Page 96 of First Bride to Fall
Then her gaze fell on the decimated apple bread loaf on the counter. “Oh yes, you are!” She gasped. “Grant Williams. You great big phony!”
He chewed fast and swallowed hard—a couple of times—forcing it all down. “I’m not a phony,” he said from behind the back of his hand.
She gawked at him. “I thought you couldn’t eat apple bread?”
“I can’t.” He brushed a few crumbs off his T-shirt. “Normally.”
“What about the walnuts?”
Yeah, what about those? He thought fast. “Turns out those were black walnuts. I can eat that kind.”
“Uh-huh. Right.” She folded her arms in front of her, and he willed her not to look at the sink. Unfortunately, his will wasn’t strong enough to control hers, because her gaze roved in that direction anyway.
“I don’t believe it,” she said, goggling down at his dirty plate and utensils. “Were you eating chicken parmigiana, too?”
“No, I—” He wrung his hands together. “It was just the noodles!”
“What about the cheese?” She arched one eyebrow, and he broke a sweat.
“I, ah…scraped that part off!”
“But, Grant—” Her eyes widened in horror, and then she blinked. “What aboutRobby? You said you couldn’t even look at or smell—”
“Yes, yes. So true. That’s why I had to—avert my eyes.”
“Avertyoureyes?”
“Yeah, like—you know—during a car crash?” Although this was feeling more and more like a train wreck every second. He shifted on his feet, feeling so called out. Talk about being caught red-handed. “Ahh… What are you doing up at this hour?” he asked, his throat scratchy.
Anything to change the subject. Seriously.
“I was hungry,” she announced without a hint of apology. Her eyebrows rose. “Looks like somebody else was, too.”
Okay. That didn’t quite do it.
Grant rubbed the side of his neck. “Want some more of that fish?”
“No, thanks. I think I’ll have a piece of apple bread.” She peered around him. “If there’s any left.”
“Oh yeah. Sure.” He stepped aside, his face burning hot. His ears, too.
She cut herself a piece, then carried it back to her room on a napkin.
Before she left, she sent him a sassy little smile. “I’m glad that you like my cooking. Charlotte’s, too.”
“Nell?”
She stopped walking. “Hmm?”
“About Robby?”
“Yes.”
“That was…um…a long time ago. So.” He shrugged as she locked on his gaze.
“I’m sure it was,” she said in the smug sort of way that told him she knew 100 percent what he was up to. Lying about Robby. Fibbing about his dietary restrictions.
She turned and sauntered away with her apple bread but paused in the doorway to the bedroom. “Oh, and Grant? I hadsomuch fun cleaning today. I can’t wait to see what you have planned for me tomorrow. Good night.”
