Once Callie announced that she was ready to serve, Liam joined them at their little square table, wobbly on its legs, and hungrily dived into the large bowl of chili. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so shocked at how good the chili was—perhaps he underestimated Callie because of her disability—but Callie’s chili was incredible.
Two bowls later, Liam was completely stuffed and wishing he hadn’t been so greedy. He felt more like curling up on Kate’s old plaid couch than driving forty-five minutes back to his family’s ranch, Sugar Creek.
“That was the best chili I’ve ever had,” he told Kate’s daughter. “Hand’s down. The best.”
Callie smiled shyly with pleasure, sometimes finding it difficult to look him in the eye.
As she picked up his bowl to take it to the sink, Callie said, “I-I’m making steak and garlic mashed potatoes tomorrow night.”
Liam smiled at her. “I’m sure that’s going to be another masterpiece of a meal, Calico.”
She stood by his chair, his bowl in hand. “Do you want to come for dinner tomorrow?”
Liam saw Kate’s expression, fleeting as it was; she had no idea Callie would invite him for a second dinner, and she wasn’t on board with the idea. Kate sanitized her expression quickly as she said, “Callie, I’m sure Dr. Brand can’t come out all this way just for dinner.”
“Actually—” he didn’t plan it; the words just popped out of his mouth “—I think that steak and garlic mashed potatoes are definitely worth the drive. What time’s dinner?”
Copyright © 2018 by Joanna Sims
ISBN-13: 9781488093418
An Engagement for Two
Copyright © 2018 by Marie Rydzynski-Ferrarella
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