’ll take the longest.”
“Okay, what can I help with?”
It was his house and his kitchen.He wasn’t going to make her do all of the cooking while he just grilled.
“You can get the asparagus ready.Wash them and trim them.”
He could do that.
They worked in harmony as he got the asparagus ready, and she grabbed an onion and diced it up.She moved around the kitchen as if she had been cooking in it for years instead of a few moments.
“You’re a natural in the kitchen.”
“Thanks, I learned from Rosa.”
“Your nurse.”He remembered June mentioning her.
“Yeah, I felt bad when she was the one always doing the heavy lifting, so I thought if I learned to cook, I could ease her burden.”
Once again, Rob was struck by June and her thoughtfulness of others.Here she had been missing both of her legs, wheelchair-bound, and felt bad for the person having to care for her and wanting to help them instead of just letting others cater to her.
“Rosa protested at first of course.”June chuckled looking at him out of the corner of her eye.“She was my caretaker, and as such, I was not supposed to help her.So, I had to get creative, and I told her I wanted to learn to cook for my husband one day or for friends and it shouldn’t be on her.She caved and started teaching me.I wouldn’t brag and say I’m like an iron chef by any means, but I haven’t given anyone food poisoning yet.”
