Page 179 of The Path to Loving Him
“Oh gosh.” I cover my mouth in laughter. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, but I’m just imagining the entire encounter. Maybe when we open up to Mac about our relationship, I can help her make a quiche that isn’t full of spinach. Change her mind a bit.”
“Are you good at making quiche?”
I nod. “It was one of the easiest and cheapest things I’d make for me and Bennett. It was great for him because it was filledwith protein, and I’d be able to shop at the dollar store for some of the ingredients, making it a very cheap meal.”
“I might need a lesson, then.”
“I think I can arrange that.” I lean over and grab the cookie bag and pull out the cookies, one for him, one for me. I’m the first to take a bite, and the moment the cherry almond flavors hit my tongue, I internally wish I got a dozen instead of a half. “These are so freaking good.”
“I can get you the recipe,” he says.
“And ruin the magic?” I shake my head. “No way. I will forever and always need these from your sister. I’d never be able to replicate it. I’m more of a cook than a baker.”
“I’m neither and very grateful for an air fryer.”
He’s so adorable. “What would you say is the best thing that you cook?”
“Right now, hmm, I’ve been winning with the homemade pizza. I’ve been using a cauliflower crust that Mac seems to love. She gets veggies in her meal, and she likes it.” He shyly shrugs. “It’s the little wins. I always try to think about Cassidy and what she’d try to do. She never let Mac challenge her with food. She always ate what was on her plate, so I try to replicate that.”
“Seems like you’re doing a good job in all aspects. From what I’ve seen, she’s happy and healthy, and that’s all that really matters, right?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
I finish off my cookie. “How’s she adjusting to the new house? I know you were worried there for a bit.”
“I think putting things away and getting furniture in place has helped a lot, but I still want to try to make this place look more like a home.”
I look around at the plain walls and the bare floors. “I think a few small touches would make a difference. Like an area rug for the living room, something large that Mac can play on. Youcan get a shelf right there with cubby drawers for her toys. Some curtains would look good, and then a few framed pictures. Maybe have Mac draw something for the walls.”
“That’s a really good idea. I think she’d like to do that. She loves drawing and painting.”
“Yeah, and you can get frames from somewhere like IKEA so they look professional. It might make her feel more special.”
He finishes his cookie and rubs his hand over my thigh. “You’re really smart.”
“Not really, just thinking of some simple things to do inexpensively. You learn where to shop and how to be thrifty when counting every penny, that’s for sure.”
“But they’re the type of things that will make a difference, so thank you.”
“Of course. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in your shoes. If Bennett had a kid that he left with me, I think I’d have a hard time getting up every day to take care of the child because they’d just be a stark reminder of how I lost my brother.”
“That’s how it was for a while,” he says softly as he reaches over me for his drink, which I help him grab. He offers me a sip even though I have my own, and I take it. “But Aubree was really helpful during those days. We were living in the farmhouse. She was in the guest house, and it was like we were both trying to take care of Mac at the same time. We did dinner every night together. She helped with pickup and drop-off at school, and at night, she’d go off to the guest house, and I’d sleep on the couch.”
I nod in understanding. “I know the feeling. Was there not enough room for you?”
“Couldn’t stomach sleeping in Cassidy’s room, so I took up the couch. What about you?”
“One-bedroom apartment when Bennett was a teenager. I knew it was best if I gave him the room for his own privacy, plusI worked late, so I took the couch. It worked. Sometimes you make the sacrifices for others.”
“You do,” he says softly. “Tell me something about your childhood that you liked. I feel like we always talk about the bad. Do you happen to have a happy memory?”
“I do.” I snuggle in close to his chest as he sets down his drink on the side table. His arm wraps around my back, and I’ve never felt more comfortable. This, right here, this is where I want to be. For someone who has always been at the helm of protection, it feels so amazing to be protected for a moment. “Bennett, I think, was in middle school, and we were headed to get some ice cream down the street. We were walking down the sidewalk when, out of complete luck, Bennett stumbled across a twenty-dollar bill on the ground. He was in awe. We looked around to see if anyone dropped it, but when we found no one, we decided to use it.”
“What did you use it for?”
“There was this sundae at the ice cream store that we always dreamed about getting but never had the money for because it was eighteen dollars. It was the extreme of all extreme sundaes. Twelve scoops of ice cream, five toppings, two sauces, whipped cream, and a dozen cherries.” I smile, remembering the look on Bennett’s face when I sat down at the picnic table with the large dish. “We ate the entire thing and then laid out on the baseball field, staring up at the sky, talking about all the good things. It was as though having that one good thing helped us focus on other positives. It was nice. Much needed. Of course, we had the worst stomachache of our entire lives, but it was so worth it.”
He strokes my hair. “I love that story.”
