“I love lasagna.” Liz changed the subject.
“Tate brought it home after you guys took everything back to Almost Homemade after the farmers market. Since it’s my night to cook, he asked me to pop this in the oven and make some garlic bread and a salad.”
Liz turned on the stool to face him. “You did?”
“It’s your favorite meal. Simple enough to make what you like when I could grab most of it from the shop.”
Appreciation shone in her eyes as she picked up her beer and looked at it then saluted him with it. “Thank you for being so considerate.”
He tilted his head, not getting what was so special about getting her a beer and making her favorite meal. But if it made her happy, he was glad for it. “You’re welcome. No big deal.”
“It is to me.” The sincerity in her voice drew him to her.
He kissed her softly. “I just wanted to have dinner with you tonight.”
She looked up at him, joy and gratitude in her eyes. “I know. It’s really nice.”
He brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Okay.”
“Let’s eat,” Declan announced, taking the bread from the oven, filling the kitchen with the smell of melted butter and garlic.
Tate took Liz’s hand and helped her stand. “Take a seat at the table. I’ll grab the lasagna while Declan grabs the salad.”
With dinner on the table, they passed plates so Tate could dish up the lasagna. Declan doled out salad, and Liz plopped bread on each plate. Family style. Everyone chipping in and around the table. Liz had eaten at the house too many times to count. She’d always fit in with the family, just like he’d always felt at home at her parents’ place.
Declan had no trouble starting the conversation with Liz. “How was the ride?”
“Beautiful. I love it out here. The ranch is so pretty this time of year.”
Tate agreed. The grass was as green as her eyes, blue skies, and miles of open country for them to explore. “Lots of hawks up today. We saw a few deer down by the cedars in the south pasture.”
“They’ve been moving around the property for a few weeks now,” Declan confirmed. “I saw them in the orchard the other morning.”
“That orchard needs some work. Especially if Trinity and Adria want to start harvesting fruit from it next year for the shop.”
Declan chewed and gave him a thoughtful look. “Those two are creating a lot of work for us.”
Tate nodded his agreement. “It’s business and we’re making money right along with them.” Though they did give their sisters a deep discount on the beef and he was sure the fruit, too. The ladies liked to advertise their products were produced with locally grown and sourced ingredients.
“What they’ve accomplished in such a short time with the shop is amazing,” Liz praised. “The line at the farmers market never let up. I was afraid we’d run out of products before the end of the day.”
Declan took a sip of his beer and set it down. “We’ve learned to expect a crowd. They’re talking about opening a few more stores in other locations. Adria’s already scouting for properties.”
“Wow.”
Declan stared at Liz. “How’s the spa gig?”
“Good.” She rolled her shoulders and squirmed in her chair. “I think I’m going to need a massage after that ride. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the saddle.”
“You know you’re welcome here anytime.” Declan’s words touched Tate and lit up Liz’s eyes.
He appreciated that Declan made it clear, though Liz knew she was always welcome here.
“I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of me now.” Liz’s careful tone didn’t match the smile she gave him, but he got that she was treading carefully because this was Declan’s house, too.
“Happy to hear it. I always thought the two of you would be good together.” Declan turned his gaze to Tate and pointed at him with his fork. “This one needed a huge wake-up call.”
Liz laughed. “He’s a tough one to crack.”
“Yeah, and now he’s oozing all kinds of happy because of you.”
Tate could take the teasing, but under Declan’s words he heard a deeper ring of . . . not jealousy, but something akin to it.
He draped his arm over Liz’s shoulders. “Timing is everything.” What else could he say about him and Liz? Also, maybe Declan needed to know that his time would come, too. Maybe when he least expected it, the way it hit Tate.
Declan eyed him, then finished off his dinner without comment.
Liz glanced at Tate, getting that Declan was in a mood. He’d been in that mood for a while now. Maybe like Tate, he’d seen Drake fall hard and fast for Adria and wanted something like it, too.
More than likely, it was their age. They were getting older and nights out at the bar didn’t seem quite so fulfilling and fun anymore. Not when they worked so hard and wanted to have someone to go home to instead of spinning the wheel on the dating scene and hoping your number came up and you won the prize. Declan, like Tate, had busted many times with relationships that started out fun but washed out quickly.
He played with Liz’s copper red hair, knowing their relationship was different. This would last. How he knew that, he didn’t know, but it was the first time he felt all in and ready to do anything to make Liz happy and want to be with him. He wanted to hold on to this feeling inside him that glowed whenever he thought about or saw her. It had always been there in the background. Another thing he’d ignored. But now that he knew it was there, he felt it all the more.
Declan slapped the back of his hand across Tate’s shoulder. “You took your sweet time with Liz. It’s a wonder she waited for you.”
“She knows a good thing when she sees it.”
Declan leaned forward and pinned Liz in his gaze. “Really? You couldn’t do better than him?”
Liz laughed. “Well, he always shared his lunch with me in school and he held my hair back once in high school when I got really drunk on JÓ“germeister.”
Declan fell back in his chair, chuckling and shaking his head. “No. Never drink that stuff.”
Liz laughed with him. “My date was as drunk as me when he tried to pick me up off the bathroom floor to take me home. Tate wouldn’t let him.”
Tate remembered this. “I got to the party late because Dad asked me to stay in case one of the mares had trouble birthing a foal. I’d had like half a beer when I found Liz.”
“Confession?” Liz asked.
“Oh please,” Declan said leaning forward again.
“I only drank so much because I was upset Tate didn’t show for the party and I thought maybe I’d make Tate jealous and I’d finally get him to kiss me that night. Instead, I puked and looked ridiculous drunk.”
“You were kind of cute. As far as rag dolls go. I had to carry you out to my truck.”
Liz put her elbow on the table, her chin in her hand, and gave him a mischievous look. “I may have exaggerated how uncoordinated I was that night.”
Tate laughed. “Seriously?”
“She got her big strong man to carry her to his car.” Declan saluted Liz with his beer.
“Yeah, but I didn’t dare kiss him after I’d puked. He’d never kiss me again if I did that.”