Page 45 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

“Just us for dinner.” Back in the kitchen, Tom had found the plates, bowls, and cups, and set the table for them, the flowers he brought arranged neatly in a cup at the center. How had he done all of that so fast?

He held the chair out for her, she hesitated. “I should really help you, it’s my kitchen after all.”

“Sit down, Clarissa.” He stared at her until she wavered and sat. He pushed her chair in.

After pouring them each a glass of the sparkling water, he placed their plates on the table.

“Hope you don’t mind, I gave you a little bit of everything.” He sat across from her.

“It looks amazing, thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Smiling, he stared at her.

With an awkward start, she realized he was waiting for her to take the first bite. Forking the vegetables, her mouth exploded with glee at the first taste.

If the zucchini tasted this amazing, she couldn’t imagine what the rest of it was like. There were a few moments of silence as she shamelessly shoveled food into her mouth.

When she remembered she was on a date, she sat up straighter and took smaller bites. It was usually a good idea to at least pretend to behave like a lady, if only for the first date.

She glanced at Tom. He didn’t seem to have minded, or noticed, the impression of a Hungry Hungry Hippo she’d been doing. Taking a sip of water, she cleared her throat.

“Do all of your cousins live in town?” she asked.

“Not all, no. A few live in Lawrence, some are scattered across other towns in Kansas. But we all stay in close contact and see each other a few times a year. The ones in town I see on a regular basis. I live with a few of them, in my parents’ old house.”

“Oh, that must be nice. Or does it get annoying having no privacy?”

“We’re always coming and going, so we don’t step on each other’s toes too much,” he said.

“And your siblings? You have a brother and sister, right?”

He nodded, taking a sip of water. “Maria is four years younger than me, and James is seven. Maria and her husband, Sam, they live in town. They actually just moved out of our parents’ house when they found out she was pregnant. James lives in Kansas City, Missouri. We have a boardroom up there and he’s always preferred city life. He comes back when he can, if he wants, which is rarely.”

“Boardroom, that’s for your parents’ business?” she asked.

“Add a few ‘great grands’ to that, but yes. My parents were the last ones to run it before my brother and I.”

“And you do, lumber?”

“Among other things, yes,” he said.

“Do a lot of your cousins work in the family business?”

“No, it’s not a requirement to be in the family business, if that’s what you’re thinking. But, if anyone is ever down and out, we try to find something for them.”

“What about you, did you always want to work in lumber, among other things?”

He laughed at her quip. “No, for a long time I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”

She stared at him until he continued.

“I find most of my fulfillment comes from things outside of work. So, when it came time for my father to retire, I offered to take over. For me, it was less about the job and more about taking care of the workers and my family.

“Some of the daily workers have been there for years, a few are generational. The least I could do is ensure they had job security and a decent boss. And like I said, a lot of my family works there too.”

“But what do you do for you? If you spend all your time taking care of your family, what makes you happy?” she asked, knowing full well the question was hypocritical of her. All she ever did was take care of her family. Was he the same way?

“I have plenty of hobbies that keep me busy, I like … running … camping.” He paused before each one, as if thinking of the correct word. “Besides, I’ve come to enjoy taking care of my family, or at least I try to, even if they are a pain most days.”