green beans.” She sat across from Nick and tried hard not to stare. He dug into his food like he hadn’t eaten in days, but maybe he hadn’t. He mentioned how he was running out of money and didn’t have much to pay for things.
“So, Amelia tells me that you were in the army.” Here it went. All the questions she had warned him about. She slid her foot under the table to nudge Nick and grabbed his attention, flashing him an ‘I told you so’ smirk.
“Yes sir, I was.”
“That’s great. I served as well, but was in the navy. On behalf of us here in the Tucker family, we thank you for your service. Where all did you go?”
Nick looked back at Amelia and she could tell he was fighting the urge to smile back at her. The edges of his eyes squinted and his lips pursed. “All over. Served in Germany, served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Did several tours there.”
Her dad nodded and picked at some skin on his chicken leg. “God bless you, son. I won’t get into a political debate, but that’s some hard work you’re all having to do over there.”
“Yes sir.”
“Daddy, I took him to the barn where that stallion is. You know how he rarely lets us reach in and pet him? He let Nick do it. Was a little unsteady, but allowed more contact than I’ve ever seen.”
Russell arched his eyebrow. “Yeah? You work with horses?”
“No sir, not officially. Just was around some for a little while as a kid. One of the… A family I was around had them and I used to do some riding and things.”
Amelia sat back and observed the conversation. She caught on to how he mentioned living with a foster family, but how he omitted that information to her dad. She watched as his green eyes lit up at the mention of possibly working with the horse as one of the job duties. And his smile? Forget about it. She couldn’t even finish her food. One thing was for certain – she was glad that he was getting along so well with her father. He didn’t just answer his millions of questions, he elaborated. Her ex never would’ve done that.
Standing up, she began to clear some of the empty plates and platters, stopping at the kitchen to look out the window over the sink. She had to stop comparing Nick to him. It was two separate types of relationships. Nick was a ranch hand. Her ex was on a romantic level with her at one point. They had a child together. It was apples and oranges.
“Need any help with the dishes?”
His velvety voice pulled her back to real life again, and she turned on her heel to face him. Nick came through the door with a stack of dishes and a towel draped over his shoulder. How could something as simple as that be so damn attractive?
“No, I’m fine. You can stay in there and talk to my dad if you want. That is, if he’s not driving you insane yet.”
Nick crinkled his brow and set the dishes in the sink, his body close to hers, as he brushed past. “I don’t mind either way. You cooked this huge meal. It’s only fair that someone else do the dishes for you.”
“You wash dishes too? Is there anything you can’t do?”
Looking down at her, he smiled. “Cook. I can’t cook.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. You told me you couldn’t even boil water. That’s pretty serious.”
“I’ve got plenty of experience washing dishes, believe it or not.” He opened the dishwasher and began to rinse the plates. “Didn’t ever have a fancy dishwasher though. You might have to show me how to run it.”
“And where’d you pick up this dishwashing experience from? You didn’t mention this during our interview.” Amelia winked as he handed her stuff to load inside it.
“Believe it or not, the army. Nice disciplinary tool for us.”
“So you’re telling me that Nick Miller was a trouble maker?”
Shrugging, he leaned past her to put a knife in the silverware holder. No. She ducked any racy thought that almost came into her mind.
“Trouble maker? Me? Never.” He patted his hand on his chest and his face
“So, Amelia tells me that you were in the army.” Here it went. All the questions she had warned him about. She slid her foot under the table to nudge Nick and grabbed his attention, flashing him an ‘I told you so’ smirk.
“Yes sir, I was.”
“That’s great. I served as well, but was in the navy. On behalf of us here in the Tucker family, we thank you for your service. Where all did you go?”
Nick looked back at Amelia and she could tell he was fighting the urge to smile back at her. The edges of his eyes squinted and his lips pursed. “All over. Served in Germany, served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Did several tours there.”
Her dad nodded and picked at some skin on his chicken leg. “God bless you, son. I won’t get into a political debate, but that’s some hard work you’re all having to do over there.”
“Yes sir.”
“Daddy, I took him to the barn where that stallion is. You know how he rarely lets us reach in and pet him? He let Nick do it. Was a little unsteady, but allowed more contact than I’ve ever seen.”
Russell arched his eyebrow. “Yeah? You work with horses?”
“No sir, not officially. Just was around some for a little while as a kid. One of the… A family I was around had them and I used to do some riding and things.”
Amelia sat back and observed the conversation. She caught on to how he mentioned living with a foster family, but how he omitted that information to her dad. She watched as his green eyes lit up at the mention of possibly working with the horse as one of the job duties. And his smile? Forget about it. She couldn’t even finish her food. One thing was for certain – she was glad that he was getting along so well with her father. He didn’t just answer his millions of questions, he elaborated. Her ex never would’ve done that.
Standing up, she began to clear some of the empty plates and platters, stopping at the kitchen to look out the window over the sink. She had to stop comparing Nick to him. It was two separate types of relationships. Nick was a ranch hand. Her ex was on a romantic level with her at one point. They had a child together. It was apples and oranges.
“Need any help with the dishes?”
His velvety voice pulled her back to real life again, and she turned on her heel to face him. Nick came through the door with a stack of dishes and a towel draped over his shoulder. How could something as simple as that be so damn attractive?
“No, I’m fine. You can stay in there and talk to my dad if you want. That is, if he’s not driving you insane yet.”
Nick crinkled his brow and set the dishes in the sink, his body close to hers, as he brushed past. “I don’t mind either way. You cooked this huge meal. It’s only fair that someone else do the dishes for you.”
“You wash dishes too? Is there anything you can’t do?”
Looking down at her, he smiled. “Cook. I can’t cook.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. You told me you couldn’t even boil water. That’s pretty serious.”
“I’ve got plenty of experience washing dishes, believe it or not.” He opened the dishwasher and began to rinse the plates. “Didn’t ever have a fancy dishwasher though. You might have to show me how to run it.”
“And where’d you pick up this dishwashing experience from? You didn’t mention this during our interview.” Amelia winked as he handed her stuff to load inside it.
“Believe it or not, the army. Nice disciplinary tool for us.”
“So you’re telling me that Nick Miller was a trouble maker?”
Shrugging, he leaned past her to put a knife in the silverware holder. No. She ducked any racy thought that almost came into her mind.
“Trouble maker? Me? Never.” He patted his hand on his chest and his face
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