up on you.”
“My last appointment ran late,” Betsy
explained even though she felt she owed him none.
Skylar reached in and grasped her hand to
help her out. The mere touch caused her internal organs to go
haywire. As she stood, if it weren’t for his grip on her, Betsy
knew she would’ve fallen since her legs had turned to jelly,
again.
“Sorry for the short notice, but I couldn’t
postpone seeing you any longer.”
The man stood so close that Betsy could feel
his breath on her. The scent of his cologne floated all around her,
intoxicating her to the point where she felt she might be
considered drunk.
She felt hypnotized as she stared into those
large pupils of his. She broke the trance by focusing further south
on him.
He wore a button down shirt and a new
looking pair of jeans. No, she ordered herself. She couldn’t focus
on his beautifully proportioned body either. It would make her
fantasize about what he’d look like naked.
A deep breath to put stamina back in her
wilting body and she was able to step out around him and set her
sights on empty space.
“What’s the big emergency to see me?”
“Not really an emergency. But I thought
you’d want to hear about my changes to the house plans.”
Betsy turned back to him. “Changes?”
Stepping up alongside her, he used his hand
to point directions. “I thought I’d add a solarium on the west end
of the house here. What do you think?”
“You’re talking about a higher price
tag.”
“Betsy--” He cut himself off and took her
hand in his again, guiding her toward the rear end of old Betsy. “I
hope you haven’t eaten.”
Of course she hadn’t. Not a thing all day,
which made the smorgasbord he had laid out on the tailgate even
more appealing.
“What is this?” she gasped.
“Looks like food to me.” Skylar gathered two
lawn chairs from the bed of the truck and opened them near the
tailgate. “I made most of it myself.”
“You cook?”
“When I have time.” Skylar filled a china
plate with fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and a biscuit.
“This must have taken you all day.”
“Not at all. The apple pie took the longest.
I have yet to master getting the dough to stay in one piece long
enough to get it in the pie pan.”
He handed her a plate and picked up another
to fill for himself. As he did, Betsy sat down, too stunned to
speak.
Skylar finished fixing his plate and sat on
the chair next to her about to bite into a chicken leg when he
looked over at her. “Go ahead and dig in. I promise it’s
edible.”
Everything looked and smelled delicious, but
Betsy couldn’t eat before posing the question that was on the tip
of her tongue since she saw the display of food.
“Why did you do this?”
Skylar dropped his drumstick and stared at
his plate instead of Betsy’s questioning eyes. “I thought a peace
offering might rectify my rude behavior the other night.” His eyes
met hers. “You were nice enough to bring me dinner and--”
“That was my own fault for not checking with
you first.”
“Okay then, it’s for stealing that kiss. I
really am sorry about that, Betsy. I’ve always made it a rule never
to mix business and pleasure. It leads to problems.”
Betsy swallowed hard before braving a look
his way. “I agree completely.”
“Good. We’ll consider this meal a business
dinner. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” There, she said it. Now if her
body would just cooperate and function normally around him, Betsy
believed she might be able to work with the man after all.
She bit into a piece of the tender dark meat
and chewed slowly to savor the taste. “This is delicious,” she told
him before her next bite.
“Thank you.”
“Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Skylar had a mouthful of potato salad and
held up his hand in a gesture for her to wait for him to empty his
mouth. “I taught myself.”
Betsy wrinkled her brow, giving his answer a
moment of thought before responding. “That doesn’t
“My last appointment ran late,” Betsy
explained even though she felt she owed him none.
Skylar reached in and grasped her hand to
help her out. The mere touch caused her internal organs to go
haywire. As she stood, if it weren’t for his grip on her, Betsy
knew she would’ve fallen since her legs had turned to jelly,
again.
“Sorry for the short notice, but I couldn’t
postpone seeing you any longer.”
The man stood so close that Betsy could feel
his breath on her. The scent of his cologne floated all around her,
intoxicating her to the point where she felt she might be
considered drunk.
She felt hypnotized as she stared into those
large pupils of his. She broke the trance by focusing further south
on him.
He wore a button down shirt and a new
looking pair of jeans. No, she ordered herself. She couldn’t focus
on his beautifully proportioned body either. It would make her
fantasize about what he’d look like naked.
A deep breath to put stamina back in her
wilting body and she was able to step out around him and set her
sights on empty space.
“What’s the big emergency to see me?”
“Not really an emergency. But I thought
you’d want to hear about my changes to the house plans.”
Betsy turned back to him. “Changes?”
Stepping up alongside her, he used his hand
to point directions. “I thought I’d add a solarium on the west end
of the house here. What do you think?”
“You’re talking about a higher price
tag.”
“Betsy--” He cut himself off and took her
hand in his again, guiding her toward the rear end of old Betsy. “I
hope you haven’t eaten.”
Of course she hadn’t. Not a thing all day,
which made the smorgasbord he had laid out on the tailgate even
more appealing.
“What is this?” she gasped.
“Looks like food to me.” Skylar gathered two
lawn chairs from the bed of the truck and opened them near the
tailgate. “I made most of it myself.”
“You cook?”
“When I have time.” Skylar filled a china
plate with fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and a biscuit.
“This must have taken you all day.”
“Not at all. The apple pie took the longest.
I have yet to master getting the dough to stay in one piece long
enough to get it in the pie pan.”
He handed her a plate and picked up another
to fill for himself. As he did, Betsy sat down, too stunned to
speak.
Skylar finished fixing his plate and sat on
the chair next to her about to bite into a chicken leg when he
looked over at her. “Go ahead and dig in. I promise it’s
edible.”
Everything looked and smelled delicious, but
Betsy couldn’t eat before posing the question that was on the tip
of her tongue since she saw the display of food.
“Why did you do this?”
Skylar dropped his drumstick and stared at
his plate instead of Betsy’s questioning eyes. “I thought a peace
offering might rectify my rude behavior the other night.” His eyes
met hers. “You were nice enough to bring me dinner and--”
“That was my own fault for not checking with
you first.”
“Okay then, it’s for stealing that kiss. I
really am sorry about that, Betsy. I’ve always made it a rule never
to mix business and pleasure. It leads to problems.”
Betsy swallowed hard before braving a look
his way. “I agree completely.”
“Good. We’ll consider this meal a business
dinner. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” There, she said it. Now if her
body would just cooperate and function normally around him, Betsy
believed she might be able to work with the man after all.
She bit into a piece of the tender dark meat
and chewed slowly to savor the taste. “This is delicious,” she told
him before her next bite.
“Thank you.”
“Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Skylar had a mouthful of potato salad and
held up his hand in a gesture for her to wait for him to empty his
mouth. “I taught myself.”
Betsy wrinkled her brow, giving his answer a
moment of thought before responding. “That doesn’t
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