Chapter 16
“Holy hell!” Jack said when he saw the condition of the rec room. “I’m sure glad you and Knox corralled those hoodlums. What is the world coming to? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come right back.”
“I wasn’t about to have Aunt Mandy mad at me for robbing her of her time with you. We took care of it, and Knox has fixed up a security system that will do until you get the proper fence and gate installed,” Lottie answered.
The door hinges squeaked, and Thomas stopped in his tracks on the way inside the room. “What happened here? Did Knox break up with Lottie?”
“No, and what makes you think that?” Knox asked.
“Well, this is what you can expect if you do,” Thomas teased. “Now someone tell me who really tore this place up.”
“A bunch of boys who thought they were above the law,” Lottie answered and went on to repeat the same story she had told Jack when he got back to the site a few minutes before.
“First time ever in all my years there has really been a break-in,” Jack answered. “But Knox has installed security so that one of us will know if anyone comes over the cattle guard after dark.”
“Sweet Lord!” Thomas gasped. “Us old married guys are glad to rest after a hard day’s work, but what about the single guys who stay out late at night?”
“The system is set to go off at eleven o’clock every night. If anyone forgets or is too drunk to check the time, a siren will wake all of us up, and lights will flood the place.”
“And believe me when I say they will definitely suffer if they do,” Lottie added.
“As in?” Jack asked.
“I will cook breakfast, and they will be required to eat it,” Lottie answered.
“That would be terrible after a late night and too many beers,” Thomas said.
“Then tell them to come home before eleven,” Lottie told him. “Or you’ll all have cold cereal and burnt toast.”
Knox chuckled and wondered if Lottie truly could cook.
Not that it mattered since he loved to be in the kitchen.
More guys filtered into the room, and while Lottie told them the story, he went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.
When that one finished dripping, he set it on the warmer.
If he was dating for real, would it matter if she didn’t cook?
He answered his own question by realizing that he wouldn’t mind working all day and coming home to cook supper, too, because if this was real, she would be working right alongside him all day.
So why should she have to prepare supper?
Besides, there was always takeout or DoorDash if neither of them wanted to spend time in the kitchen.
He took several mugs from the cabinet, and when the coffee stopped gurgling, he set the pot to the side and started a second one. Before everyone checked in for the morning, both would be emptied and a third and fourth one made for break time.
Lottie startled him when she said, “ What are you smiling about?”
Knox poured a mug full of coffee and handed it to her. “I was wondering if you have always taken it black or if there’s a story?”
“A short story. When I first started drinking it, Martha, the housekeeper that I told you about, made it so strong that it practically curled my toenails.”
Lottie edged over close enough to Knox that her shoulder brushed against his. That feeling that he wanted more than friendship landed like a rock in his heart. Apparently, she didn’t feel the same because there wasn’t even a hitch in her voice when she went on with the story.
“I asked for cream and sugar, and she laughed at me. She said, ‘Girl, life don’t come with cream and sugar, and neither does my coffee. Take it like it is or leave it alone.’ I didn’t touch it again until I went to college.
Even then I usually made something like one of those Starbucks lattes that has lots of sugar and cream in it to get me going in the mornings.
Then I started working full time with Jack and the crew and learned to drink it black. ”
“What changed?” Knox noticed that most of the guys had gathered around Jack and were looking at the video playing on his phone.
“I found out that all coffee wasn’t like drinking Grandma’s stuff.” She took a sip and stepped away from him. “In case you are wondering, they’re all watching the video on your phone. I’m tired of telling the story.”
“Me too,” Knox agreed. “You probably won’t need a fake boyfriend anymore after they all see how mean you were with that shotgun. They’ll all be afraid to cross you or even mention going out with you.”
“One can only hope, but I’m not ready to break up with you yet,” she told him.
* * *
Lottie spread a blanket on the grass beside the lake and watched Knox walking toward her with an old-fashioned picnic basket in one hand and a six-pack of soft drinks in the other.
She had vowed that tonight she was going to tell him that she had developed feelings for him.
He might say he didn’t feel the same, but at least the guessing game in her head would end.
“You remembered to bring the blanket.” He smiled as he motioned for her to sit down and then followed her.
“Of course. If all I have to do is rustle up a blanket to get a good supper, I can do that. Are you disappointed that I don’t cook?” Her voice held an edge.
“Hey,” Knox set down the basket and the soft drinks. “What bee crawled up your overall legs?”
“I’m wearing a sundress, not overalls, and I don’t have an attitude,” she shot back. Maybe tonight wasn’t a good time to tell him how she felt after all.
“And you look gorgeous, but, darlin’, you also look amazing wearing only a towel wrapped around your body.”
“Good save.” She finally grinned.
The aroma of fried chicken rose up from the basket when he opened it. “To answer your question, I really don’t care if you cook or not. I enjoy working in the kitchen after a long day of framing houses.”
“I’ll tell you a secret,” she said, putting off saying what was really on her mind.
“I can cook, but when I first came to work for Uncle Jack, I figured the guys would all expect it of me since I’m a woman.
I made a point of telling them, like I did you, that I can make soup out of a can and bologna sandwiches. ”
“But…” Knox started to argue.
“I can make those things, but I’m also a pretty good cook when it comes to plain old country food.
I’m probably not on the scale that you are in the kitchen, but my meals are edible.
My grandmother saw to that and…” She paused.
“I am a crackerjack baker. I love to make cakes, pies, cookies, candy, and desserts of all kinds.”
“I do have a sweet tooth, so I will make the food if you do desserts,” he said. “We’ll make a wonderful couple until this job ends and we go our separate ways. I won’t even tell the rest of the guys that you brought a chocolate cream pie to my house.”
He pulled a plate from the basket and handed it to her. “Any more secrets a fake boyfriend…no…a friend should know about?”
“A couple, but I’m starving, so let’s eat and enjoy the sunset,” she answered. “Look at that. The ducks are here. They probably got a whiff of what’s in that basket.”
Knox removed the lids from several containers. “Finger foods and lots of napkins.”
He brought out a small charcuterie board and arranged still-hot chicken strips on one end with cheese cubes and two kinds of dip, and fresh-cut vegetables and fruit on the other.
Then he pulled out a bag of corn chips, along with a small bowl of salsa, and a basket of rolls to set to the side.
“I started to get a bottle of wine, but…”
“I’d rather have root beer,” she said. “This is too pretty to eat and enough to feed six or seven people.”
“I’m glad you think so, but I’m too hungry to just look at it. So, dive in. Like I said, I brought plenty of napkins. And honey, if there are leftovers, we can always use them for something later.”
She twisted the top off a soda, set it beside her, and filled her plate. “This is more than a picnic. It’s a romantic feast.”
“Friends with romance. I like that.” He made a sandwich by cramming two pieces of chicken into a roll, and then loaded his plate with cheese, vegetables, and fruit.
The door is open. Say something. Tell him how you feel. The voice in her head sounded like something her last therapist would say.
“I got word this evening that the papers will be ready for me and Geneva to sign a week from Saturday. I told her I would fly down to New Iberia that day so she wouldn’t have to drive. Want to go with me?” Knox asked. “We could stay overnight if…”
She didn’t give him time to finish the sentence. “I’d love to.”
“Great,” Knox said. “Now about those other secrets.”
She drew in a breath, but before she could get a word out, Cheeto lit on the blanket, stole a piece of chicken from her plate, and hopped away a few feet to peck at it.
“That is more than a little bit cannibalistic, isn’t it?” she said with half a laugh.
“According to my research, chickens and other birds will eat anything,” Knox said.
Was that an omen to keep her mouth shut, that this was not the time or place to say anything more about their relationship/friendship?
She was still pondering that when a duck came out of the lake and waddled toward them.
Cheeto spread out his colorful wings, fluffed up all his feathers, and went in for the battle.
The duck retreated to the water, and Cheeto went back to eating his stolen chicken strip.
“He thinks he’s all that and an order of fries, but he backs down from rattlesnakes,” Lottie said.
“That means he’s a mean critter, but he picks his battles,” Knox told her.
Lottie wondered if she looked up her name, would it say that she was mean enough to hold a shotgun on some vandalizing kids?
And yet, not wise enough to back down from this battle that will only end up breaking her heart?
But if she spoke up, their friendship could be ruined, and the work situation would be in shambles if he didn’t feel the same way.
Cheeto finished eating and eased down to a sitting position.
“Look at that. He’s guarding us,” Knox said.
“He’s just making sure the ducks don’t come around begging for handouts that could be his later on this evening,” Lottie said, glad for anything to take her mind off her feelings.
Cheeto stood up when the ducks took flight. He threw back his head and crowed, then started toward the trailer.
“We are safe now.” Knox chuckled. “He told them to stay away. Hey, we were talking about secrets. I’m surprised that you can cook, but what else have you been hiding from me?”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I believed you. Not many people can fool me.”
She inhaled deeply and let it out with a whoosh. “I have feelings for you,” she blurted out. “I felt chemistry at your brother’s wedding, and I’ve tried to fight it…”
Knox set his plate down and moved closer to her. “You can’t fight what you feel, darlin’. The heart wants what it wants, and it won’t be satisfied with anything else.”
She looked deeply into his blue eyes. “But…what about our friendship? Is this going to ruin it?”
He tipped up her chin with his knuckles. “I have been doing battle with my own feelings for you. This won’t mess up what we have, but it could make it better.”
She barely had time to moisten her lips before he kissed her—long, deep, and passionately. Evidently, the fake relationship was over, and they were on a new journey, but what would happen when they went their separate ways?