Page 36 of A Whiskey River Princess

Gabriella laughed. “I don’t think so.” She looked over at his plate. “Besides, I think you have enough over there. You don’t want to eat too much and get fat.”

Dirk raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m fat?”

She laughed. “I never said that.”

“Then, you think I’m just right?” Dirk smiled as he took her hand.

She pulled it back, laughing. “You’re teasing me. Let’s eat before it gets cold.” Steam rose from their plates so there was no danger of it getting cold any time soon, but Gabriella was getting a bit uncomfortable with the direction their conversation had taken. She was about to pick up her fork when Dirk stopped her.

“Would you like for me to say the blessing?”

She smiled, setting her fork back down. “Yes, of course.”

Dirk folded his hands and said a beautiful blessing over the meal. As Gabriella listened, a homey feeling washed over her. In Monaco, she often dined with her uncle—when he was in town—and her cousin, but somehow, it didn’t seem as personable, intimate, as what it did now. For the first time since she had losther parents, she was beginning to understand the true meaning of home.

“Gabriella?” Dirk asked, bringing her from her reverie.

“Umm?” Gabriella asked, embarrassed that she had been caught daydreaming.

“I said that after we eat, we can go across the street to the general store, if you like.” He took a bite of his mashed potatoes.

“Sounds good,” she agreed as she picked up her fork and began picking at the chicken breast on her plate. “But if we have to stay overnight, we may want to wait until the morning to go to the general store before we go back, in case we buy any vegetables or whatnot.”

One corner of his lips curled into a smile as he watched her struggling with her chicken. “Here,” Dirk instructed, picking up the chicken leg on his plate. “With fried chicken, don’t worry about using a fork. Just pick it up and take a bite.”

Gabriella smiled as she watched him take a big bite. “When in Rome?”

He laughed as he raised his shoulders. “There’s no better way.” He took another bite and groaned.

“Enjoying yourself?” Gabriella chuckled.

“Most definitely.” He took another bite and swallowed. “Don’t worry about the vegetables. They’ll keep overnight. Besides, I have plenty of canned vegetables in my root cellar.”

She picked up the chicken leg and took a dainty bite. Warm juices and the delicious taste flooded her mouth. “Umm… this really is good.”

Dirk smiled. “The best in three counties.”

“That, I can believe.” She took another bite and savored the flavor. “Then what are we going to the store for?”

“I thought that you might like something more for Thanksgiving.” Dirk took a bite of his creamed corn and closed his eyes.

Panic rushed through her. “But… but I… don’t know how to cook.”

Dirk smiled, obviously enjoying her discomfort a bit too much. “Don’t worry. I’ll help.”

Gabriella laughed. “I sincerely hope so, unless you want to eat burnt, undercooked, or tasteless food.”

“Don’t worry. You can do it.” Dirk chuckled. “I have faith in you.”

Gabriella swallowed the chicken in her mouth, savoring the flavor. “I’m glad someone does.”

Dirk’s eyebrows pulled together in concern. “Why do you feel that no one has faith in you?”

Her lips curled into a smile. “You are direct, aren’t you?”

He raised an eyebrow and waited.

Gabriella shrugged. “I didn’t mean it exactly like that. My uncle has always had faith in me, telling me that I will know what to do when the time is right.” She didn’t tell him that he had been talking about her duty to the monarchy and to marry someone suitable when the time was right.

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