Page 13 of A Sudden Romance

“Like this?” She poured the batter in the center, but hers had spaces in between. He loved the contact, but he wasn’t sure he could survive another of her touches. They could eat shapeless crepes today.

“The more you make, the better it will look.”

For the next few minutes, spoons clanked against the pots as they made porridge with caramelized bananas. He gave her directions for the crepe filling while he made bacon and eggs to add to the sweet potatoes. He didn’t feel tense anymore, not if their contact affected her too.

Then she blurted, “Who inspires you to be better, Sabastian?”

He turned to face her. She was across the counter with the mixing bowl nestled to her chest as she stirred the berries.

You inspire me. “Eric.” Her oldest brother was the reason Sabastian was standing here and not at the homeless shelter or wherever he would be if Eric hadn’t snatched him off the streets. While Eric had had his fair share of hardships, he was the godliest man Sabastian had ever met.

Sabastian preferred calling him Mr. Stone because Eric deserved respect, but he didn’t want her to mistakenly think he was speaking of her father, another godly man he could never hope to emulate.

“What about you?” he asked, finding it easier to talk to her while they engaged in cooking. Except he needed to stare at the pan and pretend to be mixing the potatoes, but he couldn’t look away when he’d asked her a question.

“My parents. I want to be like them when I grow up.”

Remnants of flour dusted her cheek and his fingers itched to touch her and clean it. But he was still at preschool level where she was concerned.

“Not grown up yet?” He arched a brow.

“You know what I mean.” She shrugged. “I hope that someday, I can be a good mom like my mom and my husband can be just like Dad.”

“That’s good,” was all he could say.

No way could he be like Kyle Stone, a hardworking man, dedicated and providing for his family. Sabastian had no doubt he would love and take care of Iris—he’d love her more than he loved himself. But he’d never be rich, even if he was a millionaire. The moment he spent that money paying bills, he’d be broke.

A change of topic was necessary now. “Before I forget, they’re coming to string the lights today.” He’d promised they’d go through their list today, but if they got sidetracked, he wanted her to know before the decorators showed up.

She tilted her chin to the window. Snow covered the grounds and dusted the shrubs.

“Glad you already got the lights up on the roof.”

“You know what winter is like in Pleasant View.” He’d had lights strung in late October. Once the snow started in their mountain town, the roof might never be snow free until late May.

“When would you like us to put up the tree?”

“Can we buy three more trees?” Her eyes sparkled as she pointed up to the second level’s balcony where the entertainment and theater were located. “We should put the artificial tree there, but a fresh one down here.” She nodded to the bottom of the winding staircase where they usually had the artificial tree.

“I’ll cut the trees soon.”

She blinked, her gorgeous brown eyes widening. “You’re going to cut, like, three trees?”

Besides the national forest they couldn’t cut trees from, they had a gazillion trees extending beyond their property. “Cutting some trees would help limit fire danger.”

“I’m okay cutting the trees, but I meant that’s a lot of work for you.”

He didn’t work hard enough to even out his paycheck.

“It’s not a problem.”

“Let me know before you cut them. I want to help.”

She’d be a distraction, and he’d probably slice his hand while ogling her.

She set the bowl down. “What can you tell me about the band you hired for the event?”

Her trusting him to choose a band meant a lot, given how he considered himself a boring person. Of the three bands he’d researched from Denver, one had some Christmastime tours in Pleasant View and nearby towns.

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