Feeling inordinately pleased by his confidence in her, Kate said, “I’d love to be involved with that aspect of your business. Besides, it’ll be more like a vacation than work. You don’t have to pay me for those trips. I hope you know that.”
He laughed at her serious expression. Then he bent his head to give her a tender kiss. “Let me worry about your paycheck. Okay? I don’t expect you to work without compensation. At the same time, I want you to do your own thing as far as teaching classes and developing recipes. We’ll find a balance. I’m sure of it.” His gut instinct told him Kate’s input would be a definite asset to the Bistro venture. Besides, it gave them more time together.
At home that night in their bedroom, Dan had a different thought about Kate’s input. “Remember your promise to help me redecorate my home?” he asked her as they relaxed and listened to a CD of a jazz trio. “Well, before you start teaching again, how about we visit that modern furniture showroom?” He looked around at the dark, heavy pieces his ex-wife had selected and frowned. “I’d like a much more light and tropical feel for our bedroom.” He turned to her with a hopeful glance. “Let’s combine it with dinner out one day this week.”
She had promised to help him and the room was pretty dreary. “What pieces did you want to change?” The whole room could use a makeover, but she’d rather that suggestion come from him.
As if reading her mind he said, “Let’s get rid of everything and start from scratch. Fred could paint the room when we’re away for a few days. We just have to select the color. And this carpeting can be removed too. The whole space is too dark and the furniture, although of good quality, is too heavy and ornate-looking.” He looked around the room with a frown, remembering when Melissa had chosen this bedroom set. Pushing those thoughts aside, he returned to the present moment. “As you know, I love the way you decorated your home. The ambiance is both cheery and relaxing. I want something like that for our space here.”
“Then we’ll do it,” she exclaimed, feeling both flattered and warmed by his faith in her judgment. “Thanks for trusting me,” she said softly.
He brought her close for a tender kiss. “I’ll always trust you, Kate. I hope you know that.”
Deep down she did, which was a wonderful feeling.
Zucchini, Carrot and Cucumber Salad
with Tahini Dressing
1 zucchini
1 carrot
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
Using a spiralizer, mandolin or sharp knife, slice thinly zucchini, carrot, cucumber. Mix vegetables together. Mix remaining ingredients into a dressing and top vegetables.
Chapter 32
Ethan sat on a stool at the granite-topped island in the kitchen and concentrated on wielding a small paring knife to cut a purple radish into thin slices. Finishing the job he looked up at Kate sitting nearby, putting a salad together. “I heard Grandma talking to Grandpa about a birthday party for dad. It’s his birthday in a few weeks. Did you know that?”
Startled, Kate stared at him. She remembered Dan had a birthday during the summer but didn’t know the date. “When’s your dad’s birthday?” she asked. She wanted to buy him something special.
He scrunched up his face deep in thought. “It’s in August but I don’t remember the day. Can we buy him something together? My piggy bank is really full so I have lots of money to spend. What should we get him? It has to be a surprise.”
“That’s a good idea. Let me think about it and then we’ll go shopping.” She could phone Sue and find out the date of Dan’s birthday and also when Sue planned to have the party. But what would Dan like? He had everything she could possibly think of buying. Maybe a tee shirt with the logo of the new venture, the Brookhouse Bistro, on it. She could find a place that made tee shirts with designs and buy one for Dan, one for herself, and a small one for Ethan. Yes, that would be a great idea. Smiling, she went back to placing lettuce leaves in a wooden bowl.
“What’re we having for dinner?” Ethan asked. “I’m getting hungry.” He looked at the pile of sliced radishes and scallions he’d finished. “What should I do now? Are we having something besides salad?” He looked anxious.
Kate laughed. “Of course we are. I know you need more than a salad for dinner, although sometimes that’s all I eat at night.” She gave him several small carrots. “Can you slice these up too? They’re a little harder than the radishes and scallions. See if you can do it easily.” She watched as he positioned a carrot on the cutting board and then cut off one slice. “That’s good. Now keep on going.” Giving Ethan real work to do and getting him to help make meals was an important step for the boy. He needed to become more independent and also feel useful.
After finishing one carrot Ethan turned to her. “So what are we having to eat?”
“Well, let’s see,” Kate began. “Can you smell the sweet potatoes cooking in the oven? We’ll have those plus veggie kebobs. Remember your Grandma made some at her house and you liked them? I made some and they’re marinating in the refrigerator. As soon as your dad gets here, I’ll put them in the oven. We’ll have dipping sauces too. How does that sound?”
Looking thoughtful he replied, “I remember eating them.” He returned to cutting up the carrots. When he finished he asked, “What about dessert? Maybe I could eat that first ‘cause I’m really hungry.” He sent her a plaintive look.
Laughing, Kate shook her head. “Nibble on a few carrots while we wait. It won’t be long. After dinner we’ll probably take a dip in the pool and then, after that, we’ll have dessert. I made a special dessert I think you’ll like. It’s chocolate ice cream using frozen bananas.”
“Really?” Ethan looked thoughtful. “Okay then. Maybe I’ll like it since it’s chocolate.” He went back to work slicing more carrots and popping a few pieces into his mouth.
Remembering Dan’s trepidation regarding his son’s hyper ways, Kate realized she was having a pretty easy time with him. Attuned to his need for movement, she made sure he spent lots of time outside taking care of his garden patch or swimming in the pool. The more active he was, the more he could focus on tasks like slicing veggies or working on puzzles. He was beginning to read books on his own, which was a good way for him to keep busy. She’d taken him to the store to buy several chapter books. He’d spent a long time looking until he selected the ones that appealed to him. Later, they’d read them together. Yes, things were working out nicely.
Later that evening after Ethan was reading in his room, Kate and Dan sat on lounges next to the pool. “That was a great dinner tonight,” Dan told her. “I don’t think there were any leftovers.” He sent her a contented smile. “I can’t believe Ethan devoured his salad. How did you manage that?”
“He helped make it. Besides, he was really hungry. Don’t forget he’s in camp all day and then we spent over an hour weeding his garden and swimming. He sliced all the veggies and nibbled some too. He’s a good helper.”
He touched her cheek tenderly with one finger. “You’re amazing. Do you know that?” He was grateful things were working out. “Eileen and Fred will be back from their vacation next week. I was afraid you’d be frazzled spending more time with Ethan. But you both seem to be coping well.”
“He’s a sweet boy and, don’t forget, he’s using up lots of energy running around in camp all day. Camp is different than sitting still in school.”
He nodded. “I hadn’t thought about that.” Then with a serious air he said, “Next month I’d like to plan a long weekend away for us.”
“A business trip?” she inquired.
“Not exactly.” He hesitated a moment. “More of a celebration. My birthday’s coming up and a friend offered a cottage on a lake in Maine for a few days. Just the two of us. There’s a mo
tor boat and kayak at our disposal. How does that sound?”
“Ah, so you have a birthday coming. What’s the exact date?” Now she wouldn’t have to call his mother.
“August eighth. And you don’t have to buy me anything. All I want is a trip somewhere for the two of us to relax and unwind.” He leaned over and kissed her soundly.
“Mmmm. Whatever you say. Sounds pretty wonderful.” She wasn’t going to argue with him about gifts. Besides, those tee shirts would be fun to wear on their trip.
“How’s your dad doing? You mentioned he’s back at work part-time. Is that working out okay?” Kate hadn’t talked much about her family lately.
“As far as I know, everything’s fine. My mom’s pleased she has extra time since she’s able to help Patty with the two older kids. The new baby is adorable, but Patty’s exhausted.”
“I can imagine.” Briefly he wondered if Kate wanted children. They’d never talked about it. Maybe teaching children all day was enough. Although he’d have liked a bigger family, the difficult experience with a hyperactive child and an ill-prepared wife had led him to believe one child was sufficient.
Cuddling with Kate later that night, Dan thought about mentioning the idea that was rattling around in his mind. Was he jumping the gun? So far he’d waited for her to take the lead in their relationship. Now he wanted a more permanent tie. Would she be receptive? Only one way to find out. “Kate, are you as pleased about our living arrangement as I am? Seeing you here every night has been a real joy.” He caressed her soft curves.
Attuned to him, Kate heard the serious note in his voice. “I’ve really enjoyed living here and I wondered . . .” Her voice trailed off. Should she tell him she wouldn’t mind extending her stay for more than just the summer?
“Good.” Smiling down at her he almost knew what she was thinking. “Then let’s take the next step. I’ll give you a choice though.” Pausing a moment he collected his thoughts. “We can either have a short engagement and whatever type of wedding suits you. Or we could have a quiet wedding on our own and skip the engagement. I’ll leave it up to you.” He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
Sitting up in surprise Kate stared at him. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you? Aren’t you going down on one knee to propose?” Seeing his look of astonishment, she laughed.
Letting out a relieved breath, Dan pulled her down and gave her a playful slap on her butt. “Forget the formalities. Which do you want?”
Kate knew that answer immediately. No way did she want a wedding with all the fuss and family strain. “A quiet one is fine with me. Would your parents be disappointed?”
“Nah, they won’t care. They’ll probably want to have a reception for us afterwards. Which is fine with me.”
Settling back against him she smiled. “I’m glad you’re easy-going about those things. We don’t really have to tell anyone we’re married unless we want to.”
He chuckled. “Ah, a secret marriage. I don’t think that idea will go over. I am buying you a ring – actually two rings, one for you and one for me. If you want an engagement ring, that’s fine. I’ll let you pick one out.”
“An engagement ring is a waste for me. I wouldn’t wear it. Let’s stick with something simple for wedding rings,” she declared. With all the athletic things she was engaged in, the less jewelry she had on her, the better.
Bending his head he gave her a sound kiss. “I like the way you think. By the way, we could make our trip to Maine a celebration of my birthday and our marriage. How does that sound?”
Smiling with delight, she nodded her head. “That’s a great idea.”
He gave her a hug and whispered in her ear. “You make me very happy, Kate.”
~ ~ ~
Settling down in the teacher’s lounge for lunch the first week of school, Kate turned to her friend, Laura. “I can’t believe we accomplished so much this past weekend. The whole book is ready to send to my editor. I do love the cover we chose. You did a fabulous job with the photography.” She opened a thermos of veggie soup and took a spoonful.
“I thought it was pretty cool, too.” Laura munched on a cheese and tomato sandwich. “Did Dan see the final copy? I wondered what he thought.”
“I haven’t showed him the completed book yet. First I wanted to finish everything and see what my editor says. Hopefully it won’t need too many revisions. They’re putting it out in hardcover and, if all goes well, it should hit bookstores before the Thanksgiving holidays.” She dipped a piece of celery into hummus and popped it in her mouth. “The cover was the hardest part of the whole thing. Remember how I struggled with the title and photo?” She smiled at the memory.
“Yeah, I do. Never thought we’d get it right. But we did. And taking a photo of you standing outdoors holding a basket filled with veggies and fruit was a brilliant idea. The title was another problem, but I think we solved that pretty well.” Laura took a sip of iced tea with a reflective expression.
“Basically it should have been simple,” Kate declared. “Using the name on my brochure, Kate’s Kitchen, and adding the words Healthy Eating At before the title made good sense. Why change what I’ve been using these past few years? I think Dan and Ethan will enjoy being mentioned on the dedication page.” She dipped a carrot stick and crunched on it.
“Is Dan really going to throw a book-signing party when it comes out?”
“That’s what he wants to do. The first Brookhouse Bistro restaurant is opening just before the Christmas holidays and he thinks that would be a good time. There’s usually a grand opening celebration. I’m not sure if we should combine that with a book signing, but I’ll leave it up to him.” Kate sat back with a look of satisfaction. “This has been an amazing year. So many things happened, unexpected and sometimes difficult, but on the whole, pretty wonderful.”
“How did your folks react when you came back from your Maine trip with a wedding ring?” Laura asked. “You haven’t mentioned one word on that subject. Just curious, that’s all.”
Kate gave a rueful smile. “So you’ve noticed I don’t talk much about them. I’m trying to keep a positive attitude where they’re concerned. As to your question, they seemed pleased, especially Greg and Patty. My mother-in-law, who is a really lovely person, invited all of them to that reception she’s having for us over the Labor Day weekend. The Brookhouse restaurant is catering it, of course, but Sue plans to add a hand too. She’s a fabulous cook. So far I think everyone’s coming, but whether they do or not isn’t important.” She let out a frustrated breath. “I’ve done everything I could to make peace with my sister to no avail. She might decide to back out of the reception but I’m fine with it.” She paused a moment to take the last spoonful of soup. “I’m glad you and Tony can make it. That means a lot to me.”
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Laura affirmed.
~ ~ ~
“How do I look? I’m wearing my new clothes.” Ethan paraded around the kitchen wearing freshly pressed navy blue pants and a navy and yellow plaid shirt. “Dad let me have some of his cologne, too. Can you smell it?” He came closer to her.
“You look fine in that new outfit and I like the way you brushed your hair back. The cologne is nice.” Kate smiled down at him. It was Sunday of the Labor Day weekend and the brunch reception was scheduled for noon. Fortunately it would be a casual affair so there was no need for formal attire. Another fortunate turn of events was the fact that Stacy and Jack would be away for a week’s vacation in Nantucket visiting Jack’s parents. Her mother was watching Jacob and would bring him along to the reception.
“Well you both look pretty festive,” Dan declared as he entered the kitchen. He put his arm around Kate’s waist and gave her a kiss. “I like that long skirt. Very stylish.”
She’d spent time deciding what would look casual and yet special for this oc
casion. The white cotton top had spaghetti straps and the taupe long skirt was slashed on one side for ease of walking. “It’s still pretty hot so I wanted to be comfortable.” She’d tried leaving her hair loose the way he liked it, but the humid air caused her to reconsider. She’d finally opted for a French braid.
With Kate’s golden tan, the white top looked spectacular, Dan thought. But then he loved everything about her. “I’m taking along bathing suits for us and casual clothes too. After everyone leaves, we’ll have time for a boat ride and maybe swimming.”
“Good idea.” Kate nodded her head. “Your mom said we’d be using the porch for dining if the weather holds. She mentioned they’d installed awnings all around for shade.”
“They’ve been meaning to do that but this reception pushed them to take action,” Dan explained. He helped himself to a glass of cold water. “Can’t wait for cooler weather. Guess Maine spoiled me.”
“Dad, did you like the orange juice I made this morning? I did all the cutting and used the squeezer too.” Ethan looked very proud of himself
“That was delicious. I didn’t know you squeezed it. You’ll have to take charge of the orange juice from now on.” He ruffled his son’s hair.
“Don’t mess my hair. I just brushed it,” Ethan cried. He patted his hair back in place.
Laughing, Dan turned to Kate. “Can I pat your head or will you give me a lecture too?”
Trying to look serious she replied, “Ethan’s right. We’ve both taken special care of our hairdos and don’t want anything messed.” Turning to Ethan she added, “You did a fine job with the orange juice. It tasted wonderful.”
The Sweet Touch Page 32