Read Online Heaven Beside You by Christa Maurice - Free Book Online Page A

decisions. Jason watched her draw her thumb out of her mouth the way he might watch the first day of creation. His hand tightened around his fork, and he licked his lips. Oh dear.
    “What’s the matter, swee’pea?” Dad asked.
    “Nothing,” she said. “My thumb slipped.”
    “Are you going to buy this land, Cass?” Finn demanded.
    “Paul,” her mom asked, “could you find it in your heart to give me the recipe for that chili?”
    “Well, if he gives all his recipes away, why would anyone bother to eat here?” Ida retorted.
    Cass resorted to wiping the rest of the refried beans off her thumb with her paper napkin so she could observe the rest of the table for signs they had picked up on the interchange between her and Jason a second ago. Paul’s gaze turned from her to Jason, innocently devouring his lunch. Two and two were rapidly becoming five, possibly six. Paul was a great cook and an excellent mathematician when it came to human algebra.
    “Cass?” Finn demanded again.
    “Oh, Finn, leave it alone.” Paul elbowed him. “You know, Shirl, it isn’t that hard if you have the right cilantro.”
    Paul started talking about the food. He must have picked up on her discomfort. Maybe she could speak with him about Jason flirting with her. Ugh, bad. Paul made an excellent information hub but a lousy confidante. Her father and Finn debated her ability to buy and improve the pasture with her current income stream. Finn was against it, felt she couldn’t take the financial risk. Her father, in a typical knee-jerk reaction, thought she could if they were careful. He’d never been very fond of Finn. Maybe that had something to do with her lack of interest. Melinda asked polite and pointed questions, trying to ascertain the added workload the extra land would entail. She would be for anything that might keep her son in town.
    “Well, the other customers are getting jealous,” Ida said eventually, and wandered off. Melinda left behind her, seeming confident about Dan having a summer job and potentially a permanent one right here in town. Paul had meals to cook. Beneath the pressure of her father’s barrage, Finn took his Wednesday turkey and Swiss on rye back to his office to eat.
    There. Now she could breathe normally. She returned to the conversation. Her parents were talking to Jason. Actually, her father and Jason were discussing cars. Safe enough, so she let it go.
    Cass finished her meal. Jason had not recommenced playing footsie since she’d stuck her thumb in the beans, but neither had he relinquished his hold. Paul delivered the recipe to her mother, gave Cass one long significant look and vanished into the kitchen. Based on the way Mom had focused on the recipe, she apparently thought she would have to memorize it and eat the card before she left the building. Hah! Everyone else might believe her mother was studying the recipe. She was really studying Jason.
    “So is everyone full?” Ida asked, coffeepot in hand.
    “Yes, it was excellent,” Jason said. “My compliments to the chef.”
    “Oh, don’t you dare. His head’s already big enough.” Ida cackled.
    “I’ll take the bill,” he told her.
    Mom and Dad objected, and Ida over rode them. “There’s no bill.”
    “Really?” Cass asked.
    “Are you kiddin’? This was an excellent opportunity to suss out what else that boy can make.” Ida grinned. “We might be having us a Spanish special one of these nights. The tourists’ll love it.”
    Dad stood and grabbed her mom’s hand. “Well, I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Nice meeting you, Jason.” He pulled Cass into a bear hug and used the opportunity to whisper into her ear, “Nice boy.”
    Mom held out her hand to shake Jason’s and when he kissed it instead, giggled like a girl. Still giggling, she hugged Cass. As Mom stepped back, a blush brightened her cheeks. Dad helped Mom into her coat. Cass turned back to pick up hers and found Jason already holding it open for