“I’m good. I’m sorry I made such a scene. I need to get out of here. I’ll call you later.”
“You do that, or I’ll worry.”
“I promise. I’ll be fine.” I knew I would, too, because I was going to see Aiden again. I already knew I had to tell him the truth, and that I was on his side.
Chapter Thirteen
Aiden
“So you didn’t make this, either, did you?” Lexa stared into the oven and gave a soft laugh.
“No, that would be Mattie again; this time I even got to put in a request. I hope you like roast.”
“I love it, and if her roast is half as good as those enchiladas, I’ll marry her.” She stepped back and then walked over to the counter and found a stool while I grabbed the oven mitts and took the roast out.
“Don’t make me jealous, now. I’ll have to sign up for a cooking class.” I went to the list that Mattie had left and followed my next step. She’d gone through the trouble of leaving instructions since I was having company. I laughed when the next two steps were: plate it and eat it. Good ol’ Mattie.
Lexa leaned against the bar resting her chin on her hand. “I’ve always wanted to take a cooking class, but with my schedule, it’s impossible.”
“Make the class come to you.” I shrugged. “You could probably find a chef in training that would come to your place and cook and give instructions for a reasonable amount, considering you’d buy the groceries.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ve never thought about it, but that might work.” She gave me an approving nod. “Would you like me to help?”
“I think I’ve got it today. I thought we might eat out on the patio, if you wanted. It’s a nice evening, and it’s screened.”
“That would be nice. After, I do wish you’d show me around a bit more. You’ve got such a beautiful home, and I meant to tell you how amazing the front looks. You’ve had someone out to do a lot of work.”
I hadn’t ever had anyone interested in a tour, and I felt a certain sense of pride that she appreciated it.
“I hired in a gardener. He’s my old gardener’s son, but he only comes out once a month. His dad was the main caretaker until I let him go. I don’t know what I was thinking. He was only a year out of retirement anyway, but still. Mattie came back determined to make me take care of this place, and I had to hire her back so she wouldn’t have to keep breaking in to dust the rafters. She’s a real piece of work.”
I realized I was rambling, but it was nice to have such easy conversation with someone. We took our dinner out to the patio and were quiet for a while as we savored Mattie’s roast.
“I’d like to meet this mysterious Mattie. Maybe she can teach me how to cook.” She took another bite of her potatoes, and I noticed she’d shoved her carrots aside.
“Not a fan of orange foods?” I pointed to the pile she’d pushed to the side of her plate.
“Actually they’re my favorite, so I’m saving them for last.” She stabbed one and popped it into her mouth.
“You know, I didn’t think you were going to come back around, but I’m glad you did.” I leaned in close and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She met my eyes and then looked away.
“It was kind of a whirlwind. I guess I was still spinning and afraid I’d get out of control.” She sipped her iced tea, staring off into the oaks.
“I didn’t take you for a control freak, but then again, you did take control there for a moment, so maybe?” I narrowed my eyes, and the warmth of red in her cheeks sent the blood pumping straight to my cock.
“Sometimes I see what I want and take it.” She giggled. “When are you going to show me around? The sun’s almost gone, and I wanted to see those old oaks up close.”
“Sure, come on.” I stood and held out my hand. “I’ll show you the oaks, but then I’m going to show you my favorite place in the house.”
She took my hand and giggled. “The dining room table?”
“No, but after our last date, I’d say it falls in the top three.” I led her out into the yard and to the back stretch where the live oaks spread over us like a canopy.
“The moss is amazing. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to climb up in a tree like this and take a nap.”
“Buggy.” Her hand pulled away, and she walked over to a low branch to stroke the moss. “My sister and I used to get in trouble for climbing them. So we’d go way down to the other end and climb in the very last one in the corner. We did it so much, the moss stopped growing, and Mother realized what we were up to. She had Pete put a squirrel gate up to keep us out of it. She was afraid we’d get chiggers.” I glanced down, and she was staring at me blankly.
“I’m sorry.” She ducked her head and then walked to the other side of the rows and kept walking.