Page 14 of Tempest

The table was set and everyone was ready to eat. The twins sat between their parents, and each one had a plate. “Sometimes it’s simpler to eat outside,” Joel commented. “It’s easier to hose off the patio than the kitchen floor.”

“Everything looks delicious. Thank you for making a lovely meal,” Ivy said, as she started filling her plate. “What’s the secret to your potato salad?”

Vivi gave her son a small piece of barbeque chicken and then stared at Ivy. “I don’t think I have a secret. It’s just mayonnaise, potatoes, celery, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a little sour cream, but that’s it.”

“It’s yummy.” Nodding, she served Ryan a large portion. “Try it.” After she was satisfied that Ryan had enough on his plate, she served them both some of the corn salad. “If you asked a question like that back home, you would be met with dead silence. Asking for someone’s recipe is like asking them if they like oral sex. It’s simply not done in polite company.” When Ryan choked, she gently patted him on the back and went on with her story. “My Aunt LeLe was famous for her macaroni salad. She had actually won several contests and was as proud as a peacock that she was considered the queen of macaroni salad.” Looking around the table, she shrugged. “I know—it seems crazy. Everyone knows that macaroni salad is the sad stepchild to potato salad. But no one wanted to rain on Aunt LeLe’s parade because she was a woman given to hysterics. She was also a hell of a shot, so it just wasn’t worth the effort.

“Anyhoo…Aunt LeLe got a computer and started writing her recipes down and saving them. One of her grandkids suggested she save them on the cloud in case the computer crashed, so she did just that. One day at Bible study, she was bragging that she was getting real good with the computer and had uploaded her recipes to the cloud and yada, yada. No one could make a boring story longer than LeLe. Come to find out, her arch nemesis, Betty, was the only one listening. She heard cloud and enlisted her no-good-for-nothing nephew to hack the cloud or whatever you do to get information off the cloud, and she found all of LeLe’s recipes. I’m sure you can guess what happened after that…all of the sacred recipes were made available for anyone to see. The secret to the macaroni salad wasn’t a secret anymore. Hell broke loose in Dripping Springs. Chaos ensued and accusations were flying. I missed most it because I was away at school, but I will tell you that LeLe figured out a way to hack back.” Turning to Ryan, she shrugged. “Is that possible?”

When he didn’t answer right away, she continued her story. “My dear, sweet sixty-year-old aunt, made all of Betty and her husband’s sex videos available on YouTube. Bless her heart, that was some kind of revenge. I felt sorry for Betty, because you can’t really compare a recipe for macaroni salad and a sex video. Especially the ones that they made. But how stupid do you have to be to make one in the first place? Then you upload it on the cloud. If you ask me, that’s just trouble waiting to happen. Especially when you consider what her husband looks like. I’m still considering therapy to get over the shock. I mean, no one needs to see old George giving it to his wife in the behind.” She cringed. “Like I said, therapy may still be in the cards.” Taking a sip of her margarita, she smiled at the table. “Can you pass the barbeque chicken?”

Ryan looked around and then started cracking up. Vivi and Joel joined him, and Vivi had tears coming down her face, she was laughing so hard. Ivy sat there quietly eating her dinner, like she hadn’t just a told a story about macaroni salad and sex videos. Ryan commented, “That’s a hell of a story, Ivy.”

Pointing her fork at him, she winked. “Sugar, that isn’t even the best one. I have a hundred more like that.”

Joel filled his plate and grinned. “I think you may be a distant relative of my wife’s family. That sounds a lot like something that would happen to one of them.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We wouldn’t fight over macaroni salad. Deviled eggs…yes, pimiento loaf… no doubt, fried chicken… absolutely,” Vivi replied.

***

The rest of dinner was tame after the macaroni salad story, but they had a good time nonetheless. Ivy loved the McDades and their sweet children. As far as she was concerned, this was one of the best examples of family life that she’d seen. It reminded her of what Max and Rory had together, along with a bunch of the men from the SAI office in San Diego. It allowed a small ball of hope to bloom in her chest that a miracle might actually be possible in her life.

Once they had finished the meal, Ivy offered to do the dishes so that Vivi and Joel could get the babies bathed and ready for bed. “I’ll clean the kitchen and then head back to the guest house. Thank you again for a lovely meal.”

Vivi blew her a kiss, and then Joel followed her up the stairs with their sleepy children.

Ryan began clearing the table outside, and Ivy started rinsing and loading the dishwasher. She could hear cicadas outside along with the sound of the bath being filled upstairs. She had such a warm and relaxed feeling, and she realized how much she missed being with her family. She was looking forward stopping home after she was done in Florida.

Ryan set the last of the glasses on the counter, and Ivy could feel him staring. “What’s on your mind, Ryan?”

Before he answered, he moved in next to her and helped load the dishwasher. “I had fun tonight. I had no idea that a small town in Texas could provide so many entertaining stories.”

“I think it’s like any other small town with the usual cast of characters.” When she handed him a dish and their fingers tangled up, she felt a zing run over her heart. Why was something so simple as washing dishes with this man giving her a zing? Looking up into his handsome face, she wondered if she was now becoming like every other girl and falling for a set of pretty eyes. Surprisingly, his good looks were not the most appealing thing about him. In the last week and a half, she’d discovered his intelligence, bravery, and kindness. A deadly combination.

“Would you like to go to Trevor and Katie’s wedding with me?” he asked quickly.

Ivy handed him the last dish and turned off the water. “Are you asking me on a date, or is this a coworker thing?”

He closed the dishwasher and took her wet hands in his. “I’m asking you out on a date, Ivy Bellows.”

“Why?” she squeaked.

“Is that how you usually answer a man when he asks you out?”

“Well, no…I don’t think so.” Slipping her hands out of his, she grabbed the towel and dried them off. “To be honest, I haven’t been asked out in a long time.” Looking up, she plastered a smile on her face and took a deep breath. “Do it again.”

“Ask you out again?” Ryan said as he frowned.

“Yes, I’ll do better.”

“Okay…Ivy, would you like to go to the wedding together?”

“Yes, Ryan, that would be lovely.” When he slipped his hands around her waist and let them rest gently against her back, she felt like smooching his face. Which told her that she was in no way prepared to spend one-on-one time with him. “There was this couple back home…”

His large finger pressed against her mouth to silence her. “Honey, let me kiss you first, and then you can tell me about the couple back home.” He moved his thumb to her bottom lip and rubbed it slowly. “I’ve been thinking about kissing you for a while now.”

Just as she was about to protest, his mouth lowered slowly to hers. The last thing she saw before his lips melded with hers was his wicked smile. Desire ran over her limbs like a race car, leaving a trail of heat and need. His soft, warm lips played across hers, and she gasped with pleasure. When her mouth opened slightly, he took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth, and a low moan escaped as she melted into his embrace. For the first time in her life, she felt like letting the strange animal of desire free. Restraint, good manners, and polite smooching weren’t things she was interested in anymore. When his hands slid into her hair and he fisted it, drawing her closer, she knew she was in trouble. The sort of trouble she’d been dreaming about.

Gasping, she pulled away and pressed her hand to his chest. Her pounding heart and throbbing body made her realize how little it would take to lose control with this man. One kiss and she was almost ready to let her clothes drop. Sweet Lord, have mercy upon me. All she wanted to do was drag him across the yard and into the guest house, strip him naked, and have her way with him.

“I should go.” Spinning on her heel, she started to stride away. He caught her hand as she reached the back door and pulled her against his chest. His large body surrounded her, and she could feel every ripple of every muscle he had as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Breathe, she instructed herself. His deep voice rumbled against her ear as he spoke.

“Don’t worry, Ivy. Whatever this is between us isn’t going to kill us.”

Letting out a breath, she rested her hands on top of his. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

He ran his mouth along her neck and then kissed her gently behind her ear. “But what a way to go,” he mumbled against her skin.

Her resolve was dissolving, so she stepped out of his embrace, glanced over her shoulder, and smiled. “Thanks for helping with the dishes.” Before he could respond, she skipped out of the door and dashed across the lawn to the guest house. When she was safely inside, she let out a laugh. He was so delicious that she decided not to worry about his intentions. Hers were lusty and inappropriate, so who was she to judge? Ryan Cordell was going to be trouble. What kind, she didn’t know, but it might be time to find out.

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