Only an angel like Betty could take such advice without offense. Their conversation turned to her diet and exercise, which somehow turned into a dinner invitation for when Jane arrived.
George didn’t have the heart to tell her no, but he hoped in all the excitement of her niece coming that she’d forget.
Chapter 5♥Fire or No Fire
“Come in!” Emma recognized George’s three quick knocks. After he’d texted he was on his way, she’d unlocked the front door.
He closed the door behind him and met her in the kitchen where she was carefully cutting up a carrot. She would not mention how close she’d come to slicing into her finger in the process.
The sound of theJeopardytheme song filtered in from the den, and they both turned to look at the backs of Harriet’s and Granddad’s heads.
Granddad moaned. “Oh, I hate this chatting part after the first commercial break. Alex Trebek is so condescending, and the contestant’s answers are an embarrassment. The combination is just …”
“Awkward,” Harriet filled in for him. The two laughed together like they were the best of friends.
Emma rolled her eyes. “When he’s crotchety, she only laughs harder. Maybe it’s a honeymoon period, but they are a match made in heaven.”
“What are you making?” George asked.
The carrot slid out from her knife again, and she pulled her hand back just in time.
“For the love of your fingers, Emma, put the knife down.”
She huffed out an embarrassed breath and set the knife on the counter.
“Sorry.” He leaned in until she had to look at him, and his expression was a mixture of sympathy, and amusement, and just a hint of mischief. “Dangerous with a knife—you can add it to your resume.”
“Uh, no. I won’t be bragging about my knife skills, thank you. This is between you and me. Forever.”
George crossed his heart. “I won’t tell a soul. But, can I show you how to cut carrots without losing any vital body parts?”
He washed his hands, and then came and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. “Try cutting at an angle, like this.” He rocked the knife back and forth like a pro, and little oval slices lined up one by one. “That way, the knife is never riding on top like a teeter-totter.”
He made it all seem so simple. And it was true. It didn’t matter what shape the carrots ended up. She kind of liked the ovals anyway.
“Can you picture us onCooking with Strangers?” She laughed as she took the knife from him and slowly began making more ovals. “We’d be eliminated the first night after I set our meal on fire.”
George shrugged. “I think they’d like you enough to keep you around for a couple episodes, fire or no fire.”
Their eyes met, and she willed herself not to blush, because her mind had immediately gone to an image of her and George skulking in a corner with their lips locked together, cameras forgotten. Okay, that show was messing with her head. If George knew she had thoughts like that he’d probably stop coming over. Time for a subject change.
“How do you feel about cutting onions?” she asked.
George picked up the onion on the counter and stuck it in the freezer.
“That good, huh? I guess we won’t be having onions with the roast tonight.”
He leaned against the counter so they were facing each other. “You’ll cry a lot less if the onion is cold when you cut into it.”
“Oh. I was about to order onion goggles online,” Emma admitted.
“That doesn’t surprise me one bit.” He stole a piece of carrot as he studied the recipe book on the counter. “Do you have a garlic press?”
“No idea.” She gestured toward the utensil drawer and went back to chopping carrots into careful little ovals.
Harriet came and stood in the doorway.
“Oh, George, come here for a second.” Emma turned him around from the utensil drawer, and he and Harriet shook hands over the counter. “Harriet, this is my old friend, George. George, this is Granddad’s new nurse, Harriet.”
