toilet lid, and then rested his hat on top, before flipping on the hot water.
There was a day’s worth of sweat and dirt to wash off his face, arms, and hands before he sat down to dinner with a lady. He cleaned up the best he could in the sink and dried off before putting his T-shirt and hat back on.
Once the porcelain and fixtures were wiped, clean and dry, he folded the towel and laid it on the edge of the sink for lack of a hamper. If he was a neat enough guest, maybe Janie would invite him again.
He flipped off the light and went back out into the hall, but he didn’t head directly for the kitchen. The living room was off of the other side of the hallway and Tyler couldn’t resist taking a look. Again, like the spare bedroom, the room looked lifeless. Almost unused. There were a few photos here and there, but otherwise, nothing personal distinguished it as hers. He couldn’t picture Janie in here, seated on this stiff, formal furniture.
Nope. Not one bit. He turned for the kitchen, the room that fit her perfectly. Where she looked at ease even as she worked. She was at the stove when he arrived. Pausing in the doorway, he remained quiet as she opened the oven door and with pot holders pulled the rack out. The bubbling-hot macaroni and cheese casserole looked good, but damn, Janie’s ass looked even better. And hotter.
She straightened and set the dish on the counter before she turned to smile at him. “Perfect timing.”
“Yeah, it sure was.” He pushed off the door frame he’d leaned against and meandered over to stand next to her under the pretense of checking out the food more closely. “Looks good. Can I help with anything?”
“Nope. Just have a seat.”
“All right.” He sat and let out a curse under his breath when he remembered he still hadn’t told his mother about dinner yet.
Thank God she’d finally learned how to text a couple of years ago. He pulled out his phone and punched in the text. He hit SEND and moved to pocket the phone when he thought better of it. Tyler took the extra step of powering the phone off before he shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans. He didn’t need Colton calling during dinner.
Glancing up, he saw Janie had noticed. “I’m sorry. This is rude, texting while you’re serving me dinner.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. The phone is off now. It’s just that I had forgotten to call home. I didn’t want my parents to expect me for supper.”
Janie’s brows rose. “Your parents?”
“Yeah. I, uh, still live at home.” It had never bothered him before—hell, why should he pay rent when he could live at home for free—but saying it to Janie made him feel ashamed of his living arrangements for the first time. Admitting his mommy still cooked and cleaned for him, still washed his damn laundry, made him look like a kid. That was the last thing he wanted Janie to think about him.
“That’s nice you’re at home with your parents. I lived here with my grandfather for years, up until he died. I miss him being around.” She transferred a huge amount of ribs to a plate next to a large scoop of macaroni and cheese. She pivoted and slid the dish onto the table in front of him.
He could see the sadness in her when she turned to face the counter again, but he remained quiet, hoping she’d talk more. The tidbits about herself and her past that she occasionally let slip out fascinated Tyler. He didn’t want to miss even one of the things Janie might say, but as she picked up another plate, she put a much smaller portion on it for herself and didn’t say more.
As enticing as the hot and creamy cheddar sauce looked, as amazing as the spice rub on the ribs smelled, he resisted. He waited for her to sit and start eating before he dug in. He’d been raised with manners. Some of them had actually stuck.
Finally, she sat and he lifted the fork full of food he’d been dying to try. Flavor assaulted his senses as the rich, sharp
There was a day’s worth of sweat and dirt to wash off his face, arms, and hands before he sat down to dinner with a lady. He cleaned up the best he could in the sink and dried off before putting his T-shirt and hat back on.
Once the porcelain and fixtures were wiped, clean and dry, he folded the towel and laid it on the edge of the sink for lack of a hamper. If he was a neat enough guest, maybe Janie would invite him again.
He flipped off the light and went back out into the hall, but he didn’t head directly for the kitchen. The living room was off of the other side of the hallway and Tyler couldn’t resist taking a look. Again, like the spare bedroom, the room looked lifeless. Almost unused. There were a few photos here and there, but otherwise, nothing personal distinguished it as hers. He couldn’t picture Janie in here, seated on this stiff, formal furniture.
Nope. Not one bit. He turned for the kitchen, the room that fit her perfectly. Where she looked at ease even as she worked. She was at the stove when he arrived. Pausing in the doorway, he remained quiet as she opened the oven door and with pot holders pulled the rack out. The bubbling-hot macaroni and cheese casserole looked good, but damn, Janie’s ass looked even better. And hotter.
She straightened and set the dish on the counter before she turned to smile at him. “Perfect timing.”
“Yeah, it sure was.” He pushed off the door frame he’d leaned against and meandered over to stand next to her under the pretense of checking out the food more closely. “Looks good. Can I help with anything?”
“Nope. Just have a seat.”
“All right.” He sat and let out a curse under his breath when he remembered he still hadn’t told his mother about dinner yet.
Thank God she’d finally learned how to text a couple of years ago. He pulled out his phone and punched in the text. He hit SEND and moved to pocket the phone when he thought better of it. Tyler took the extra step of powering the phone off before he shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans. He didn’t need Colton calling during dinner.
Glancing up, he saw Janie had noticed. “I’m sorry. This is rude, texting while you’re serving me dinner.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. The phone is off now. It’s just that I had forgotten to call home. I didn’t want my parents to expect me for supper.”
Janie’s brows rose. “Your parents?”
“Yeah. I, uh, still live at home.” It had never bothered him before—hell, why should he pay rent when he could live at home for free—but saying it to Janie made him feel ashamed of his living arrangements for the first time. Admitting his mommy still cooked and cleaned for him, still washed his damn laundry, made him look like a kid. That was the last thing he wanted Janie to think about him.
“That’s nice you’re at home with your parents. I lived here with my grandfather for years, up until he died. I miss him being around.” She transferred a huge amount of ribs to a plate next to a large scoop of macaroni and cheese. She pivoted and slid the dish onto the table in front of him.
He could see the sadness in her when she turned to face the counter again, but he remained quiet, hoping she’d talk more. The tidbits about herself and her past that she occasionally let slip out fascinated Tyler. He didn’t want to miss even one of the things Janie might say, but as she picked up another plate, she put a much smaller portion on it for herself and didn’t say more.
As enticing as the hot and creamy cheddar sauce looked, as amazing as the spice rub on the ribs smelled, he resisted. He waited for her to sit and start eating before he dug in. He’d been raised with manners. Some of them had actually stuck.
Finally, she sat and he lifted the fork full of food he’d been dying to try. Flavor assaulted his senses as the rich, sharp
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