Chapter Thirteen
Tom
I rode away because I couldn’t stand to be around Summer any longer. She drove me up a wall, and made me question myself constantly. She was just so damned set in her ways and more than a little spoiled but, even so, I still couldn’t seem to get her off my mind. And she was a damn good little rider, a total natural.
Regardless, I couldn’t be around her because I was ready to blow a gasket, so I took off before I did something stupid like kiss the spoiled girl right out of her. I had no idea when Brady was coming back or even what he and Rue were doing in town, but I sure hoped they were back before dinner so it wasn’t just Summer and me working our way through another awkward conversation. Of course, I could always rely on Ned and Elliott to break the uncomfortable silence. Or not, considering neither one of them said much.
I kicked Breezy up into a lope and rode out to check the windmill and water trough in the north pasture. I spotted several herds of deer and a fox family, but they did nothing to quiet my mind. At this rate, it was going to be a long summer. No pun intended.
Everything looked fine and appeared to be working at the windmill, so I splashed some cold water on my face and neck and washed off a layer of dirt. Life here before Summer was so uncomplicated, but now she had me curious... beyond curious. There was a fire in me that was burning fast and furiously, wanting to know her secrets, why she was here, what her story was.
I sighed, more than a little troubled that I was so caught up in a woman who was all kinds of wrong for me. An afternoon thunderstorm rolled in while I was out in the pasture and I barely made it to the barn before it turned into a downpour. These springtime showers came on so damn fast.
“Whew.” I dismounted and slapped Breezy on the neck as soon as we were back at the ranch. She was a good mare and sure made work easier.
I slapped my hat against my thigh, then smashed it down on my head and stomped across to the house. Something smelled good and almost covered up the smell of something else that was burning. Summer wasn’t much of a cook, but her eggs were decent enough this morning so as to be edible and that was my only qualification. I was a simple man.
She looked up as I strolled into the kitchen, smiled, then turned back to the oven.
“Hi.” I headed to the sink and washed my hands, realizing for the first time how tight the space was in here.
“Hey.” She stepped away like she was just becoming aware of it too. Sighing, I decided I didn’t want this awkwardness to exist between us for a second longer. I’d thought we were at least working toward being friends.
“Something smells good.”
She snorted. “I thought Rue was going to be back an hour ago, so I put the chicken in and then accidentally burned it.”
“How bad can it be?” I asked with a shrug.
“Bad,” she answered with a shake of her head. “Like black and charcoaled bad.”
“Okay, so?”
“So, I’m starting over again. I started peeling some potatoes, when Rue called and said they were running way behind.”
I frowned. “That’s weird.”
She looked up, alarmed, a pot holder dangling off one hand. “It is? Should we be worried?”
I hoped not, so I shook my head and tried not to make a big deal of it. “I have no idea what they were doing, but I’m sure it’s fine.” I turned off the faucet and dried my hands on a towel then leaned my hip against the counter.
“Well, I wish I could say the same thing about your dinner.” She blew a puff of air that caught her hair and moved it across her forehead. There was a smudge of butter on her cheek and most of her hair had fallen out of her ponytail.
“I’m sure everyone will give you a break, considering Rue isn’t here to help you,” I offered.
“There is no everyone,” she answered. “Elliott took one look at my chicken and said he was fine with a peanut butter sandwich. Then Ned said he had a date in town with a lady friend.”
So that left the two of us. Just great.
Summer leaned over and slid something out of the oven that didn’t look exactly edible. It was black around the edges but still looked a little gooey in the middle. I coughed and leaned forward, feigning interest. “What’d you make?”
She set it on one of the oven racks and backed away. “Well, Rue said that you were a meat and potatoes kind of guy and I thought that meant I could just stick everything together, but... well...”
I scratched my neck and bit the inside of my cheek, careful to make sure my face wasn’t giving my thoughts away. I had no idea if what she’d made could even be considered meat and potatoes. It looked more like the gelatinous ooze I found at the bottom of the cows’ water trough. I leaned in a little closer and realized she’d just stuck an entire lump of hamburger meat in the middle of some raw potatoes and cooked them. This didn’t even qualify as a shepherd’s pie. Parts of it appeared crunchy and burnt and I’d bet my truck that the inside of that lump was still raw. It was like a strange meatloaf, but not. I guessed it could have been worse... could have been someone else’s beef. I fought the grin because this was just too priceless of a situation. When I glanced back up at her, I could tell her pride was hanging in there by its last thread, which meant her entire mood was awaiting my reaction. I could either crush her here or offer her a hand.
“Looks great to me,” I said brightly as I straightened and gave her a smile. “I’ll set the table.”
She looked up at me, defeat and disappointment covering her features. I wrapped my fingers around her elbow and turned her to face me, silently promising myself to not only eat the first helping but to also have seconds. “It’s fine, sugar butt. Rue probably had to start somewhere too.”
She tried to smile and I dropped my hand from her arm as I turned around to gather everything for the table. The casserole-mess smelled amazing, strangely enough, and I was hoping to concentrate on that one redeemable feature long enough to get me through the meal. She set the lump of ugly stuff down between our plates and filled a huge jug of water, setting it next to our glasses.
Never in my life had I played a part like this. Rue’s cooking was always wonderful. Furthermore, there was no way in hell I would have pasted on a happy face and eaten something God-awful for a woman I wasn’t going to try and screw after. What had gotten into me, I didn’t know but I was worried I was going soft.
The first helping hit my plate with a slurpy, heavy sound and it was on. I ate with gusto, not even stopping long enough for chitchat. Summer moved hers around as though she had zero interest in tasting it.
“Try it, Summer,” I said around a mouthful. With the intensely salty taste that was now pervading my entire mouth, the jug of water in front of me had never looked so good. And I could have sworn there was a raw potato stuck in my throat. But I wasn’t about to let her think I was trying to wash the hideous taste down so I left my water glass where it was and condemned my mouth and taste buds to a painful fate.
I finished the first helping and took another even though it absolutely pained me to put it on my plate. Summer, meanwhile, nibbled the edge of a potato, making a face, and instantly set her fork down. “Tom, you don’t have to keep eating it just to make me feel better. It’s awful.”
It was. Beyond awful actually, but it was food, I was hungry, and I kept telling myself I’d probably eaten worse. Couldn’t think of anything worse at the moment, but I was sure I’d had moments of desperation and hunger that would have made this look like a five-star dinner. Or not.
She poured me a glass of water from the jug and set it beside my plate. “Please stop torturing yourself.” There was so much defeat in her eyes that it spurred me through the last forkful and I cleaned every last bite off my plate, even the raw bits of hamburger. Tomorrow was going to suck if I had food poisoning, but it was only raw beef and I thought I remembered that being a delicacy somewhere.
I slid my plate back and wiped my mouth. “Did you make dessert?” I asked with a gulp as I wondered what other atrocities I’d have to down in the name of friendship.
“Oh, um,” she started as she frowned.
“Not that I wanted you to,” I interrupted, not wanting her to think I was disappointed. “A man’s got to watch his waistline anyway.”
A strangled noise erupted from her mouth and after a few seconds, it turned to laughter, but it was rusty and caught in her throat, almost like she couldn’t remember how to laugh.
I couldn’t help myself, so I joined in and we sat there, each of us facing the most abominable meal of either of our lives, laughing our asses off.
Summer stood and picked up the casserole dish, still laughing. “Should I throw it out?”
I tried to hold it together, but my cheeks hurt. “No! Save me some for lunch tomorrow!”
That spun her off into another fit of laughter, which in turn, sent me off. I had no idea that making someone laugh could be so... enjoyable. I quickly stood and gathered our plates.
She paused over the garbage can. “It’s a shame to waste it,” she said before facing me. “You don’t think Bob would eat it?”
“Um, I really like my dog, Summer. I’d rather keep her around for the next however long she has.”
She shook her head as a huge smile lit up her face. Her gaze flickered across my face, and finally, she ducked her head and looked away. “Thank you for eating it and having seconds. That was really sweet of you.” Her voice was tiny and soft and I felt like maybe we had the smallest toehold on a truce.
“Summer.” I reached out and wrapped my fingers around her upper arm. “I’m sorry I fed Aria without clearing it with you first. I was trying to help, but she’s your horse and I should have respected that.” My fingers tightened just a bit as I remembered touching her in the shower. “Forgive me?”
I stared at her profile and when she turned, I was caught up in the pain in her eyes. Whatever the demons were that had chased her here, they were big ones. She didn’t need me adding to the pursuit. “It’s fine.”
“It isn’t. And it was wrong of me.”
“Well, it was wrong of me not to have thanked you for thinking you were doing me a favor. Instead, I just blasted you and I’m sorry for that.” I was surprised and it must have shown on my face because she laughed up at me. “Yes, it’s possible for me to apologize, Tom.”
“Well, I appreciate that, Posh.”
“I’d say that by the fact you ate seconds of that awful dinner, we’re even.”
If this had been any other girl, and if this had been any other situation, I would have pulled her to me, then kissed the living daylights out of her. But this was Summer, with demons on her heels and a stash of secrets... And me, with more than enough of my own. And after what had happened in the shower and how awkward our “friendship” had become, I wasn’t about to risk it again.
“I’ve gotta head over to Sharon’s Place now,” she said as she eyed the clock.
“I will do the washing up,” I volunteered as she thanked me. “Will you come ride at lunch again tomorrow?”
She smiled up at me and something weird and strange fired off in my chest, like I’d been waiting to earn that smile my entire life.