Read Online His-And-Hers Family by Bonnie K. Winn - Free Book Online
Authors: Bonnie K. Winn
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won’t have to do that anymore. Tomorrow I’ll go shopping.” She glanced at Blake’s sons. “After I find out what you like to eat. Then we can make sure that su—dinner is a family affair. If you don’t like tuna, I could scramble some eggs.”
Mark looked briefly interested, but Kevin elbowed him, and he set his face in a mutinous line, as well.
“I want a burger,” Kevin retorted.
“I’m afraid we don’t have any hamburger,” she replied, precariously hanging on to her temper. It had been a long, trying day, and her patience was wearing thin.
Blake glanced between his sons and Cassie. “Try the tuna. If you still don’t like it, I’ll call for some burgers. You’ll learn that Mrs. Hawkins is a wonderful cook. Her fried chicken’s the best I ever had.”
“I like chicken,” Todd offered.
“From the Colonel,” Kevin added.
“Mama’s is better,” David John said defensively.
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Then why doesn’t she own the franchise?”
“That’ll be enough,” Blake inserted. “Just try the casserole.”
Kevin made one half-hearted stab at the tuna, before announcing he didn’t like it. Mark and Todd followed his lead.
Cassie met Blake’s eyes and read defeat there. Resigned, she didn’t say anything as he ordered the burgers. She and her children resolutely ate the casserole, even though Blake offered them burgers, as well.
Seeing the fatigue on her children’s faces, Cassie ended the meal quickly. When the burgers came, Blake’s sons disappeared with the food, not bothering to even attempt an appearance in the breakfast room.
Cassie started to clear the table just as Maria entered the kitchen.
“You should have told me you were cooking,” Maria gently scolded her. “The clean-up is my job.”
“But—”
Maria shooed her away. “Go, you’re tired.”
Cassie couldn’t argue with her logic. “Thanks. I’d like to check on my kids.”
It didn’t take long to see that they were settled. Exhaustion and excitement had taken their toll. And tomorrow they had to enroll in new schools. Suddenly, the whole process seemed overwhelming. How in the world was she going to find their schools, even the grocery store, in this unfamiliar city? All of Twin Corners would fit in just this neighborhood.
Distraught, but too restless to sleep, Cassie wandered back downstairs, seeking out the patio near the pool that she’d seen from her terrace. She needed the comfort of the outdoors, the pretense that she was in her own swing on her own porch.
What had possessed her to move across the country, leaving everything familiar behind? She no more belonged here than her old-fashioned notions did. She wasn’t any more suited to the big city than the Matthews boys were to tuna casserole.
Kicking off her shoes, Cassie rolled up the legs of her jeans, dropping to the side of the pool to dangle her feet in the water. The dramatic patio lighting reflected on the pool, making it look like a dark, rippling diamond. A jewel that nearly matched the starlit sky.
Sighing as she gazed upward, Cassie remembered a time when her every fantasy had centered around traveling to new, exciting places. But somehow those fantasies had never contained tuna casserole or resentful children.
A sudden splash of water startled her, dragging her attention back to the pool just as Blake surfaced directly in front of her. She gasped at the seeming intimacy of his face positioned between her knees. Jerking her foot backward, she was startled when Blake grabbed that same foot.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I thought sure I’d captured a mermaid.”
Despite the sudden thumping of her heart, Cassie managed a laugh. “You think my legs look like a fish tail?”
“You have a way of twisting words, Cassie....” He levered himself up a bit on the side of the pool, a sheet of water pouring from his chest.
Cassie’s throat tightened. She hadn’t been wrong about those muscles. She’d simply underestimated them.
Mark looked briefly interested, but Kevin elbowed him, and he set his face in a mutinous line, as well.
“I want a burger,” Kevin retorted.
“I’m afraid we don’t have any hamburger,” she replied, precariously hanging on to her temper. It had been a long, trying day, and her patience was wearing thin.
Blake glanced between his sons and Cassie. “Try the tuna. If you still don’t like it, I’ll call for some burgers. You’ll learn that Mrs. Hawkins is a wonderful cook. Her fried chicken’s the best I ever had.”
“I like chicken,” Todd offered.
“From the Colonel,” Kevin added.
“Mama’s is better,” David John said defensively.
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Then why doesn’t she own the franchise?”
“That’ll be enough,” Blake inserted. “Just try the casserole.”
Kevin made one half-hearted stab at the tuna, before announcing he didn’t like it. Mark and Todd followed his lead.
Cassie met Blake’s eyes and read defeat there. Resigned, she didn’t say anything as he ordered the burgers. She and her children resolutely ate the casserole, even though Blake offered them burgers, as well.
Seeing the fatigue on her children’s faces, Cassie ended the meal quickly. When the burgers came, Blake’s sons disappeared with the food, not bothering to even attempt an appearance in the breakfast room.
Cassie started to clear the table just as Maria entered the kitchen.
“You should have told me you were cooking,” Maria gently scolded her. “The clean-up is my job.”
“But—”
Maria shooed her away. “Go, you’re tired.”
Cassie couldn’t argue with her logic. “Thanks. I’d like to check on my kids.”
It didn’t take long to see that they were settled. Exhaustion and excitement had taken their toll. And tomorrow they had to enroll in new schools. Suddenly, the whole process seemed overwhelming. How in the world was she going to find their schools, even the grocery store, in this unfamiliar city? All of Twin Corners would fit in just this neighborhood.
Distraught, but too restless to sleep, Cassie wandered back downstairs, seeking out the patio near the pool that she’d seen from her terrace. She needed the comfort of the outdoors, the pretense that she was in her own swing on her own porch.
What had possessed her to move across the country, leaving everything familiar behind? She no more belonged here than her old-fashioned notions did. She wasn’t any more suited to the big city than the Matthews boys were to tuna casserole.
Kicking off her shoes, Cassie rolled up the legs of her jeans, dropping to the side of the pool to dangle her feet in the water. The dramatic patio lighting reflected on the pool, making it look like a dark, rippling diamond. A jewel that nearly matched the starlit sky.
Sighing as she gazed upward, Cassie remembered a time when her every fantasy had centered around traveling to new, exciting places. But somehow those fantasies had never contained tuna casserole or resentful children.
A sudden splash of water startled her, dragging her attention back to the pool just as Blake surfaced directly in front of her. She gasped at the seeming intimacy of his face positioned between her knees. Jerking her foot backward, she was startled when Blake grabbed that same foot.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I thought sure I’d captured a mermaid.”
Despite the sudden thumping of her heart, Cassie managed a laugh. “You think my legs look like a fish tail?”
“You have a way of twisting words, Cassie....” He levered himself up a bit on the side of the pool, a sheet of water pouring from his chest.
Cassie’s throat tightened. She hadn’t been wrong about those muscles. She’d simply underestimated them.
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