“I do think you need to find a new hobby, though,” I said. “You’re home way too much. It’s not good for your genius brain.”
“I think ‘genius’ is a stretch. I was lucky to come up with a good idea.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, okay, Mr. Modest.”
“Maybe I could open my own paintball place,” he said. “I could make a rule banning all boastful dancing.”
I grinned. “Then I wouldn’t be allowed to come.”
“Exactly.”
In the comfort of Parker’s arms, I managed to drift back to sleep until my alarm went off on my phone.
I woke with a jolt, enough to scare him awake too. “Time to get up,” I said, wriggling out of his arms. “We have an important date this morning.”
“Give me a minute,” he said, stretching his arms over his head.
“Are you showering this morning?”
“Are you?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile.
He hopped out of bed and scooped me into his arms. “Then I am, too.”
We were right on time arriving at Harriet’s house, promptly at eight.
When she answered the door, she had a big smile on her face. “I could set a clock to you two. Come in, come in.”
I gave her a hug and Parker kissed her cheek in greeting. Parker got a better reaction from her than I did.
We’d been coming to her house for several days now so I could make breakfast for her. With Kenneth and the diner gone, we both had huge holes in our hearts and it was the only solution that worked for the moment. I’d missed seeing her each morning, so when I proposed the idea, she was thrilled with it. She did insist that I send her a list of groceries so she could pick them up for me. There was no arguing with her, so I complied as part of the compromise.
I didn’t mind the upgrade in the ingredients. She loved to shop local farmer’s markets and always found the freshest items. When I ordered from the wholesaler, sometimes it was hit or miss. The fresher ingredients made better food. And cooking for only three people gave me the opportunity to really dig deep into my recipes and perfect them. In the back of my mind, I did want to open up another diner, eventually. But at the moment, I’d have to settle with getting a job. Even though I’d been dragging my feet. I didn’t rely on Parker at all for money; I never did that before, and I didn’t plan on starting to just because we were a couple. I had a good grasp on how long I’d be able to go until I had to get a job. Four months, tops, was my deadline.
Parker chatted with Harriet all the way into the kitchen. The two of them sat down at the table and I went to the refrigerator to get the ingredients for my famous french toast with eggs and bacon.
“It’s so nice to have both of you here,” Harriet said. “Granted, it's for a tragic reason.”
My shoulders tensed and I was happy I wasn’t looking at her. Parker always said I wore my heart on my face. I felt the familiar tug at the corners of my lips as I did when anyone mentioned the diner. Harriet was sharp for her age. If she caught a whiff of any heightened emotion, she’d pounce. I loved her to death, but I didn’t want to discuss my life at the moment.
I reached for the stainless steel bowl from the cabinet and moved over to my place by the sink. I tried not to make a mess like I would have in my own kitchen. She had enough to worry about than cleaning up my egg shells.
“Harriet, can I get you some tea?” Parker asked.
He knew he wielded the charm to change the subject.
“I would love a cup,” Harriet said. “Sienna, do you ever plan on opening another place?”
Parker’s charm didn’t get us far today, I supposed.
I cracked a few eggs into the bowl and started to whisk. “It would be nice in the future. But honestly, I don’t think it’s in the cards for me right now.”
“I’m sure Parker can help,” Harriet said. “You do know that he has a lot of money.”
I swallowed. “I like to do things on my own.”
Parker smiled at me while filling up the kettle. “And I’d never get in the way of that. This girl can be a real beast when she’s upset.”