flames. “As you wish,” he said.
This was the fifth hot dog he’d cooked, and the end didn’t seem to be near as kids lined up for seconds. “Wasn’t this your idea?” he asked Lisa, who was pouring juice into paper cups. “Shouldn’t you be doing this, too?”
“I’m busy. Besides, you’re doing such a good job.” Lisa laughed and turned to mop up a mess.
He scanned the group, his eyes landing on Ella, who was finishing up the last bits of her own dinner. She quickly licked her fingers as ketchup squeezed out from the bun but she wasn’t fast enough and some dripped on to her pants. She looked up and met Bo’s eyes with a look of concern.
He shrugged and gave her a big smile to let her know it was okay. The pants were brand new, but as he was learning, kids were messy. Good thing there were a lot more clothes where those came from. He’d taken the list Morgan had drawn up for him and ordered some clothes online. The shipment had arrived only the day before, and Ella had been thrilled with her new wardrobe. Bo had just laughed while Ella dug through the pile of jeans, sweaters, and shirts. Females must be born with a love for clothing, he’d decided. He didn’t want to think of the other option, which was that Ella had never had so many new things before. Not for the first time, Bo wished that he knew more about Tessa and Ella’s background.
“Hey there,” Morgan said, disrupting his thoughts. It was a welcome interruption. “That looks pretty good.” She pointed to the hot dog that was now completely black.
“He’s crazy,” Bo said as he slid the wiener into a bun and handed it to the eagerly waiting boy. “Me, I like them a little less like charcoal. Have you eaten?”
Morgan waved her hand. “Oh, no. I’ve been busy.”
“There’s time to cook one right now.”
“It looks as if you have a line.” Morgan pointed to the group of kids.
“Oh,” Bo said. “I didn’t mean that I’d cook you one.” He flashed her a grin. “You must have roasted a hot dog before?”
“Um … ”
She blushed and Bo felt his body react in what was becoming a familiar way. Damn, but she was beautiful. Especially when she was off guard.
“Well, because you’re so outdoorsy now,” Bo said, “I’ll show you how. It’s easy.”
Before she could protest, he stuck a raw wiener on a stick for her and prepared his own as well. “Why don’t you guys go see if Miss Lisa has some chips or something?” he suggested to the kids. He didn’t have to ask twice, and the kids were off running.
“Wow,” Morgan said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were an expert with how to handle kids.”
“Well, I may not have a lot of experience,” he handed her the stick, “but I do know that no child can resist the allure of potato chips.”
She laughed and it was the best sound he’d heard all day because she was so relaxed and at ease with him. It had been great to see her in the woods today. She was so far out of her comfort zone, yet so determined to learn and enjoy it. And from what he’d seen, she had. Bo liked to think that he’d had even a little bit to do with that enjoyment.
“Okay,” Bo said. “I’ll give you a crash course in weenie roasting. First,” he waved his stick in the air, “you stick it in the fire.” He stuck his roasting stick into the flames and looked expectantly at Morgan.
She raised her eyebrows at him but followed his lead.
“Great,” he said. “Now you wait. And … that’s it.”
“That’s it?”
“You expected more? It’s a hot dog, not filet mignon.”
Morgan laughed again and they fell into easy silence, both watching the flames licking at the logs. Occasionally, Bo would turn his hot dog, and Morgan would follow his lead. By the time they were done cooking, the kids had grown tired of waiting for seconds and had followed Lisa a few feet away to a grassy, open space where she was leading them in
This was the fifth hot dog he’d cooked, and the end didn’t seem to be near as kids lined up for seconds. “Wasn’t this your idea?” he asked Lisa, who was pouring juice into paper cups. “Shouldn’t you be doing this, too?”
“I’m busy. Besides, you’re doing such a good job.” Lisa laughed and turned to mop up a mess.
He scanned the group, his eyes landing on Ella, who was finishing up the last bits of her own dinner. She quickly licked her fingers as ketchup squeezed out from the bun but she wasn’t fast enough and some dripped on to her pants. She looked up and met Bo’s eyes with a look of concern.
He shrugged and gave her a big smile to let her know it was okay. The pants were brand new, but as he was learning, kids were messy. Good thing there were a lot more clothes where those came from. He’d taken the list Morgan had drawn up for him and ordered some clothes online. The shipment had arrived only the day before, and Ella had been thrilled with her new wardrobe. Bo had just laughed while Ella dug through the pile of jeans, sweaters, and shirts. Females must be born with a love for clothing, he’d decided. He didn’t want to think of the other option, which was that Ella had never had so many new things before. Not for the first time, Bo wished that he knew more about Tessa and Ella’s background.
“Hey there,” Morgan said, disrupting his thoughts. It was a welcome interruption. “That looks pretty good.” She pointed to the hot dog that was now completely black.
“He’s crazy,” Bo said as he slid the wiener into a bun and handed it to the eagerly waiting boy. “Me, I like them a little less like charcoal. Have you eaten?”
Morgan waved her hand. “Oh, no. I’ve been busy.”
“There’s time to cook one right now.”
“It looks as if you have a line.” Morgan pointed to the group of kids.
“Oh,” Bo said. “I didn’t mean that I’d cook you one.” He flashed her a grin. “You must have roasted a hot dog before?”
“Um … ”
She blushed and Bo felt his body react in what was becoming a familiar way. Damn, but she was beautiful. Especially when she was off guard.
“Well, because you’re so outdoorsy now,” Bo said, “I’ll show you how. It’s easy.”
Before she could protest, he stuck a raw wiener on a stick for her and prepared his own as well. “Why don’t you guys go see if Miss Lisa has some chips or something?” he suggested to the kids. He didn’t have to ask twice, and the kids were off running.
“Wow,” Morgan said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were an expert with how to handle kids.”
“Well, I may not have a lot of experience,” he handed her the stick, “but I do know that no child can resist the allure of potato chips.”
She laughed and it was the best sound he’d heard all day because she was so relaxed and at ease with him. It had been great to see her in the woods today. She was so far out of her comfort zone, yet so determined to learn and enjoy it. And from what he’d seen, she had. Bo liked to think that he’d had even a little bit to do with that enjoyment.
“Okay,” Bo said. “I’ll give you a crash course in weenie roasting. First,” he waved his stick in the air, “you stick it in the fire.” He stuck his roasting stick into the flames and looked expectantly at Morgan.
She raised her eyebrows at him but followed his lead.
“Great,” he said. “Now you wait. And … that’s it.”
“That’s it?”
“You expected more? It’s a hot dog, not filet mignon.”
Morgan laughed again and they fell into easy silence, both watching the flames licking at the logs. Occasionally, Bo would turn his hot dog, and Morgan would follow his lead. By the time they were done cooking, the kids had grown tired of waiting for seconds and had followed Lisa a few feet away to a grassy, open space where she was leading them in
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