Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Boone grinned as Mila hummed, flitting around the kitchen, flipping some chicken wings in a bowl, coating them in butter and garlic.
The house smelled fucking awesome right now.
He and Mila had basically remained sequestered in the cabin all weekend, only leaving on Saturday to help the rest of the family dig out all the businesses, clearing sidewalks and paths, before returning to “finish their puzzle,” which, oddly enough, Mila’s sisters totally believed.
Nora actually got mad that they hadn’t invited her to join them. He and Mila had been hard-pressed to keep straight faces when Nora said, “Next time, call me. I don’t mind walking through snow for something fun.”
Boone couldn’t help but wonder if Remi and Nora bought the lie because they’d hidden their interest in each other too well, or because her sisters considered the two of them an unlikely pairing. The second thought bothered him.
Life had returned to somewhat normal yesterday, as he headed back to work and Sadie to school.
The only change had been at lunchtime, when Mila texted, inviting him to join her at the kitchen in the winery.
The winery didn’t open to the public until four, so it had been just the two of them, sitting on stools by one of the large counters.
Yesterday, she’d made them grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, and today, they’d had flatbread margherita pizzas.
He really needed to revisit the running idea, because too many more lunches with Mila would be bad for his waistline.
Yesterday—somehow—they’d restrained from having sex, but after two days without being inside her, he caved after lunch today.
Mila hadn’t resisted at all when he’d tugged her into the pantry, told her to bend over and hold on to one of the shelves.
They’d come together in a flurry of passion, fucking fast and furious.
The more he was with her, the more he wanted her, and it seemed insane that there was ever a time when he thought he could get her out of his system.
He’d picked up Sadie on Sunday, and she’d been in a foul mood ever since. Reconnecting with Stella meant she was now pissed at him again for making her move. So he’d been subjected to the silent treatment for the past three days.
Mila arrived later than usual for their cooking lesson because she’d run to the store for tonight’s ingredients. And while she tried, not even Mila could cajole Sadie out of her bad mood. Sadie bailed on helping them cook, then locked herself in her bedroom.
“Dinner’s almost ready,” she said, as he leaned on the counter next to her.
Boone glanced toward Sadie’s still-closed door, then bent toward her to steal a quick kiss. “Smells delicious.”
She smiled. “It’s just wings and a big salad. Nothing fancy.”
Boone would like to know what the hell Mila considered fancy.
Because his mouth watered as he looked at the platter she was loading.
She’d cooked a mess of wings, which she’d broken into three piles and coated in different flavors.
They had a selection of teriyaki, garlic butter, and buffalo.
And her salad was restaurant-worthy, with homemade croutons, shaved parmesan, and all kinds of vegetables, including corn and black beans.
She’d topped it with a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing, which they were also using to dip their wings.
“Trust me when I say this is damn fancy.” Boone reached out and snatched one of the wings, taking a big bite and closing his eyes in bliss.
Mila looked over her shoulder toward Sadie’s room. “Do you think she’ll come eat with us? She seemed kind of upset.”
Boone probably should have warned Mila that Sadie’s behavior right now was typical following a visit with Lena. In addition to the absence of rules, it was also hard for Sadie not knowing when she’d see her mom again.
That was what made this transition back to life as normal so difficult. Sadie was always sad/mad, and he tried to tiptoe around her for a few days because he didn’t want to add to her pain.
“She’s eating. You went to all this trouble,” Boone started, pushing away from the counter.
Mila grasped his forearm. “Yeah. But if she’s not hungry, it’s no problem for me to pack a plate for later.”
Boone was a huge believer in eating supper at the table as a family. Given the fact he worked long hours, even on the weekends, he needed this quality time with Sadie as much as she did. “It’s dinnertime, and we eat together.”
Mila nodded and let him go, carrying food to the table, as Boone crossed the great room and knocked on Sadie’s door. “Donut, dinner’s ready.”
Sadie didn’t open the door. “I’m not hungry.”
“Didn’t ask if you were hungry. Come and sit at the table with us. Mila’s been cooking for nearly an hour.”
“I’m. Not. Hungry.”
Yeah. He was putting an end to this. He’d let her get away with heating a bowl of soup and eating on her own last night because he’d worked late, and after his sex-filled weekend with Mila, he’d been exhausted. But tonight was a different story. Mila had gone to a lot of trouble for them.
Boone drew in a long, slow, steadying breath. Not that he felt much steadier after. “You going to come out, or am I going to have to ground you for two weeks? No phone, no iPad, no stables with Remi. How’s that sound?”
Sadie’s response was silence, followed by her door flying open. She stomped by him, pulled her chair out roughly, and plopped down at the table with her arms crossed. “It’s stupid eating this early. What are we? Eighty? Mom and I didn’t have dinner until nine.”
Boone didn’t bother to point out that six-thirty was hardly the early bird special and nine was bedtime, not dinnertime, because it wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference right now. Sadie was pissed and determined to be a pain in the ass.
Mila gave him a sympathetic smile, then shrugged her shoulders slightly. She wanted to start their Tuesday dinners again so that she could get to know his daughter better. Figures Sadie would lead off with a doozy of an attitude.
He joined her and Sadie at the table, lifting the platter of wings and offering it to Mila first. He was glad when she piled a couple of each flavor wing onto her plate.
He liked a woman with a healthy appetite.
Given how hard Mila worked around the farm, and the fact she walked everywhere, she needed the calories.
Once Mila was finished, he held the platter out to Sadie. He knew his daughter well enough to know that she was waging an internal battle right now. She wanted to hold her ground and not eat, but the way she eyeballed the wings proved she wanted some.
Mila noticed her hesitance, so she helped him out, pointing to each variety.
“That’s garlic butter, which is my favorite, then teriyaki and buffalo.
Your dad said you were a fan of spicy foods, so I included that last one for you.
” Mila widened her eyes dramatically. “Though I don’t know how the heck you can eat something so hot. ”
Mila’s easygoing nature worked as Sadie reached out, sliding four of the buffalo wings onto her plate. Then they passed the salad around.
Mila managed to get the conversation rolling when silence descended, filling Sadie in on how the pregnant cat fared during the snowstorm, letting her know how much Remi had missed having her help this weekend with the horses.
She added that the donkey was slated to arrive next week, then she described the outrageous, super-comfy, warm cat house Remi had constructed in the corner of the stable, and how Mila had considered moving into the thing herself.
Sadie listened without much response, though she managed a few half-hearted grins.
Mila, bless her, was not deterred. Moving on from the stable gossip, she told a story about Jace almost plowing into Everett’s car because it was completely buried in a snowdrift.
The way Boone had heard the story from Maverick, Jace missed the thing by no more than two inches, Everett running from the house shirtless and barefoot through the snow to wave Jace down and warn him the car was there.
“How was your visit with your mom?” Mila asked, probably tired of being the only one talking.
Sadie shrugged. “It was good, I guess.”
“Did you manage to do some fun things, or was the weather too bad? We got snowed in with no power. Had to find our own entertainment.”
Boone hid his grin at the way Mila pointedly avoided making eye contact with him as she said the word entertainment. Fortunately, Sadie’s eyes were locked on her plate and the carrot she was currently pushing around, so she didn’t see Mila’s blush.
“I went bowling and to the mall with my best friend, Stella,” Sadie said when Mila paused, waiting for her reply. “Watched some movies at home with Mom and her boyfriend.”
“Oh. I didn’t know her boyfriend came to visit as well. What’s he like? Nice guy?” Mila asked.
Sadie put her fork down and leaned back in her chair.
“Adam’s okay, I guess.” His daughter had stopped putting any real effort into getting to know Lena’s boyfriends when she was eight or nine.
The clever girl figured out from a young age that it was a wasted endeavor.
Boone was on the fence about whether that was a good or bad thing.
“Have they been dating long?” Mila was working overtime to keep any conversation going, but Sadie wasn’t giving an inch.
“I dunno.”
Mila took a sip of her wine, her gaze darting to Boone.
He grimaced, then decided to jump in himself. “How was school today, Donut?”
While it seemed like an innocuous question, Boone had apparently struck a match to the kindling.
“It sucked,” Sadie spat at him. “It’s a stupid backwoods school filled with rednecks and idiots, and I hate it!”
Boone scowled. “Sadie,” he started.
“And I hate Gracemont! It’s boring. I should go live with Mom in Florida. At least there’s stuff to do there. Instead, you dragged me to the middle of nowhere!”