Page 17 of Searching for Love

ChapterSix

One thing was clear after eating lunch at the same table as Avery’s brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. The three of them were very close. So close that they finished each other’s sentences.

He didn’t have any friends that close. He’d had a few friends in school but they had gone separate ways after graduation. Mark was in the military and stationed somewhere overseas, and Curt was married with three kids, living in California.

He hadn’t realized he’d been missing the company of good friends until he’d watched the three of them laughing and joking with one another. So when Wyatt asked him to join him and a few others once a week to play basketball at the gym, he’d jumped at the chance.

“I’ll warn you, I’m not very good,” he told Wyatt.

“None of us are,” Wyatt said as he leaned back and wrapped his arm around Hannah.

Thankfully, during the meal, they’d talked about menu items for their wedding, and he was able to get some idea of what they wanted for their big day.

He hadn’t known if they were shooting for a fancy wedding or something more down to earth. The way they talked, they were smack in the middle of the two, and he could think of two dozen items that would fit perfectly for the event.

He planned to hit up his local contacts to get his cousins’ place stocked with everything that he would need first thing the next day.

By the time everyone walked out of the restaurant together, he had a better feel for the couple and had narrowed down what he would make to eight different options.

“You got quiet,” Avery said when they stood in the parking lot, watching the other couple leave.

He rattled off the list of dishes that he planned to make for the couple.

Avery’s eyes grew wide and then she was smiling. “I can’t wait to taste it all.”

“Do you think they’ll enjoy it?” He motioned with his head to where her brother’s car had disappeared.

“Without a doubt. Are you worried? Because I can assure you, you shouldn’t be.” She crossed her arms over her chest as a gust of wind hit them. He took her arm and led her back down the street quickly.

“Your brother holds a lot of weight around town, being the owner of the grocery store. Not to mention all the people Hannah deals with daily. If they don’t like my food, then I fear my restaurant won’t stand a chance in hell,” he said in one long breath.

“Lucas.” She touched his arm. “Trust me when I say that my brother and Hannah are not food snobs. I’ve tasted your cooking and, whatever you make, they’re going to love it.”

He relaxed a little. “I might feel better if I had a dry run before this weekend,” he murmured.

“Okay, then cook two of the dishes for me. The beef carnitas and sopes sound amazing.”

He was frowning. “I don’t have a working kitchen.”

“There’s one at my parents’ place.” She smiled. “Tomorrow after we’re done working, we can grab what you need at the store, then head on up to their place.”

It wasn’t until later that day, when he was watching Avery’s taillights leave after they finished cleaning the freezer and refrigerator, that he realized he’d just agreed to have a private dinner with her. Did she think of it as a date?

They’d agreed to keep things casual. Right?

While he headed upstairs to shower, he replayed in his head what she had said after the kiss.

“I don’t want to complicate this. I just agreed to work for you. I don’t think it would be wise if we letthisgunk things up.”

He’d been a fool at the moment and had agreed with her. But neither of them had officially said that a physical relationship was off-limits. Had they?

Damn. Now he was second-guessing this.

After his shower, he jotted down the possible menu that he was thinking of for Wyatt and Hannah’s big day. Then in clear rows under each dish’s heading, he listed each item that he’d need to make it.

By the time he fell into bed, at least those worries were no longer circling through his head. Still, the memory of Avery’s lips pressed against his kept him tossing and turning for the rest of the night.

He overslept the next morning and had to rush downstairs to let Parker and his crew inside. By the time Avery arrived, he was covered in a layer of dust and soaking wet from helping Parker out in the basement with a busted pipe.