There he went again, being all sweet.
She was going to fall freaking fast and hard for him if they kept seeing each other.Which she hoped they did.Because already she couldn’t stop thinking about him and wanting to spend time with him.
The oven timer went off for the garlic bread, and she grabbed a hot pad and pulled the tray out, then finished tossing the spaghetti with sauce.
For a moment, the silence stretched between them, humming with possibility.His gaze dropped to her mouth, then back to her eyes, and it made her breath catch.
The timer beeped again, and she nearly had a heart attack.
With a light laugh, she turned it off and said, “Dinner’s ready.”
His answering chuckle was low and sent a shiver down her spine.“I guess so.”
* * *
After getting drinks, she and Ford sat down at the table to eat.She twirled the spaghetti onto her fork, wondering if what she’d made was too simple.He was a big guy, maybe he liked eating steak and potatoes.She was kicking herself for not asking for his favorite meal when they’d been texting throughout the day.
But then he took a bite and his eyes closed with a hum, and her cheeks went hot.
“This is the best thing I’ve eaten all week,” he said, pointing at his plate.
“I’m so glad you like it.”
“Very much so.Do you like to cook?”
“I do, but mostly I cook for myself.Cruz works nights, and because he lifts and boxes, he eats a pretty specific diet to help with his calorie intake, and I donotlike to eat the same thing over and over.”He never seemed to mind the constant ground beef and rice or chicken and pasta.She liked a little variety every now and then.
“He looks like he takes care of himself.Does he box in matches?”
“He used to, now he just does it to let off steam.”
They ate in silence for a little while, and then she asked him about the farm in Little River and his friends that he shared a big farmhouse with.He showed her pictures on his phone, and she was enchanted by the whole thing.
A farmhouse and a working farm?It sounded so very different from the tiny apartment and office job she had.
She’d never dreamed about living on a farm, but it sure seemed incredible.
She told him more about her job, the loss of her parents, and Cruz’s relationship blowing up, which landed him on her couch with no end in sight.
“I love him,” she said.“But this place is really not big enough for the two of us.Unfortunately, rent is super high around here, and I’d never kick him out.”
“Family’s important,” Ford said.He took a second helping of spaghetti and tore off a corner of garlic bread and popped it into his mouth.“I’m not close with my family.My dad insisted I follow in his footsteps, but I wanted to make my own way.He told me it was his way or the highway, and I walked.I found a construction company in Little River and I joined them.Dexter is the owner.He, his wife, and their two kids became a second family to me, as well as Avi, Crew, and Grey.We moved into the farmhouse a few years ago and took over the farm.”
“I’m sorry you’re not close to your family anymore, but it sounds like you won in the end with your friends.”
She learned he was a finish carpenter and a mechanic, handling the farm equipment and working on various projects for Dexter’s construction company.
After they’d eaten their fill, Ford took over the cleanup.She teased him about trying to impress her by doing the dishes.
“I’m definitely trying to impress you,” he said with a wink.“But I also think it’s fair to help out, and you cooked a great meal for me.”
They talked while he cleaned, and she found herself hanging on every word.He had an amazing life and a close-knit group of friends who were like family to him.She could relate, because she considered Rhomi and Reagan to be her sisters.
She didn’t want the evening to end, but when it eventually grew late and they’d been sitting on the couch for over an hour chatting, they got up and she walked him to the door.
“Thank you for dinner,” he said.“I had a really great time.”
“Me too.And thanks for not running the other direction when Cruz glared at you.”
