first time she had said his name aloud to him, and it warmed her to hear the way it sounded coming from her lips.
“I’m not doing anything the rest of the evening,” Seth said. “Do you still need help to decorate those eggs?”
“No, the eggs are finished. But you’re welcome to come over, if you would like.”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
“Do you want to follow me? Or do you remember how to get there?”
“I’d better follow just to be sure.”
Leah climbed into her Blazer and subtly checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her cheeks weren’t flushed red. She looked calm. She felt calm. This all seemed so natural. Did it really matter that Seth had left in a rush the night before? He was back. She didn’t have to throw parties or bake cookies for him. Seth Edwards was pursuing her. This was nice. No, more than nice. It was amazing.
When they reached her house, Seth asked, “Are you a tea drinker or a coffee drinker?”
“It depends,” Leah said. “If I make the coffee, I’m a coffee drinker. I usually don’t care for other people’s coffee. I like it darker and stronger than most people.”
“It’s never too strong for me. In Costa Rica, we used to brew true java—I don’t know where we got those coffee beans, but they were the best. Where do you keep your coffee? I’ll make you a cup ‘Rica’ style.”
Leah opened the cupboard next to the oven and displayed her collection of coffee paraphernalia.
“Grinder, natural unbleached filters, perfect,” Seth said, taking inventory. “Are these your bags of beans here? You look like you’re running low.”
“I don’t drink that much coffee. It seems pointless to buy a lot that will sit for months. I’d rather buy the beans fresh every few weeks. You’ll find a bag of decaf and a bag of regular in there. Which do you want?”
“Leaded, of course,” Seth said. “I want to hear your whole story.”
Leah smiled. “I don’t think it’s going drag on into the middle of the night.”
“I’ll be ready, just in case.” Seth went to work preparing his gourmet coffee while Leah checked on Hula in the mudroom. She contentedly wagged her tail when Leah entered.
“You need some more water, girl,” Leah said, filling the bowl. Then she went out the back door to her car and brought in the basket of toys so she could soak them in the basin sink.
Returning to the kitchen, she found Seth loading her dishwasher. “You don’t have to do that. Come on, let’s sit down in the other room. Is the coffee ready?”
The coffee was not only ready, but it also was the best Leah had tasted in a long time. “What did you do to make this so good?”
“Nothing special,” he said. “You had good beans to work with.”
At first Leah thought he said “good genes,” and her sister’s comment about her having “neither the frame nor frame of mind to attract a stable man” sprang to her mind. If she had good genes, then she would have inherited the “right frames,” the ones her sisters had all inherited. Despite all that, she seemed to have attracted someone. A very appealing someone. He didn’t have to be here, making coffee for her, loading her dishwasher, and inviting her to accompany him on sunrise hikes. She had done nothing to coerce or lure him.
Leah leaned back as Seth made himself comfortable on her denim blue loveseat. Actually, it was her parents’ old avocado green loveseat, which had sat in the upstairs guestroom of their house and had very few visitors. Since it was such a sturdy piece of furniture, Leah had covered it with a denim slipcover that matched the blue in her recliner. It was the only furniture she had room for in her small sitting area, but it was all she needed. Instead of a coffee table, she had stacked two oldbrown suitcases she had found at a garage sale. The one on top still had the original antique travel stickers affixed and in good condition.
“Cairo,” Seth said, reading the sticker nearest him
“I’m not doing anything the rest of the evening,” Seth said. “Do you still need help to decorate those eggs?”
“No, the eggs are finished. But you’re welcome to come over, if you would like.”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
“Do you want to follow me? Or do you remember how to get there?”
“I’d better follow just to be sure.”
Leah climbed into her Blazer and subtly checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her cheeks weren’t flushed red. She looked calm. She felt calm. This all seemed so natural. Did it really matter that Seth had left in a rush the night before? He was back. She didn’t have to throw parties or bake cookies for him. Seth Edwards was pursuing her. This was nice. No, more than nice. It was amazing.
When they reached her house, Seth asked, “Are you a tea drinker or a coffee drinker?”
“It depends,” Leah said. “If I make the coffee, I’m a coffee drinker. I usually don’t care for other people’s coffee. I like it darker and stronger than most people.”
“It’s never too strong for me. In Costa Rica, we used to brew true java—I don’t know where we got those coffee beans, but they were the best. Where do you keep your coffee? I’ll make you a cup ‘Rica’ style.”
Leah opened the cupboard next to the oven and displayed her collection of coffee paraphernalia.
“Grinder, natural unbleached filters, perfect,” Seth said, taking inventory. “Are these your bags of beans here? You look like you’re running low.”
“I don’t drink that much coffee. It seems pointless to buy a lot that will sit for months. I’d rather buy the beans fresh every few weeks. You’ll find a bag of decaf and a bag of regular in there. Which do you want?”
“Leaded, of course,” Seth said. “I want to hear your whole story.”
Leah smiled. “I don’t think it’s going drag on into the middle of the night.”
“I’ll be ready, just in case.” Seth went to work preparing his gourmet coffee while Leah checked on Hula in the mudroom. She contentedly wagged her tail when Leah entered.
“You need some more water, girl,” Leah said, filling the bowl. Then she went out the back door to her car and brought in the basket of toys so she could soak them in the basin sink.
Returning to the kitchen, she found Seth loading her dishwasher. “You don’t have to do that. Come on, let’s sit down in the other room. Is the coffee ready?”
The coffee was not only ready, but it also was the best Leah had tasted in a long time. “What did you do to make this so good?”
“Nothing special,” he said. “You had good beans to work with.”
At first Leah thought he said “good genes,” and her sister’s comment about her having “neither the frame nor frame of mind to attract a stable man” sprang to her mind. If she had good genes, then she would have inherited the “right frames,” the ones her sisters had all inherited. Despite all that, she seemed to have attracted someone. A very appealing someone. He didn’t have to be here, making coffee for her, loading her dishwasher, and inviting her to accompany him on sunrise hikes. She had done nothing to coerce or lure him.
Leah leaned back as Seth made himself comfortable on her denim blue loveseat. Actually, it was her parents’ old avocado green loveseat, which had sat in the upstairs guestroom of their house and had very few visitors. Since it was such a sturdy piece of furniture, Leah had covered it with a denim slipcover that matched the blue in her recliner. It was the only furniture she had room for in her small sitting area, but it was all she needed. Instead of a coffee table, she had stacked two oldbrown suitcases she had found at a garage sale. The one on top still had the original antique travel stickers affixed and in good condition.
“Cairo,” Seth said, reading the sticker nearest him
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