“I could eat this for every meal,” she declared.
“You’d get tired of it,” he said with a certainty that surprised her.
When they finished their meal, she rose from the table and took both plates to the sink.
“What’s for desert?” Jarrod asked, startling her when he appeared beside her at the sink.
She smiled uncertainly. “I don’t know.”
“I do.” He took her hand and tugged her toward the front door. He paused at the threshold and glanced down at her jeans and t-shirt. “Actually, you’ll need to change into a warmer shirt. It gets chilly outside in the evenings.”
Summer hesitated, but he nodded encouragingly. Still uncertain, she changed into a long-sleeved cotton shirt. As she buttoned it, she wondered, what was she doing? She had resolved to steer clear of Jarrod, particularly since he’d accused her of setting her sights on him, but here she was about to follow him to parts unknown.
She decided to tell him she had changed her mind and needed to remain at the cabin, but when she saw his hopeful face, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Where are we going?” she asked with resignation.
He noted her lack of enthusiasm, but simply replied, “You’ll see.”
He clasped her hand again, reached for the cabin key on a small table beside the door, and then assured the front door was locked behind them. He led her across the front yard of his folks’ property and over to his. They crossed his yard and headed out behind his cabin.
He held firm to her hand as he led her across level ground and then up steep, uneven terrain. Near the top of a knoll, he paused and released her. She watched him climb up the steep embankment, and then he offered a hand to her again. She took it and he practically lifted her up to him. She teetered slightly at the top, glad for his steadying hand.
“Where to now?” she asked, pulling her hand from his and glancing around with interest. She gasped. She hadn’t expected to find herself in a tiny meadow full of berry bushes. “What are those?” she asked with wonder.
“Huckleberries,” he told her.
Her eyes widened with pleasure and she dashed over to a bush. She picked a berry, studied it briefly, and then popped it into her mouth. The sweetness exploded against her tongue, causing her to elicit a gasp of pleasure.
“Good, huh?” Jarrod prompted.
“Delicious,” she enthused, reaching for another and popping it into her mouth. Suddenly, she turned to him, realizing they didn’t have a container with them.
He read her mind. “I know, I forgot to bring something to carry them home in.”
“Well, we’ll just have to eat them off the bushes,” she said gamely, reaching for another berry.
Jarrod stepped back, watching her pick several berries off the bushes and pop them into her mouth. He remembered bringing Lauren to this special place, only to have her reject the berries until he’d later cleaned them thoroughly with a produce wash. He had assured her the berries were fine to eat, since they grew naturally and without pesticides.
“I want to make a pie,” Summer said eagerly.
He smiled. “That sounds great.”
“Do you have a recipe?”
He chuckled. “No, don’t you?”
“I’ll get one,” she said enthusiastically, and he grinned. The woman had been so guarded—thanks to him, he knew—but she was much less so now. He found her enthusiasm for his mountain charming. He also found himself seeing the beauty of his home through her eyes. Her delight warmed him.
Soon, she turned to him. “I think I’d better stop eating.”
“You’re liable to get a stomachache if you don’t,” he warned. “We’ll come back with a bucket soon.”
She turned away from him, surveying the meadow with wide-eyed wonder. A small fawn stood at the far corner, its mother joining the tiny deer a brief moment later. She gasped and reached for his arm.
“You’d get tired of it,” he said with a certainty that surprised her.
When they finished their meal, she rose from the table and took both plates to the sink.
“What’s for desert?” Jarrod asked, startling her when he appeared beside her at the sink.
She smiled uncertainly. “I don’t know.”
“I do.” He took her hand and tugged her toward the front door. He paused at the threshold and glanced down at her jeans and t-shirt. “Actually, you’ll need to change into a warmer shirt. It gets chilly outside in the evenings.”
Summer hesitated, but he nodded encouragingly. Still uncertain, she changed into a long-sleeved cotton shirt. As she buttoned it, she wondered, what was she doing? She had resolved to steer clear of Jarrod, particularly since he’d accused her of setting her sights on him, but here she was about to follow him to parts unknown.
She decided to tell him she had changed her mind and needed to remain at the cabin, but when she saw his hopeful face, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Where are we going?” she asked with resignation.
He noted her lack of enthusiasm, but simply replied, “You’ll see.”
He clasped her hand again, reached for the cabin key on a small table beside the door, and then assured the front door was locked behind them. He led her across the front yard of his folks’ property and over to his. They crossed his yard and headed out behind his cabin.
He held firm to her hand as he led her across level ground and then up steep, uneven terrain. Near the top of a knoll, he paused and released her. She watched him climb up the steep embankment, and then he offered a hand to her again. She took it and he practically lifted her up to him. She teetered slightly at the top, glad for his steadying hand.
“Where to now?” she asked, pulling her hand from his and glancing around with interest. She gasped. She hadn’t expected to find herself in a tiny meadow full of berry bushes. “What are those?” she asked with wonder.
“Huckleberries,” he told her.
Her eyes widened with pleasure and she dashed over to a bush. She picked a berry, studied it briefly, and then popped it into her mouth. The sweetness exploded against her tongue, causing her to elicit a gasp of pleasure.
“Good, huh?” Jarrod prompted.
“Delicious,” she enthused, reaching for another and popping it into her mouth. Suddenly, she turned to him, realizing they didn’t have a container with them.
He read her mind. “I know, I forgot to bring something to carry them home in.”
“Well, we’ll just have to eat them off the bushes,” she said gamely, reaching for another berry.
Jarrod stepped back, watching her pick several berries off the bushes and pop them into her mouth. He remembered bringing Lauren to this special place, only to have her reject the berries until he’d later cleaned them thoroughly with a produce wash. He had assured her the berries were fine to eat, since they grew naturally and without pesticides.
“I want to make a pie,” Summer said eagerly.
He smiled. “That sounds great.”
“Do you have a recipe?”
He chuckled. “No, don’t you?”
“I’ll get one,” she said enthusiastically, and he grinned. The woman had been so guarded—thanks to him, he knew—but she was much less so now. He found her enthusiasm for his mountain charming. He also found himself seeing the beauty of his home through her eyes. Her delight warmed him.
Soon, she turned to him. “I think I’d better stop eating.”
“You’re liable to get a stomachache if you don’t,” he warned. “We’ll come back with a bucket soon.”
She turned away from him, surveying the meadow with wide-eyed wonder. A small fawn stood at the far corner, its mother joining the tiny deer a brief moment later. She gasped and reached for his arm.
Similar Books
