She put one away and slipped the other one over her head.
“Here, let me help you with that.”
While he tied the strings, she asked, “So have you decided how you’re going to get back into your family’s good graces?”
That question went beyond getting-acquainted conversation and bordered on meddling. “Why do you ask?”
“I think my father hopes I’ll stay in a blue funk and return to the chef’s fold. I guess misery wants company, wondering how you handle it.” She looked out the window over the sink.
Maybe she feared she would cave in and do as her father wished if she didn’t turn things around. Ty’s plan didn’t involve telling anyone else, not even someone as charming as Sonia. “Michelle thinks I might be able to get some accounting work. She’s even trying to talk me into building a business out here. She wants to make me a permanent fixture in the Ulysses community. If that’s what I decide I want to do.”
Sonia shook her head. “She’s fallen head over heels in love with the town. She was determined she would work at her dream job in Denver, but then God changed her mind and brought her to Ulysses. With a little help from Joe.”
God changed Michelle’s mind? Was Sonia one of those Bible-thumpers who asked God what clothes she should put on in the morning? “Whatever happened, she and Joe seem happy together.”
“Yes, they are.”
Ty caught a wistful note in Sonia’s voice, but she dried her hands and put away the pans with a minimum of fuss.
Aunt Nel entered the kitchen. “You’ve finished in here. Good. We’re having dinner at the castle. I’m so glad you’ve come to Ulysses, Sonia. Joe has talked about little else since you accepted the invitation.”
Without waiting for a response, Ty’s aunt left the room. He chuckled at the stunned look on Sonia’s face. “That’s what you might call a command invitation.”
Sonia nodded her head. “Joe did warn me.” She grinned. “I guess that air of authority comes with the territory. There aren’t too many people in Colorado who live in castles.”
A bubble of laughter escaped from Ty’s throat. “I know what you mean. My father told me about the ‘castle’ Uncle Brian built for his bride, but I guess I assumed he meant a fancy house.”
“Instead of the entrance to Disney World, complete with turrets flying the American flag and the family’s coat of arms.”
“That’s right, you’ve been there before. Aunt Nel’s heart is in the right place, I’ll say that for her. Always gracious, even to total strangers who find their way to the castle from the highway.” His words trailed away as he studied the sunlight from the window that painted Sonia’s cheeks a golden hue, turning a pale pink into shades of bronze.
Michelle gave Sonia a lift to the castle since the trailer was still attached to her car. After a splendid meal, Joe lifted a cup of apple cider. “Here’s a toast to new beginnings—for both Ty and Sonia.”
“Hear, hear,” Joe’s brother Brian echoed. Glasses clinked.
Over the top of his stoneware mug, Ty turned his dark gaze on Sonia. To new beginnings indeed.
Why did he feel like his success would depend on Sonia?
Two
A grandfather clock in the corner of the castle dining room chimed four times. Sonia set down her cup of English tea, with cream and sugar, and left a half-eaten scone on her plate. “I hate to eat and run, but I want to get to the grocery store before it closes.”
Judy glanced at her watch. “Is it that time already? I need to pick up some things, too.” Before Sonia knew what had happened, her simple suggestion had turned into a five-shopper, two-car event. She ended up in Ty’s car, a battered secondhand Camry much like her own vehicle. Minimal transportation, not the sleek luxury car she imagined he would prefer. They both faced the same problem, making do and trying to move ahead when business turned sour.
He started the car and turned off the radio, a classical music station, leaving his left hand on the wheel. “What are you smiling about?”
“Picturing you in a lean, mean driving machine.” She snapped her seat belt in place and settled against the headrest. “Black. With two-toned leather upholstery.”
His laughter came out as a bark. “That ritzy, huh?” He glanced at her and arched his right eyebrow. “What kind of trim?”
“Suede, of course.”
“How’d you guess?” The quirking of his lips softened the offended tone he’d used.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m very visual.”
“The sensitive artiste.” He drew out the word and nodded sagely.
“Not lately.” Could she turn things around? She didn’t want to defraud the good people of Ulysses. Eager to change the subject, she said, “But I didn’t peg you as the classical-music type.”
“You caught me.” He flashed a grin at her. “I play violin in a small chamber orchestra back in Virginia. So you might say I’m a bit of an artist myself.” They arrived at the grocery store. As she unbuckled her belt, Ty put a hand on her arm. “May I see you again, when you’re not washing dishes?” Again, his lips twitched. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”
Before she could answer, he continued. “It shouldn’t take too long to unpack the few things you brought with you.”
She shook her head. “No, but I’ll be going to church with Michelle, and she said something about a young-adult group that meets on Sunday afternoons.” She cocked her head. “Will I see you there?” She held her breath, as if his answer mattered.
“Maybe.” The expression on his face disagreed with his words.
“Anyway, I don’t think much happens here on the weekends after the sun goes down on Saturday night, besides church, that is.”
“Things to do in Denver when you’re dead.”
What a strange thing to say. She eyed him dubiously. “What was that?”
“When I knew I’d be coming to Colorado, I checked out some old movies. Even watched a few episodes of Dynasty. I ran across this flick called Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead. Complete with the title lyrics by some singer I’ve never heard of. That’s what weekends here in Ulysses remind me of.”
“Never heard of it.” She unlocked the door.
“Wait a moment.” He dashed from the driver’s side and opened the door for her. “After you, ma’am.” By the time she locked and closed the door, he had fetched a grocery cart for her. Why was he being so attentive? Were all Southerners so gentlemanly?
Ty made no move to leave her side as they passed the cash registers inside the store.
Sonia stopped at the produce section. “I’m perfectly capable of shopping by myself.”
“I’m sure you’re capable of many things.” Again his lips twitched. “But it’s more fun if we do it together.”
Sonia capitulated. “As long as you don’t rush me.”
He glanced at her shopping list: milk, butter, orange juice, cereal. A puzzled look crossed his face. “This doesn’t look like it will take all that long.”
“You’d be surprised.” She moved forward, drawn by the scent of fresh fruit.
A nanosecond later, he followed her. “You won’t find anything on your list in this aisle.”
She shot him a look meant to say “I warned you” and caught mirth reflected in his brown irises. “You must have guessed that I take cooking very seriously. I want to see what they stock in this store. I intend to go down every aisle.” She winked. “Even the books and magazines.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “You might miss the latest recipes.” He grabbed a bag of grapes and ate one. “You’re waiting to see your recipe in the magazine.”
That drew a laugh from her, but she returned to her inspection of the produce on display. Several signs announced Locally Grown, and she spotted a number of more exotic items as well. They carried all the varieties of apples she could wish for in this fall season. She paused before a tempting display of Granny Smiths, only a dollar a pound. She went ahead and filled a sack the
n added a second of Jonathans. Apple pie? No, apple cobbler. Or maybe apple cake. . .
“Whatever you’re planning will taste good.” Ty tossed another grape into his mouth and licked his lips. She frowned.
“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for them. They’re priced per bag, not per pound.”
As bad as a little child.
They turned the corner and headed down the bread aisle. She caught sight of Joe’s sister-in-law Judy when they reached the end of the aisle. Pepper pushed the cart while Poppy put her head down on the handlebar. Sonia couldn’t picture either one of those girls snacking on grapes in the store. Maybe it was just something boys did.
The next aisle featured pastas and packaged dinners, but they didn’t carry her favorite brands. Of course she often made her own. She walked past jars of spaghetti sauce. That she always made from scratch.
Ty inspected a package of manicotti and stuck it back on the shelf. “Sonia. Is that an Italian name?”
She shook her head. “Brazilian. Several generations back. My sister says I’m a throwback to a previous generation.”
Ty laughed. “That’s a good one. Maybe I can tell my folks that the next time they ask why I’m not more like them.”
“And what are they like? Let me guess.” She studied him. “One of the first families of Virginia?”
“Close enough. Virginia blue bloods. But that’s not me.”
“So what are you like?” They had reached the cereal aisle. Her favorite brand, a high-fiber fruit and nut mix, cost more than she expected.
Ty wandered ahead of her and grabbed a box of cereal with a cartoon vampire on the front. “I’m like this cereal. Irresistible, but bad for you.” He put the box back on the shelf and lifted his arms like a bat spreading his wings. “I vant your chocolate.”
Sonia jumped then tittered a nervous giggle. “So you’re from Transylvania. I see.” After further investigation, she found a generic brand she liked. She sped up the cart and walked to the end of the aisle in a businesslike fashion.
❧
Ty tarried for a moment, staring at the figure of Count Dracula. What had possessed him to say such a thing? He hurried after Sonia. “Blame it on Aunt Nel. I thought I’d be the count of the castle.” He attempted a ghostly laugh that came out sounding like stones in his throat.
She didn’t turn around, instead inspecting the coffee selection. To his surprise, she chose a dark Colombian roast and added it to the basket before she looked at him again. “What is it about guys and scary stuff?” She smiled, her natural warmth returning. “I guess since you don’t have to bring down mammoths with bow and arrow anymore, you find other things to challenge you. It’s kind of sweet.”
Baking supplies lined the next aisle. She whipped through the shelves, tossing flour, sugar, and spices into the cart. “Michelle probably has most of this, but I don’t want to start baking and discover I’m missing something.”
“Couldn’t you just come back?”
She looked at him as if the answer was obvious. “Not before Monday.”
“And you plan on baking before then?” Most women he knew would take a week to settle in before doing any serious baking.
“I want to take something to the Bible study tomorrow. It’s potluck.”
The Bible study. Oh yes. He suppressed a grimace. He could think of better ways to spend his weekend than enduring a whole day with church people, like spending more time with Sonia. Maybe he could do both. Joe had invited him, after all; only so far he had found excuses not to go. “Do you think I’d be welcome?”
Did he see approval in her eyes? “I’ve never seen a church turn someone away.” She flashed a smile at him. “I want to fix something special to take tomorrow. I know I don’t need to, since it’s my first time and all, but I expect I’ll be too busy to do much after that.” A dark look darted through her eyes.
Ty knew a little bit about Sonia’s current frustration with her work from Joe, but he wouldn’t mention it if she didn’t. “Joe has invited everyone in Colorado and half of Kansas to meet you next week.”
“I saw the schedule. He’s got me booked solid for the next week. Baking will help calm my nerves. It usually does. Grab that for me, would you?” She pointed to a package of powdered sugar on the top shelf. When he handed it to her, their fingers brushed. “Do you want to help?” She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “I could say it came from both of us.”
“As long as you don’t make me wear one of those aprons.”
❧
“We’ll be there in a couple of minutes.” Sonia called ahead to warn her new roommate of her plans. Why had she invited Ty along? She had come to Ulysses to stop floundering, to recover and regroup so she could work again. Not to carry on a mild flirtation with Joe’s devastatingly handsome cousin. And Michelle had expressed her desire for some girl time.
But her roommate was all grins when they arrived at the cottage, and Sonia could guess the direction of her thoughts. The newly affianced woman might believe a flirtation was just the cure for what ailed Sonia. Look what had happened between Michelle and Joe after their whirlwind courtship only a few months ago. Their relationship had transformed Joe in more ways than one. Now he was at peace and confident in spite of the theft that decimated his store; but after Sonia’s initial brave words at the time of the robbery, she had withdrawn, prolonged grief at the loss preventing her from creating anything meaningful in the months that had passed since.
Michelle’s mouth opened in a round O when she saw the number of bags in the trunk. “I bet I have a lot of this already.”
Sonia shrugged. “I should have asked, I suppose, but I was anxious to get everything I needed before the store closed. I’m thinking about making apple raisin cake to take tomorrow. What do you think?”
Ty grabbed two bags filled with the fruit, and they headed inside. “Nothing beats good old apple pie.”
Michelle shook her head. “Pie doesn’t go as far though. I’ve got some chili ready to go.”
Sonia’s face split in a grin. “You haven’t seen the size of my pie shells. And I have a utensil that will cut it into ten even slices.” She made quick work of putting away all the ingredients except the ones she needed for the pie and grabbed a cutting board as well as an apple corer and a peeler from the cabinet where they had stored her things. Handing the apples and her largest bowl to Ty, she said, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Fill this bowl with apples from both bags. Cut them into thin slices.” She held her fingers about a sixteenth of an inch apart and grinned. “Without nicking your fingers. Use the corer to help you get all the seeds out.”
“Don’t look so glum,” Michelle chided. “She’s left the hardest part for herself, the crust.” She glanced at the freezer. “Unless you bought a frozen crust.”
Sonia’s lips curled at the mention of a frozen pie crust. “That cardboard stuff?”
“That’s me. The cardboard queen.” Michelle winked at them. “Have fun, you two.” She left the kitchen, although Sonia could hear her humming slightly off-key in the den a few feet away.
Sonia winced. Ty caught her expression and put a finger to his lips. His gaze bounced around the kitchen until it rested on a clock radio. He turned it to a classical music station. The same one he had been listening to in the car? The low volume hid Michelle’s voice.
“Thanks.” Sonia mouthed the word. She flicked the oven on. “As long as I’m baking, I’ll go ahead and make two pies. I’ll send one back with you to thank Nel for the meal today.” She paused. “Or are you staying with Joe? Or do you have a place of your own?”
“I’m the count of the castle,” he reminded her. “I’m staying with Aunt Nel for the time being.”
Sonia searched among her pans for her pie tins. Mixing bowl, pastry cutter, dry and liquid measuring cups. She could make almost anything with her quart-sized glass cup and a whisk, but she loved having the right tools for the job.
Water ran in the sink, and she saw Ty ri
nsing the apples. Good. He wasn’t as inexperienced as he pretended. After washing them, he put the first apple on the cutting board and stuck his tongue in his cheek as he fiddled with the corer. “And X marks the spot.” He pushed down, and a perfect rectangle slid out of the apple. He held the apple to his eye like a telescope. “Think I got all the seeds.” Taking the peeler in his right hand, he eased into the top of the apple and unwound the peel in a single, circular piece.
He caught Sonia staring at him. “Bet you didn’t think I could do that.”
“I recognize someone who’s had KP duty when I see him.” Satisfied that he knew what he was doing, she returned her attention to cutting shortening into her flour mixture.
Within half an hour, two apple pies sat side by side in the oven. Sonia hung up her apron. “Care for some coffee?”
“As long as it’s the real thing.”
She removed the lid from the dark roast she had purchased. “Mom says the day will come that I can’t enjoy a cup of good joe without spending a sleepless night.” She grinned. “But until then, I intend to enjoy myself.” She measured enough for half a pot and started the drip.
Ty studied her. “I’m surprised you don’t grind your own beans.”
She grimaced. “I like to cook. I’m not a coffee gourmet.”
They sat down with their coffee—hers black, his with cream, no sugar—at the kitchen table. She smiled at the bouquet of poppies, the gift from Brian’s girls, that graced the center of the table. The scent of simmering apples wafted from the oven. They sat in companionable silence, sipping their drinks.
“You make a mean cup of coffee.” Ty saluted her with his cup and filled it a second time. “Do you want any more?”
“Maybe half a cup.”
Ty’s dark eyes peered at her over the rim of the mug. “So when should I pick you up tomorrow? For this Bible-study thing?”
She rolled her shoulders. “We’ll go straight from church. You don’t need to pick me up, I’m sure Michelle will give me a ride.”
“It would be my pleasure. When does the service start? Eleven?”
Knight Music Page 2