Page 79 of Quintessentially

“Hmm. That is strange. Do you think the house is haunted?”

I reach up to his damp hair. “Is this from the rain or did you shower?”

“Shower. Don’t worry. You had all the hot water.”

A laugh bubbles to life. “Seriously, do you know where my wet clothes are?”

He tilts his head. “Laying out in the laundry room. Mom had all the old appliances taken away. Unfortunately, a new washer and dryer have yet to be ordered. Buying a new pair is on my list of things to do.”

Looking at the stove, I see scrambled eggs and my stomach growls. “Those smell wonderful.”

“The secret is water, not milk, and cheese.”

A smile comes to my face. “Just like Ruth used to make.”

Dax nods and juts his chin toward the counter. “There’s bread if you want to put it in the toaster, there’s butter in the refrigerator, and I have bacon in the microwave.”

“Microwave.” I shake my head. “The pre-cooked boxed bacon?”

“It is in a ziplock, but yeah.”

“You are breaking all my parents’ rules.”

He grins as his eyes shine and his cheekbones become more prominent. “It won’t be the first—or last—time.”

“Good.”

With glasses of orange juice and our breakfasts, we sit at the kitchen table. It’s rectangular now with drop-down leaves. If the leaves are up, it becomes a circle. “Ruth used to keep the leaves down, but when Molly and I would come, she’d always lift one side. Molly called it Grandmom’s magic table.”

“How often did you two come here?”

“A lot,” I say, sad that she’s gone.

“I’m glad. I said it before, but I am. You and Molly gave Grandma Ruth something she wasn’t getting from me or my parents, and after Grandpa John died, she had people to love.”

It’s probably the lack of sleep, but my vision blurs. “We loved her, Dax. Molly adored her and she, Molly.”

He reaches across the table and covers my hand. “There’s nothing more I would wish for my daughter than to have known and loved Grandma Ruth.”

Once our breakfast is done, Dax looks above the door to the clock. “It’s almost nine. What time should we set an alarm for?”

“Chloe said if I interrupt the Disney marathon, she’s firing me as her best friend.”

His eyebrows raise. “And when does it end?”

“Dinnertime. But I can’t sleep that long. I have things I need to do at Quintessential Treasures. I didn’t add up Saturday’s receipts or check the inventory. We were swamped and then Lynell came by…and Dad.”

Dax reaches for my cheek. “Sleep first.”

I nod.

Back upstairs, we pass by closed rooms that I know are bedrooms. The house has five all together. My pulse quickens as Dax leads me to the master bedroom and my steps slow. “Dax.”

He turns to me as his hands land on my waist. “I want to hold you, Kandace. I won’t push for anything else. If you don’t want to” —he lifts his chin— “that bedroom has a bed. I’m not forcing you.”

“You never have.”

His touch skirts up my arms. “Hold you. Touch you. Two adults.”

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