out of her mouth and her tail thumping, Alex laughed. She was a joyful dog, and he could see why Ida had taken an instant liking to her.
“I’m going to run this stuff upstairs,” he said. “Gretchen said I could fire up the grill whenever you’re ready since she’s done changing the oil in her truck.”
“That girl’s always working, though she did meet the girls for lunch today.” Ida shook her head and leaned over the arm of the rocker to drop her knitting into the basket. “Maybe some night you should take her to O’Rourke’s for a nice dinner. She likes it there. I’ll stay home with Cocoa and make myself some soup and sandwiches.”
Because she wasn’t looking up at him—probably by design—he couldn’t tell exactly what she meant by that. Was it simply meant to be a treat for her selfless granddaughter? Or was she trying to hook them up?
“Maybe,” was all he said, because Gretchen wouldn’t appreciate this conversation happening without her. “I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”
As he carried his bag up the stairs, he mulled over her words. Taking Gretchen into town for dinner sounded nice, actually. He liked talking to her, and it wasn’t easy to make her stop and relax for a while.
But he suspected if he asked Gretchen to join him for a meal at O’Rourke’s, she’d come up with a reason why it was impractical or insist Ida join them. And that was assuming she didn’t flat out say no, which was also a possibility.
The thought of a date night with her was intriguing, though, and Alex knew imagining the sound of the ocean wasn’t going to be enough to bring instant sleeptonight.
07
G retchen tried to time putting the salad together with the burgers being done, which meant glancing out the window every few minutes at Alex, who was manning the grill.
Looking at him was certainly no hardship. It was a hot day, and standing in front of the grill probably didn’t help, because his T-shirt was molded to his body. And every so often, he’d pull up the hem and use it to wipe his face. Twice she managed to time her glance out the window with that glimpse of bared skin, and both times she stopped and gave herself the time to appreciate the view.
He kept up a conversation with Cocoa the entire time he was cooking, too, which amused Gretchen. The dog was thrilled to be out in the yard while supper was prepared, instead of in her bed, and it was obvious she credited thatto Alex by the way she gazed up at him in adoration. Occasionally she’d circle the grill, hoping he’d dropped something, or she’d do a circuit around the yard to see what was up, but mostly Cocoa sat and listened to Alex talk.
Gretchen wondered what he was talking to her about, but she refused to sink so low as to try to sneak up on them to eavesdrop. Instead she left them to their conversation and pulled out the macaroni salad Gram had made earlier in the day.
Everybody loved Gram’s macaroni salad, and she never made it while people were actually in the house, because she didn’t want anybody else to have the recipe. She’d made a big batch this time, so Gretchen was hoping there would be enough left over to save some for Jen and Kelly. Some of her happiest memories were the times they all gathered around Gram’s kitchen table with bowls of macaroni salad.
When Alex began laying cheese over the burgers, Gretchen started pulling condiments out of the fridge and setting them in the center of the table. Mayo, ketchup, mustard. She couldn’t find the pickles, though, so she assumed they’d used them up and went to the pantry for a new jar.
Alex walked through the door, juggling the platter of cheeseburgers, a plate piled with toasted buns, and the spatula, while Cocoa danced around his feet. “I don’t know what you put in the hamburger, but these smell amazing.”
“I don’t even know. Gram just grabs a few jars out of the spice cabinet and mixes it up. I’ve never really paid attention to which
“I’m going to run this stuff upstairs,” he said. “Gretchen said I could fire up the grill whenever you’re ready since she’s done changing the oil in her truck.”
“That girl’s always working, though she did meet the girls for lunch today.” Ida shook her head and leaned over the arm of the rocker to drop her knitting into the basket. “Maybe some night you should take her to O’Rourke’s for a nice dinner. She likes it there. I’ll stay home with Cocoa and make myself some soup and sandwiches.”
Because she wasn’t looking up at him—probably by design—he couldn’t tell exactly what she meant by that. Was it simply meant to be a treat for her selfless granddaughter? Or was she trying to hook them up?
“Maybe,” was all he said, because Gretchen wouldn’t appreciate this conversation happening without her. “I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”
As he carried his bag up the stairs, he mulled over her words. Taking Gretchen into town for dinner sounded nice, actually. He liked talking to her, and it wasn’t easy to make her stop and relax for a while.
But he suspected if he asked Gretchen to join him for a meal at O’Rourke’s, she’d come up with a reason why it was impractical or insist Ida join them. And that was assuming she didn’t flat out say no, which was also a possibility.
The thought of a date night with her was intriguing, though, and Alex knew imagining the sound of the ocean wasn’t going to be enough to bring instant sleeptonight.
07
G retchen tried to time putting the salad together with the burgers being done, which meant glancing out the window every few minutes at Alex, who was manning the grill.
Looking at him was certainly no hardship. It was a hot day, and standing in front of the grill probably didn’t help, because his T-shirt was molded to his body. And every so often, he’d pull up the hem and use it to wipe his face. Twice she managed to time her glance out the window with that glimpse of bared skin, and both times she stopped and gave herself the time to appreciate the view.
He kept up a conversation with Cocoa the entire time he was cooking, too, which amused Gretchen. The dog was thrilled to be out in the yard while supper was prepared, instead of in her bed, and it was obvious she credited thatto Alex by the way she gazed up at him in adoration. Occasionally she’d circle the grill, hoping he’d dropped something, or she’d do a circuit around the yard to see what was up, but mostly Cocoa sat and listened to Alex talk.
Gretchen wondered what he was talking to her about, but she refused to sink so low as to try to sneak up on them to eavesdrop. Instead she left them to their conversation and pulled out the macaroni salad Gram had made earlier in the day.
Everybody loved Gram’s macaroni salad, and she never made it while people were actually in the house, because she didn’t want anybody else to have the recipe. She’d made a big batch this time, so Gretchen was hoping there would be enough left over to save some for Jen and Kelly. Some of her happiest memories were the times they all gathered around Gram’s kitchen table with bowls of macaroni salad.
When Alex began laying cheese over the burgers, Gretchen started pulling condiments out of the fridge and setting them in the center of the table. Mayo, ketchup, mustard. She couldn’t find the pickles, though, so she assumed they’d used them up and went to the pantry for a new jar.
Alex walked through the door, juggling the platter of cheeseburgers, a plate piled with toasted buns, and the spatula, while Cocoa danced around his feet. “I don’t know what you put in the hamburger, but these smell amazing.”
“I don’t even know. Gram just grabs a few jars out of the spice cabinet and mixes it up. I’ve never really paid attention to which
Similar Books
