my keys.”
Grace looks at him, confused.
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Ian says, in a quiet voice.
“Okay.”
Although she is concerned and does not understand, she is not going to pressure him into talking about something he does not want to talk about.
“Hey, can we go downtown real quick ?” Ian bursts out.
“Sure, it’s not that far.”
Ian and Grace walk hand in hand into the convenience store and he walks straight to the prepaid cell phones. He holds it up and grins at Grace.
“Now I can call you anytime I want,” he says, with a smirk.
Grace smiles. “You, my love, are a genius.”
They continue their walk to Grace’s home, as Grace points out her favorite Victorian homes.
“Ian?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you like to stay for dinner? I am making chicken parmesan. I’ll have to ask James, but I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.”
Ian looks up at her and gives her a warm smile, “I would love to, as long as your brother says it’s okay.”
Hours later Grace sets a plate down in front of Ian. On it is a large piece of crusted chicken with mozzarella cheese and sauce oozing off it. Under the chicken is pasta drenched in marinara sauce. To the side of the chicken and pasta is a small pile of broccoli.
Grace points to the broccoli. “I don’t know if you like that stuff. They do, but I don’t.”
Ian laughs at her. “I love broccoli!”
James focuses his stare on Ian. “Ian, you’re in for a treat. My sister is quite the cook.”
As she sets her plate down at the place setting, Grace wonders what Ian thinks about dinner. He examines his plate with an indecipherable look, and Grace would give anything to be able to read his thoughts. The anticipation of what he might say about her cooking overwhelms her. She just wants him to like it.
“Well, dig in!” Grace says.
A sense of pride engulfs her while she watches Ian plunge his fork into the meal she has prepared. She wants to impress him with her cooking skills. Her father used to say, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Ian takes a bite and throws his head back. With a mouth full, he mutters, “Oh, man, this is good!”
Grace smiles widely, so glad that he likes the food.
“Missy, you seem crabby today,” James says, as they all enjoy their dinner.
“I’m fine!” she snaps.
Grace looks at her and wishes that she knew what was bothering her sister. They choose to leave Michelle alone and instead James talks baseball with Ian.
“We don’t have a TV in our house. So, I don’t watch much baseball,” Ian says, ashamed.
“What!” Grace says, as she whips her head over to look at Ian. “No television? I would go mad!”
“My father thinks that TV is a useless waste of time.” Ian clears his throat, a scowl crosses his face, and he changes the tone of his voice. “Your time is better spent studying and doing your chores,” he says in a stern tone. Then shrugs, takes his fork back into his hand, and resumes eating.
“So, you’ve never watched TV?” Michelle asks, rudely and sarcastically.
“I used to watch it over at my friend Jaden’s house back in Massachusetts, but I have not made many friends here.” Ian shrugs again.
“We’re your friends,” James says, kindly. “You can watch TV here.”
Once they finished eating, Michelle helps Grace clean up the table. “Missy, are you mad at me?”
“No!”
“Then what’s wrong with you? You’ve been rude to me, James, and even to Ian, who is our guest!”
Michelle looks at her for a moment before she speaks. “I just don’t want him to take you away from me.”
Grace grabs her baby sister and gives her a huge hug.
“That’ll never happen!”
“You didn’t even ask me to go camping with you guys.” Michelle sulks.
“Oh, Missy. I’m so sorry, sweetie. I was so nervous, I honestly forgot until we were halfway there. Ian offered to come back and get you, but you had already left for your friends.
Grace looks at him, confused.
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Ian says, in a quiet voice.
“Okay.”
Although she is concerned and does not understand, she is not going to pressure him into talking about something he does not want to talk about.
“Hey, can we go downtown real quick ?” Ian bursts out.
“Sure, it’s not that far.”
Ian and Grace walk hand in hand into the convenience store and he walks straight to the prepaid cell phones. He holds it up and grins at Grace.
“Now I can call you anytime I want,” he says, with a smirk.
Grace smiles. “You, my love, are a genius.”
They continue their walk to Grace’s home, as Grace points out her favorite Victorian homes.
“Ian?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you like to stay for dinner? I am making chicken parmesan. I’ll have to ask James, but I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.”
Ian looks up at her and gives her a warm smile, “I would love to, as long as your brother says it’s okay.”
Hours later Grace sets a plate down in front of Ian. On it is a large piece of crusted chicken with mozzarella cheese and sauce oozing off it. Under the chicken is pasta drenched in marinara sauce. To the side of the chicken and pasta is a small pile of broccoli.
Grace points to the broccoli. “I don’t know if you like that stuff. They do, but I don’t.”
Ian laughs at her. “I love broccoli!”
James focuses his stare on Ian. “Ian, you’re in for a treat. My sister is quite the cook.”
As she sets her plate down at the place setting, Grace wonders what Ian thinks about dinner. He examines his plate with an indecipherable look, and Grace would give anything to be able to read his thoughts. The anticipation of what he might say about her cooking overwhelms her. She just wants him to like it.
“Well, dig in!” Grace says.
A sense of pride engulfs her while she watches Ian plunge his fork into the meal she has prepared. She wants to impress him with her cooking skills. Her father used to say, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Ian takes a bite and throws his head back. With a mouth full, he mutters, “Oh, man, this is good!”
Grace smiles widely, so glad that he likes the food.
“Missy, you seem crabby today,” James says, as they all enjoy their dinner.
“I’m fine!” she snaps.
Grace looks at her and wishes that she knew what was bothering her sister. They choose to leave Michelle alone and instead James talks baseball with Ian.
“We don’t have a TV in our house. So, I don’t watch much baseball,” Ian says, ashamed.
“What!” Grace says, as she whips her head over to look at Ian. “No television? I would go mad!”
“My father thinks that TV is a useless waste of time.” Ian clears his throat, a scowl crosses his face, and he changes the tone of his voice. “Your time is better spent studying and doing your chores,” he says in a stern tone. Then shrugs, takes his fork back into his hand, and resumes eating.
“So, you’ve never watched TV?” Michelle asks, rudely and sarcastically.
“I used to watch it over at my friend Jaden’s house back in Massachusetts, but I have not made many friends here.” Ian shrugs again.
“We’re your friends,” James says, kindly. “You can watch TV here.”
Once they finished eating, Michelle helps Grace clean up the table. “Missy, are you mad at me?”
“No!”
“Then what’s wrong with you? You’ve been rude to me, James, and even to Ian, who is our guest!”
Michelle looks at her for a moment before she speaks. “I just don’t want him to take you away from me.”
Grace grabs her baby sister and gives her a huge hug.
“That’ll never happen!”
“You didn’t even ask me to go camping with you guys.” Michelle sulks.
“Oh, Missy. I’m so sorry, sweetie. I was so nervous, I honestly forgot until we were halfway there. Ian offered to come back and get you, but you had already left for your friends.
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