Authors: Annie Jones
“
Surely you don
’
t put in a full day
’
s work and still fix all the family meals.
”
He looked around the room as though he almost expected to see someone else helping her.
“
If that
’
s the case then we
’
re going to have to make some changes starting immediately.
”
“
You offering to take over the duties?
”
She held up the spatula. One fleeting, brilliant burst of lightning illuminated the kitchen windows.
“
Because if you are, you
’
d better get yourself over here pronto. The grits need stirring, the bacon needs crumbling, and the rest of these eggs should be over easy, thank you.
”
“
Grits? Bacon? Eggs? Don
’
t tell me you
’
ve got cheddar cheese and butter, too.
”
“
I have.
”
He stepped forward, practically licking his lips.
“
Just tell me what I can do to help.
”
She pointed to the pot of pale, creamy grits bubbling on the stovetop.
“
Stir. And if you have some ill-informed opinion about how this all should be handled, kindly keep it to yourself.
”
“
You
’
re not a morning person, are you?
”
He moved close enough that she could feel both the heat of the stove and the warmth of his skin through the thick layers of her chenille robe and the long flannel nightgown underneath it.
The thin layer of bacon grease in the skillet popped and sizzled.
“
What I
’
m not, Mr. Walker—
”
“
Riley. We agreed last night that since we
’
re going to go ahead with our partnership, we
’
d operate on a first-name basis.
”
Thunder rolled in the distance.
“
Riley.
”
The name did not come easily to her. She liked the formality of last names, especially when standing in such close proximity to the man that towered over her and made her feel...well, just made her
feel
. Everything from panicky to protected, from angry to assured. She licked her lips and focused on the delicate task of turning the eggs so that they stayed intact.
“
The thing I am not, Riley, is calm or confident. I
’
ll admit that may have affected my mood.
”
“
Calm or confident about what?
”
He earnestly did not seem to know what she was talking about.
“
About...everything. What if this is all a big mistake? What if all the plans we made last night bring nothing but disaster for us and everyone we hope to benefit by them?
”
“
And what if they don
’
t? What if they are the best things we
’
ve ever done, the best decisions we
’
ve ever made?
”
He swirled the wooden spoon through the grits in long, even strokes.
“
We
’
ve looked at this from every angle and gone over it as much as we could with your grandfather and Sis. I
’
ve approached my mother and she
’
s...
”
“
She
’
s...
”
Dixie raised her brows.
“
Well, she
’
s got a broken hip. How much trouble can she give us?
”
He grinned, and not just an ornery son kind of grin but something softer yet sexier with a wickedly just-between-us glint in his eyes.
“
She can
’
t run away and she won
’
t be doing much kicking and screaming for a while.
”
Dixie tried to laugh at that but she couldn
’
t shake her concerns. She began lifting the perfectly fried eggs from the black skillet bottom onto a pristine white plate.
“
Your mother is not crazy about the idea of coming to live with my family until we can get everything squared away, is she?
”
“
Well...
”
He lifted the spoon and let a glop of the thick mixture plop quietly back into the pot.
“
The word
crazy
did come up.
”
The plate clattered as Dixie set it aside on the counter beside the butter dish, egg shells, and the crockery jar of saved bacon grease.
“
Is she scared to come and stay here?
”
“
No, no. Not at all, she
’
s heard some things about your family, that
’
s all. But I know once she
’
s spent a little time with them, seen how they are with Wendy...once she
’
s met you...
”
Dixie looked up from the clutter of the kitchen and right into Riley
’
s eyes. Her breath caught in her chest at what she saw reflected there. She pursed her lips to say something, but at that precise moment, Riley
’
s gaze dipped to brush over her mouth. She could not have spoken then if her life depended on it.
He wanted to kiss her.
Dixie was no fool. Neither was she a simpering child. She recognized all the signals, all the subtle nuances of flirtation and attraction. She also knew the pain of mistaking those things for real affection.
Riley stepped toward her, reaching out with one hand to push her hair back.
Lightning and thunder crashed together just outside the windows. The clouds huddled dark
and dangerous now, heavy with a held-back downpour.
Dixie held her breath. Riley wanted to kiss her, and for all the alarms going off in her brain, the haze of emotion blurring the very way she viewed it all, she was going to let him. She tipped back her head, went up on very tippy toes and—
“
Land-a-goshen! What are you two doing in here?
”
Sis rushed in, flapping a placemat from the dining room ahead of her all the way
“
Can
’
t you hear that alarm going off? Can
’
t you see the smoke?
”
Aunt Sis grabbed up the broom leaning against the nearby wall and took one well-aimed bat at the blaring smoke alarm. It gave out a sickly whine then plummeted to the floor, barely missing the dog
’
s water dish.
“
I have a feeling she
’
s done that before,
”
Riley muttered. In one sure move, Riley reached over and flicked off both burners on the stove.
“
I...I must have forgotten to turn the burner off when I finished with the eggs.
”
Dixie
’
s cheeks were hot as fire themselves, both from what she had done and from what she had
almost
done. She stepped away from Riley as though he were the source of all the smoke and commotion. In a way, he was.
Sis went right on fanning the placemat, coughing and choking as she cried,
“
How could you let this happen, Dixie? You, of all people, know how it
’
s possible in one careless moment to make a mistake you will regret the rest of your life!
”
“
Yes, ma
’
am. I do. Thank you for, um, intervening before I did just that.
”
She spoke to Aunt Sis but her eyes remained on Riley.
Sis whipped the mat in the air one last time.
“
Oh, I am going to do a lot more than intervene. I am going to take over for you.
”
“
That could prove interesting.
”
Riley
’
s smile inched up higher on one side.
Dixie shivered at the hint of a secret that neither one of them had acknowledged—the kiss that never was.
“
Interesting?
”
Sis pulled open the usually stubborn towel drawer with one hard, purposeful yank. She snatched up a towel and slung it over her shoulder, then nabbed an apron hanging on a hook by the refrigerator. As she cinched the cheery red and yellow ties around her waist and made a big bow, she scowled at the mess on the stovetop.
“
If you
’
re worried that I
’
m not up to the job, Mr. Walker, you needn
’
t trouble yourself. Dixie only does the cooking when she
’
s home because she enjoys it so much.
”
“
Really?
”
“
Oh yes.
”
Without looking, Aunt Sis answered as if Riley had spoken directly to her, though his teasing gaze had been fixed quite firmly on Dixie.
“
Our little Dixie is quite the homebody. More so than I ever was or am inclined to be, but one does what one must to contribute to the overall well-being of one
’
s household. Something I am sure you appreciate.
”
“
Yes.
”
He kept his gaze fixed on Dixie, his voice hushed.
“
I
’
m just chocked full of appreciation, ma
’
am.
”
“
Good to hear, sir.
”
She attacked the stove with vigor, moving the skillet to the back, shifting the plate of eggs closer to keep them warm, then testing the grits by churning the spoon through a few times.
“
I hope that means you harbor no reservations about my helping care for your mother during her convalescence with us.
”
“
Me? No, I don
’
t have any reservations at all Miss Sis.
”
“
Call me Aunt Sis—
Aunt
. You may as well.
”
Riley raised his eyebrows.
Dixie put her fingers to her lips, and tugged her robe closed high at the neck.
“
Aunt Sis, I think you
’
re making an assumption based on one unintentional moment...
”
“
Everyone does,
”
Sis explained without looking at them.
“
Everyone does what?
”
Dixie dreaded the answer but she had to ask.
“
Calls me Aunt Sis, relative or not. And since Riley and his mother and his daughter will be living with us, he ought to, too.
”
Dixie exhaled. She felt a perfect fool on so many levels already this morning and she wasn
’
t even out of her pajamas yet! This did not bode well for her day.
“
Now, you two skeedaddle. I have some last-minute things to attend to, then I
’
ll bring breakfast on out to the table.
”
“
I
’
ll stay and help.
”
Dixie had no intention of walking out that door side-by-side with Riley, not after she
’
d almost kissed the man, not after she
’
d literally set off the smoke alarm with the recklessness of her behavior.
“
You go on out, Riley. Tell everyone we
’
ll be there straightaway.
”
“
Tell them yourself. I don
’
t need anyone in here distracting me while I...
create
.
”
Aunt Sis placed her hand in the middle of Dixie
’
s back and gave a light shove.
It was a feat of tremendous grace as well as grit-your-teeth- and-save-your-pride-at-all-costs pig-headedness that kept her from stumbling face first into Riley
’
s chest. Instead, she staggered, bumping her hip against the corner of the cupboards. It smarted but she did not let her pain show.
“
Are you all right?
”
Riley leaned down to be eye-level with her.