Page 49 of Love Unforgettable
“Uh, well, I kind of already ate, but I didn’t really finish it all. I’m not hungry, but if I go home, I’ll eat all of this.”
“Please let me save your digestive system from all of that,” I say with a grin.
“Yeah, um, okay. Sure. What time?”
“How ‘bout you give me an hour or so to get my groceries and get home and prepped.”
“Sounds good, I’ll see you in about an hour.” She turns her cart around and walks away from me. I take a minute to watch her walk and then notice that I’ve sighed. Like a little girl.
Jesus, Cole. One little lightning bolt and you are falling to pieces.
“Maybe so, but I reckon it takes a real man to admit that to himself,” I mutter aloud then set about gathering the essentials for what I’m hoping will be a fabulous meal.
* * *
The doorbell rings, it’s been a little over an hour since I last saw Lexie.
Perfect timing.
I wipe my hands on a towel and walk through the main room to answer the door.
“Wow, sweetness,” I tell her. “You are . . . I have no words. You look beautiful.” She’s changed into a shirt that falls off her shoulder on one side, and a different pair of jeans that I’m betting make her ass look all kinds of delicious, with a big buckle belt, and some kind of complicated strappy sandal on her feet.
I approve.
I lean in to kiss her on the cheek and get a whiff of her perfume. Or else it’s just her natural smell. She smells sweeter than vanilla ice cream on cherry pie.
“You look pretty good, yourself,” she replies with a smile.
I’d changed into a fresh button-down shirt, but hadn’t had time to tuck it in, and I’d just rolled up the sleeves. Plus, I’m still barefoot.
She follows me down the entryway and through the great room into the large kitchen.
“It smells amazing in here,” she says. “What is that?”
“That, little lady, is my specialty. However, this is the best I got, so when we have dinner again I’ll have to take you out, so we aren’t eating the same thing twice in a row.” I wink at her. She smiles big back.
“I thought you said you cooked best for two,” she reminds me.
“Well, I gotta admit, I didn’t think you’d remember that.” I try to look chagrined, but inside I’m just tickled pink that she remembered something I’d said at the Mexican restaurant. “To answer your question from before, I’ll be serving a mesquite grilled flank steak, roasted rosemary potatoes, grilled asparagus, garlic bread, and a garden salad.”
“You did all that in that last hour?”
“I did. Do you think I’m amazin’?”
“I do,” she laughs. “What can I do to help.” I walk around the large center island and get back to where I was prepping veggies.
“You can sit your pretty little bottom down and enjoy a pre-dinner beverage, I’ll be throwing the steaks on the grill soon, and we’ll eat shortly after that.” She takes a seat on the other side of the kitchen island, allowing me to look at her unabashedly, seeing as she’s right in my line of vision.
“I didn’t think I was that hungry, but smelling this, I’m famished,” she says.
“I hope it lives up to your expectations then.”
“This place is amazing. I’ve not been here much, really if at all. Most of my time has always been spent at work, in the downtown tasting room, so having everything now within walking distance of my home is different.”
“That your place I saw closing shop downtown? Love-something?” I ask.
She nods. “Yep. Lovestone. It’s bittersweet. We are opening a much nicer and larger tasting room and shop on property.Bubbe, sorry, Mavis and I just did some remodeling and building. And everything is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s also more in line with what is expected of a ‘winery.’” She uses air quotes for the word winery, but I’m fairly certain I know what she means. “The little downtown location I built-up on my own,” she continues. “A lot of blood, sweat, and tears. So, it’s hard to leave it. Plus, it was close to the water and to both Kat and Remi’s houses. Out here is a bit more remote, and more removed.” She gets up and walks around the great room with her wine glass, looking at everything.
