really about him. It might be something as simple—and nonpersonal—as not wanting to eat alone.
He noticed that her eyes glistened suspiciously. “I know you’re probably busy….” Lori looked away. “I guess I’m a little more shaken up about this whole thing than I thought I’d be.” She straightened, as if forcing herself to be strong. “That’s okay. Thanks for letting me go with you.” She turned and took a step toward her house.
Her ass looked great in those tight jeans, and Justin knew everything about this was wrong. The Texas Ranger in him knew he should leave, the red-blooded male said he should take advantage of her loneliness, but the gentleman who would make his mother and grandmother proud knew he had to stay and keep her company…and nothing more. How could he say no when she’d practically admitted to needing him?
“I
am
hungry, and I’ve got nothing planned for this evening,” he called after her. “If the offer’s still good, I’ll help you eat that lasagna.”
She stopped in midstride. With her back still to him, he saw her take a deep breath and lift her hands to her face. To wipe away tears? He definitely heard a sniffle before she turned toward him and managed a weak smile. She didn’t say it, but he could see the gratitude in her eyes. “It’ll just take me a half hour to finish cooking it.”
He caught up to her, and they walked side by side to her house. The coolness of the air-conditioning was welcome after their hot, dusty afternoon. Justin hung his hat on the hall tree next to hers. “I need to wash up. Where’s the restroom?”
“On the other side of the stairs, across the hall from Mark’s office.”
By the time he returned, the lasagna was in the oven, and Lori was washing vegetables for a salad. He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up as he joined her next to the sink.
“What can I do to help?”
“Do you like cucumbers in your salad?”
“Sure, everything but onions and bell peppers.”
She handed him a peeler. “Know how to operate this?”
“Are you kidding me? I’m the chief potato peeler every Sunday at Grammy’s.”
Lori passed a cucumber to him. “I think that’s so nice that you’re close to your grandmother. Do your parents live around here?”
“No, they died in a car accident when I was in law school. At least they were together.” His hands stilled for a moment as images flickered through his brain of his parents, who had been happily married for over twenty-four years. They’d almost made it to their silver anniversary. They’d had the kind of marriage he eventually wanted. He shook off the memories and continued. “All three of us were grown, so it wasn’t as hard as it would have been if we were younger.”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?” She tore the romaine lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces and dropped them in a bowl.
“Two brothers, no sisters. One’s a DEA agent here in Austin, and the other is a Homeland Security officer in DC. How about you?” Justin finished peeling the cucumber. “Slices or chunks?”
“Slices,” she answered, then added, “I have a brother who lives north of Austin. I hardly ever see him or my mother, who remarried and moved to Houston. My dad is dead.”
Justin dropped the cucumber slices into the salad bowl. “I’m sure my brothers and I would rarely get together if it wasn’t for Grammy. We all used to spend several weeks each summer at her farm, and she still treats us like we’re kids. She cooks a big meal every Sunday and we’re expected to be there if we’re in town. Sometimes I wish I could just sleep in, but it’s kind of a nice tradition.”
“It sounds wonderful. My family never was particularly close, but I loved Mark’s parents. I really miss them.”
“Was Mark an only child?”
“Yes, and he must have always gotten everything he wanted. I don’t think he knew the meaning of the word
no
. He definitely didn’t like to hear it from
He noticed that her eyes glistened suspiciously. “I know you’re probably busy….” Lori looked away. “I guess I’m a little more shaken up about this whole thing than I thought I’d be.” She straightened, as if forcing herself to be strong. “That’s okay. Thanks for letting me go with you.” She turned and took a step toward her house.
Her ass looked great in those tight jeans, and Justin knew everything about this was wrong. The Texas Ranger in him knew he should leave, the red-blooded male said he should take advantage of her loneliness, but the gentleman who would make his mother and grandmother proud knew he had to stay and keep her company…and nothing more. How could he say no when she’d practically admitted to needing him?
“I
am
hungry, and I’ve got nothing planned for this evening,” he called after her. “If the offer’s still good, I’ll help you eat that lasagna.”
She stopped in midstride. With her back still to him, he saw her take a deep breath and lift her hands to her face. To wipe away tears? He definitely heard a sniffle before she turned toward him and managed a weak smile. She didn’t say it, but he could see the gratitude in her eyes. “It’ll just take me a half hour to finish cooking it.”
He caught up to her, and they walked side by side to her house. The coolness of the air-conditioning was welcome after their hot, dusty afternoon. Justin hung his hat on the hall tree next to hers. “I need to wash up. Where’s the restroom?”
“On the other side of the stairs, across the hall from Mark’s office.”
By the time he returned, the lasagna was in the oven, and Lori was washing vegetables for a salad. He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up as he joined her next to the sink.
“What can I do to help?”
“Do you like cucumbers in your salad?”
“Sure, everything but onions and bell peppers.”
She handed him a peeler. “Know how to operate this?”
“Are you kidding me? I’m the chief potato peeler every Sunday at Grammy’s.”
Lori passed a cucumber to him. “I think that’s so nice that you’re close to your grandmother. Do your parents live around here?”
“No, they died in a car accident when I was in law school. At least they were together.” His hands stilled for a moment as images flickered through his brain of his parents, who had been happily married for over twenty-four years. They’d almost made it to their silver anniversary. They’d had the kind of marriage he eventually wanted. He shook off the memories and continued. “All three of us were grown, so it wasn’t as hard as it would have been if we were younger.”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?” She tore the romaine lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces and dropped them in a bowl.
“Two brothers, no sisters. One’s a DEA agent here in Austin, and the other is a Homeland Security officer in DC. How about you?” Justin finished peeling the cucumber. “Slices or chunks?”
“Slices,” she answered, then added, “I have a brother who lives north of Austin. I hardly ever see him or my mother, who remarried and moved to Houston. My dad is dead.”
Justin dropped the cucumber slices into the salad bowl. “I’m sure my brothers and I would rarely get together if it wasn’t for Grammy. We all used to spend several weeks each summer at her farm, and she still treats us like we’re kids. She cooks a big meal every Sunday and we’re expected to be there if we’re in town. Sometimes I wish I could just sleep in, but it’s kind of a nice tradition.”
“It sounds wonderful. My family never was particularly close, but I loved Mark’s parents. I really miss them.”
“Was Mark an only child?”
“Yes, and he must have always gotten everything he wanted. I don’t think he knew the meaning of the word
no
. He definitely didn’t like to hear it from
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