Page 38 of The Alpha's Surrogate

As the steak neared perfection, Callahan turned his attention to the side dishes. He sliced potatoes into thick wedges and coated them with a blend of olive oil, garlic, and herbs. The potatoes went into the oven, their tantalizing scent mingling with that of the searing steak.

Once the steak reached the desired medium-rare perfection, he transferred it to a cutting board to rest. Callahan produced two, long knives and sharpened them against each other, the blades clashing together like a sword melee.

The juices oozed out as he carved thick slices from the slab of steak, the pink center a testament to its succulence. He plated the steak with the roasted potato wedges and a medley of grilled vegetables, and the result was something finer than Josie could hope to find in many uptown restaurants.

She was beside herself with joy as he gestured for her to take a seat. She scampered over excitedly, smiling from ear to ear. The food looked as good as it smelled, and knowing Callahan, she was certain it even tasted better than that.

With a flourish, he presented the dish to Josie, who couldn’t hide her delight. She squealed happily and rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

“Voilà!” Callahan announced. “Steak, with a side of roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables, with a special touch, of course. Just for you…” He gestured at her flat belly. “And the little one.”

Josie choked back tears. This was too much. After the day she’d had, it was all she needed. In his usual way, Callahan had found a way to anticipate her needs without asking her. He always did that, doing things for her before she knew she even needed it.

It was synonymous to how he’d been treating her since she moved in with him. She’d come down here to have a serious conversation with him that was likely going to break his heart, and all he’d done was go through the effort of making her happy.

She didn’t deserve him. She saw that now. The sooner she ended this, the sooner he could find someone who did. But she couldn’t be that person for him. How could she ever repay his kindness and care?

“Well?” he asked excitedly. “Are you going to dig in or not?”

She let out a deep breath. She was going to enjoy herself, even if only for a little while. She was going to enjoy the blessing in front of her. She smiled and picked up her cutlery. She cut a piece of the steak and put it inside her mouth.

Nothing in the world could have prepared her for the explosion of flavors in her mouth. She looked up and saw Callahan smiling happily.

Chapter 16 - Callahan

The sight of Josie starting to relax was more than enough reward for Callahan. She’d taken a beating today, and it had taken a visible toll on her. The sight of her relaxing and kicking back was all he wanted to see.

He got a jar of juice from the refrigerator and a glass from a shelf. He set the glass down in front of her and filled it. “Freshly squeezed…well, that’s what the bottle says.”

She smiled and took the glass. “Thank you.”

He poured a second glass for himself, then made himself a plate. There was more than enough leftover, just in case. He sat down across from Josie and to his absolute surprise, she was already halfway through.

His eyes widened in shock and she grinned at him. “What? You’ve never seen a hungry woman before?” She stuffed another forkful into her mouth and made a satisfied sound as she chewed the food. “This is really the best steak I’ve ever eaten. You need to give me your recipe.”

“Good try,” Callahan said, smiling. “People have been searching for that particular secret for years. You will need to join the long list of starving faithful.”

“Whatever.” She shrugged. “I could just have you make it again for me.”

“I could do that.” There was nothing he wanted more than to cook for her and amaze her with his culinary skills. She should know that by now. He was willing to do anything, as long as it made her as happy as she was at the moment.

It took Josie less than a few minutes to get through her meal, like a hot knife through butter. She looked up at an amused and amazed Callahan, and frowned. “Well? Be a gentleman and slide your plate a little closer.”

“There’s still some left in the—”

“Well, I want yours.” She reached across and pulled his plate, setting it just between the two of them. “There. You don’t seem particularly hungry, so in a sense, I’m doing you a favor. Depends on how you look at it.”

“Thank you,” Callahan said with a shake of his head. “What would I ever do without you?”

“Now that you mention it,” she said, “I was starting to wonder the same thing.” She looked at the ceiling with a serious expression, and Callahan laughed. After a moment she shook her head. “Thought about it for a moment. Nothing.”

“Sounds about right,” he said, still laughing. It felt like ages since he and Josie had bantered together like this, and he loved every minute of it. Given how indifferent she’d been lately, having her speak to him so openly and freely was like a breath of fresh air.

They spent the next ten minutes in a companionable silence, eating his food together. He diced up the meat into smaller pieces so all she had to do was pick it up and eat. This plan worked excellently for Josie, and she told him what a perfect gentleman he was.

After their meal, Callahan wrapped and packed up everything that was left, stowing it away for later. He did the dishes and wiped the grill pan clean. He cleaned the surfaces and stowed away everything in its usual place. When he was satisfied with the work he had done, he took off the apron and hung it on a hook on the wall.

Josie was staring at him in an interesting way when he turned back to the table. “You’re so methodical, in everything you do. If you were interested in it, you would have made a fine scientist.”

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