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“You sit. Start on the salad. I’ll be back in a second.” Sitting back down, I saw the salad dressing on the table that looked homemade and poured a small amount over my lettuce.
Colton made a lot of effort to cook this meal. I was positive he didn’t go to this much trouble when he was home alone.
Returning, he set a little serving platter that contained sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, green onions, and tortilla strips in front of me. “For your potato.”
“Wow. This is quite the spread.” I unwrapped the foil from the potato, allowing the steam to escape.
“I wanted to make something special.”
“Steak and potatoes?”
“Yeah. I’ve loved baked potatoes ever since that potato restaurant opened up on State Circle.”
“I love that place too.”
“I’ve tried but can’t quite figure out the lime sour cream concoction they make.”
“It’s amazing, though, isn’t it?” I slathered my potato with butter, then sprinkled a little of every topping.
“So good.” He cut his steak, popping a huge bite into his mouth.
The evening was warm, the perfect temperature. Not too hot, but comfortable.
“You should string some lights up on your deck. It would be beautiful.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t get many guests.”
“What about your parents?”
“I usually go to their place.” He ate another bite of steak before digging into his potato that was packed with most of the same toppings I’d used. “They travel a lot.”
Was it too forward of me to say I’d like to see them? Would they think it was odd Colton was dating his ex’s sister? I didn’t think about it as much as I used to, but others might still have a problem with it. Even if it felt natural to us.
Chapter Fourteen
COLTON
The evening was better than I anticipated. Remi enjoyed the meal I’d made before pushing it away, declaring herself stuffed.
I loved that she went into everything with enthusiasm and wasn’t afraid to eat in front of a guy or tell someone what she thought. She was braver than me.
I stood to clean up.
“I’ll help.”
I didn’t dissuade her this time because there was a lot to take inside, and I appreciated it.
Together, we put away the leftovers, rinsed the dishes, and stacked them in the dishwasher.
When we were done, I realized we never opened her wine. “I completely forgot about the wine you brought. You want to open it now?”
“I’d love to.”
I pulled out a corkscrew to open the bottle. Pouring two glasses, I said, “Let’s go back outside. The night is too nice to stay in.”
She took the glass from me, sipping it as we walked outside.
I wanted to know more about who she was, what she liked, and what she loved. The evening also served to quiet my nerves. I didn’t like seeing her so unraveled earlier today. She was normally so upbeat and positive, and seeing her knocked off track was upsetting.
