“I usually eat a banana and a protein bar. Sometimes, I’ll grab an egg sandwich at a drive thru.”
“What about lunch?” I ask.
He shrugs “It varies. Sometimes the Coyotes organization provides food and other times I’ll grab takeout.” He turns around with the two coffees in hand and he sets one down in front of me.
“Do you want cream or sugar?” he asks.
“No, thanks. I like it dark and strong enough to burn a hole in my gut.”
He smiles. “A woman after my own heart.”
I’ll take any part I can get.
I sip from my mug, enjoying the scent of the hot brew as much as the taste. My view’s not bad either.
“Back to what you normally eat. What about dinner?” I ask.
“It varies. Sometimes I’ll make a pot of spaghetti and meat sauce and that will last me a few nights. Most of the time, I end up eating takeout or frozen meals.”
He doesn’t eat like a professional athlete should. He needs more protein, and vegetables are sorely lacking from his diet.
“What?” he asks, noticing my furrowed brow.
“Nothing important.” I wave my hand dismissively. Who am I to tell a hockey god what he should be eating?
“You sure about that? You seemed deep in thought.”
Pausing the unpacking, I grip the edge of the counter with both hands. “I think this weekend of home cooking will be good for you. I’ll make you healthy meals, and if you want, I can teach you how to meal prep for the week. That way you’ll have everything ready to pop in the microwave when you come home from practice. What do you think?”
CHAPTER4
RYDER
Not only isshe beautiful but she looks like she belongs in my kitchen.
“Well,” she prods, waiting for a reply.
“I agree, this weekend will be good for me.”What could be bad about a stunning woman cooking for me?
“So, no to the part about me teaching you to cook?”
“I’m not against learning how to prepare food, but I don’t enjoy cooking.”
“I’m not afraid of a challenge,” she says, her rosy lips curving. She carries an armload of items and places them in the fridge.
“Let me help you with this stuff,” I say, picking up some dry goods. “I cleared a shelf in the pantry for you.” Opening the door, I set the items down on the long shelf.
“Thank you. That’s perfect. I’ll know just where to find everything.” She continues putting produce in the fridge while I clear the island of everything else.
She takes a sip of coffee before she bends down, searching through the cabinet beneath the stove. She sets a frying pan on the burner and grabs a sharp knife from the block on the counter. “Do you have a cutting board?”
“Yeah, it’s right here.” I pull a rectangular piece of wood from one of the lower cabinets and set it down in front of her.
“Thank you.”
Grabbing my mug of coffee, I head around the other side of the island and sit on one of the leather stools. “What are you making me for breakfast?” I ask.
“A vegetable and cheese omelet.” She dashes around the kitchen from the fridge to the sink and back to the island to chop up a plethora of mushrooms, peppers, and onions.