Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
"It's fantastic," I tell her around a bite of food.
My momma would twist my ear for the rudeness of speaking with food in my mouth, but Riley just dips her head as she picks up her fork.
"Thank you for buying the groceries."
"I'll buy the groceries for every meal if I come home to something like this."
I clamp my jaw closed, a nearly impossible feat when needing to chew, but I know what I just said.
Home.
This isn't my home. It's hers, and if I keep putting my foot in my mouth, I may end up right back outside facing a lumpy hotel bed.
"You made a lot," I begin.
"You're more than welcome to help yourself to more."
I don't hesitate to pick up the serving spoon and add more to my plate.
"I could eat this all week."
"That's what I normally do," she says after she swallows her first bite.
"You eat the same thing all week?"
"I've never figured out how to reduce the meals down to a serving size and still make it taste the way it's supposed to. That's what happened to the breakfast casserole I made." Her cheeks pink as if she's making a confession she had no intention of sharing with me.
"I can help you with this," I say, pointing my fork toward the second heap of food on my plate.
"You're doing a good job."
I take another bite, the flavorful goodness bursting on my tongue, chewing and swallowing before speaking again.
"I mean, I can take some of this to work. If there's a lot left over, I can share with the crew."
Her nose scrunches up.
"Or not," I say when I notice her facial expression.
"It's not going to be very good cold, and I don't want your guys tasting my food when it's not at its best. Can you imagine the rumors?"
I smile at how protective she is of her image when it comes to her food. It's very similar to how I feel about the end product of my own work, and I love that she takes pride in what she does. It's an amazing trait to have.
"Ethan has a microwave that he carries around in his van with him everywhere he goes. The man is always prepared to heat up something to eat," I explain. "They wouldn't have to eat it cold."
"I'll portion some out for you to take with you to work tomorrow," she agrees.
"That would be amazing," I say before diving back into the food on my plate.
The elements of it seem simple, but there's something about the way she cooked and seasoned the meat, pasta, and vegetables that make it come together to make one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten.
I look at her as we eat several times, but she seems content to just eat in silence.
Once the meal is done, she stands, carrying her plate to the sink.
"I'll help with dishes," I offer, but that is met with a frown. "What?"
"If you don't get them clean, then I'm just going to have to wash them again. I figure I might as well wash them from the start."
"I know how to wash dishes, Riley," I say. "What kind of men have you had in your life that didn't?"
And there I go again with a mild implication that I'm now the man in her life, and she should have more confidence in me than she does.
It doesn't seem to flag anything in her eyes because she just shrugs. "How about I wash and you dry and put away?"
Since she cleaned up as she was cooking, it doesn't take long to wash what's left, and I can't help but long for lunch tomorrow when I see her scoop out more than half of the remaining food from the baking dish and put it in a separate container for me and the guys.
Instead of dragging her into the guest bedroom or following her to hers, we say good night in the hallway and go our separate ways.
I'd ask her if she wanted to just chill and watch television, but she doesn't have one in the living room, and I've had other things on my mind when I've been in her bedroom, so I have no clue if she even has one in there.
When night comes, I find myself still staring up at the ceiling, wondering if she's down the hall doing the same.
Chapter 19
Riley
I somehow managed to sleep hard when I fell asleep, but that didn't keep me from waking up like I'd run a marathon all night.
My dreams were wild and full of things I could never see myself doing in real life, and when the sun peeked through my curtains early this morning, I found myself fighting to go back to sleep. I've never been one to sleep in, and no matter how high I pulled the covers back over my head, I couldn't fall back asleep.