confident about her decision to stay.
“Can I help with dinner?” Cassidy offered, immediately putting to action her plan to be as useful as possible.
“Actually, I have a lasagna in the oven. It should be ready soon, if you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on it. I have some things I need to attend to.” Mrs. Owens replied vaguely.
“Sure.” Cassidy agreed.
“Please don’t wait for me. If dinner is ready before I’m back just help yourself.”
Mrs. Owens left Cassidy alone in the kitchen and disappeared into the front room. Cassidy felt odd sitting alone in the kitchen, but realized that if she was going to be staying here for the next month she needed to make herself at home.
She rummaged through the cabinets looking for some coffee, but really she just wanted something to do. She found a cabinet filled with jars and vials of powders and dried leaves. She picked one up to examine it.
“Careful, use the wrong herb and you won’t wake up.” Ben’s voice made her jump.
“I was just looking for coffee.” Cassidy quickly explained, putting the jar down.
Ben walked up to her and reached behind her opening the cabinet to her right. He leaned so close she could smell his aftershave . She leaned back, pinned between him and the countertop. He retrieved a metal canister and handed it to her.
“Coffee.” He half-smiled and she could feel her heart racing from his proximity. “Be careful playing around with Mrs. Owens herbs, she’s really into all-natural remedies so she has all kinds of stuff up there. A pinch can cure a headache, a dash can kill you.” He winked, and she gulped nervously, not sure what to say.
Just then the oven timer dinged. Saved by the bell. Ben stepped back allowing Cassidy to pull away and retrieve the lasagna from the oven.
“Mrs. Owens said to eat without her.” Cassidy said putting the lasagna on the stove.
“Then let’s eat.” Ben said grabbing some plates and carrying them to the stove. Cassidy opened a drawer looking for a spatula, but found only dish towels. She turned to the next drawer but Ben had already opened it and was handing her the spatula.
“Thank you.” She practically whispered taking the spatula from him. Their fingers brushed and she felt an electric current run up her arm. Did he feel it to? She glanced up at him nervously and found that he was watching her. Her stomach did a somersault. Quickly she looked away and served up the lasagna, focusing intently on her task.
Ben grabbed the plates she’d filled and carried them to the table. He poured two glasses of water setting them next to the plates then he sat down and waited for her to join him.
“You’re uncharacteristically… friendly tonight.” Cassidy observed as she took her seat.
“I guess I deserved that.” Ben laughed. “I really didn’t think you’d stay.” He told her honestly.
“So I take it you already know how my meeting with Mr. Woodard went.” Cassidy said annoyed.
“I heard you tell Lucy.” He explained calmly.
“Oh.”
“I’m not stalking you.” He smirked.
“I didn’t say you were.” She said defensively. They ate in silence for a few minutes, Cassidy wasn’t sure how to navigate this new territory. If she was going to be staying she wanted to find some sort of common ground with Ben.
“Why didn’t you think I would stay?” Cassidy finally asked, breaking the silence.
“I already told you that last night. Your … background… didn’t lead me to believe that you were in the business of helping people keep their family holdings.” He tried to hold back his bitterness, she could tell, but there was something under the surface. She wanted to know what it was.
“I was eighteen when I got my first job in a hotel.” Cassidy divulged, she decided if she wanted to learn more about Ben Riley, perhaps she needed to share a little more about herself. “I was on my own and I got a job as a desk clerk. Moved up to night manager after a year. It was a small
“Can I help with dinner?” Cassidy offered, immediately putting to action her plan to be as useful as possible.
“Actually, I have a lasagna in the oven. It should be ready soon, if you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on it. I have some things I need to attend to.” Mrs. Owens replied vaguely.
“Sure.” Cassidy agreed.
“Please don’t wait for me. If dinner is ready before I’m back just help yourself.”
Mrs. Owens left Cassidy alone in the kitchen and disappeared into the front room. Cassidy felt odd sitting alone in the kitchen, but realized that if she was going to be staying here for the next month she needed to make herself at home.
She rummaged through the cabinets looking for some coffee, but really she just wanted something to do. She found a cabinet filled with jars and vials of powders and dried leaves. She picked one up to examine it.
“Careful, use the wrong herb and you won’t wake up.” Ben’s voice made her jump.
“I was just looking for coffee.” Cassidy quickly explained, putting the jar down.
Ben walked up to her and reached behind her opening the cabinet to her right. He leaned so close she could smell his aftershave . She leaned back, pinned between him and the countertop. He retrieved a metal canister and handed it to her.
“Coffee.” He half-smiled and she could feel her heart racing from his proximity. “Be careful playing around with Mrs. Owens herbs, she’s really into all-natural remedies so she has all kinds of stuff up there. A pinch can cure a headache, a dash can kill you.” He winked, and she gulped nervously, not sure what to say.
Just then the oven timer dinged. Saved by the bell. Ben stepped back allowing Cassidy to pull away and retrieve the lasagna from the oven.
“Mrs. Owens said to eat without her.” Cassidy said putting the lasagna on the stove.
“Then let’s eat.” Ben said grabbing some plates and carrying them to the stove. Cassidy opened a drawer looking for a spatula, but found only dish towels. She turned to the next drawer but Ben had already opened it and was handing her the spatula.
“Thank you.” She practically whispered taking the spatula from him. Their fingers brushed and she felt an electric current run up her arm. Did he feel it to? She glanced up at him nervously and found that he was watching her. Her stomach did a somersault. Quickly she looked away and served up the lasagna, focusing intently on her task.
Ben grabbed the plates she’d filled and carried them to the table. He poured two glasses of water setting them next to the plates then he sat down and waited for her to join him.
“You’re uncharacteristically… friendly tonight.” Cassidy observed as she took her seat.
“I guess I deserved that.” Ben laughed. “I really didn’t think you’d stay.” He told her honestly.
“So I take it you already know how my meeting with Mr. Woodard went.” Cassidy said annoyed.
“I heard you tell Lucy.” He explained calmly.
“Oh.”
“I’m not stalking you.” He smirked.
“I didn’t say you were.” She said defensively. They ate in silence for a few minutes, Cassidy wasn’t sure how to navigate this new territory. If she was going to be staying she wanted to find some sort of common ground with Ben.
“Why didn’t you think I would stay?” Cassidy finally asked, breaking the silence.
“I already told you that last night. Your … background… didn’t lead me to believe that you were in the business of helping people keep their family holdings.” He tried to hold back his bitterness, she could tell, but there was something under the surface. She wanted to know what it was.
“I was eighteen when I got my first job in a hotel.” Cassidy divulged, she decided if she wanted to learn more about Ben Riley, perhaps she needed to share a little more about herself. “I was on my own and I got a job as a desk clerk. Moved up to night manager after a year. It was a small
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