From my latest novel Then . . . you.
From Chapter 5
She finished getting ready and walked down the hall to the tantalizing aroma of bacon and biscuits which quickly reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since a light lunch yesterday at work. Does the man cook too?
Walking into the kitchen, she observed him standing over the stove, maneuvering eggs around in a pan. Dressed in black Levis without rips and another black long-sleeve T-shirt with a depiction of a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag on the back, he asked, “Hungry?” without turning around.
“I didn’t think I was until I smelled your cooking. Now I am,” she said. “What can I do?”
“Get us something to drink. I’ll take a glass of milk. You help yourself to whatever you want. Are you a coffee or tea drinker?”
“Both actually, but coffee in the morning usually does it for me.”
“I’m out right now which doesn’t happen very often. We’ll stop on the way at a stand. That okay?” He turned to look at her then.
“You shaved off your beard,” she said without thinking, seeing the moustache remained.
With his free hand, he rubbed his face. “Yeah, I was being lazy. Feels better this way.” He turned off the burners, grabbed the biscuits out of the oven and tilted them into a towel-lined basket. He set them and the butter on the island along with two kinds of jam he snatched from the fridge and a container of honey.
“Here ya go,” he said, handing her a plate. He’d already set out silverware on a napkin.
She’d poured him a glass of milk, setting it on the island and selected a small bottle of orange juice.
“This looks delicious.”
“Glad you think so,” he said, taking a bite of bacon. “Help yourself.”
She buttered a warm biscuit and dabbed some honey on it, savored the taste. She put a small portion of scrambled eggs on her plate and took a strip of bacon. “This is a treat, Stone. It’s rare when I eat a real breakfast. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m a breakfast junkie.” He shook some green Tabasco on his eggs. “Probably because I tend to eat early in the evening but rarely get to bed early. So I wake up hungry.” He stopped eating and talking and looked at her. Serious.
“What?” she said, intimidated.
“It’s weird talking to you. No one’s ever here. I’m surprised we’ve had a conversation.”
“Really? You seem so easy to talk to. I wouldn’t normally admit to just anyone all the stuff I said to you last night. I mean, I did of course owe you an explanation for the intrusion, but I could’ve opted to tidy it up a bit, I guess. That didn’t even occur to me. I do apologize for being such a wreck.” She felt the color heat her face.
He kept his eyes on her and took another bite of eggs. His stare did tend to unnerve her, but she did her best to hold his gaze.
“Your eyes are green,” he said.
“You walk with a limp. Your right leg. It’s permanent. Some atrophy from a serious injury.”
“Shattered the femur. Enemy sniper. He missed his target. Should’ve been my head. Hardware keeps it together.”
Her professionalism kicked in. “Please understand how I say this. A massage could help you. And by that, I mean it could give your musculature some stimulus to increase the circulation, the blood flow, plus there are other specific techniques which could relieve pressure areas. I would love to help you.”
Her sincerity and business-like delivery impressed him, but she had no idea what her words actually said to him. He kept his eyes focused on her, trying not to watch her lips speaking them. He almost missed when the words ended. He continued to look her in the eyes for an extra couple of moments.
He finished his nearly full glass of milk in one large, quick gulp. “Understand how I say this: under the circumstances it probably wouldn’t be a good idea. But, thank you.” He said it quieter than he normally spoke and with a respectful consideration to his tone.
His look once again unnerved her while the flame consumed her entire face. She hurried and collected their plates and rinsed them in the sink.
Father, apart from you, I can do nothing. Thank you for it all. You've blessed me more than I can ever know. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.