“Perfect.”
“Do you have paper plates and napkins?” he asked as he glanced around the kitchen.
“In the pantry, but we can use real plates.”
He was already walking to the pantry. “Nah. My night to cook means my night to do the dishes.”
She laughed, and he savored the beautiful sound of her laughter.
He opened the pantry and looked around for paper plates and napkins, but a paper pinned on the back of the door caught his eye and distracted him. “Earn ‘Google Cruz’ time?” he asked aloud. His eyes widened, and he searched the paper that had boxes to check and things such as “only one ice cream cone a day” or “exercise six days a week” or “ten acts of service.” He heard a gasp from across the kitchen.
Meredith hurried up behind him, and he caught that sweet scent of peaches and cream. Stepping in front of the paper, she pointed. “They’re right there.”
He picked up the basket she had pointed out. It was filled with paper goods all neatly organized. As he turned to her, she was studying the window behind him and clutching the pantry door behind her.
“Can I read the list?” he asked. A happiness rushed through him. Was this his sign? He knew she was attracted to him, but if she had a list to earn time to google him … wow. That took her attraction to a level that he could definitely get behind.
“What list?” She met his gaze, and her dark eyes looked wide and almost fearful.
“The ‘earn Google Cruz time’ list?”
“No,” she said shortly. She shoved at his side, and he let her push him out of the pantry.
He was dying to read more of what was on the list and to understand what it all meant to her and what it might mean for them. “Why exactly do you want to earn time to google me?”
She slammed the pantry door, took the paper goods basket from him, and hurried to the food. Setting down a plate, utensils, and a napkin for each of them, she hurried to the fridge and pulled out two Propels. “You like peach, right?”
He nodded. He’d done a commercial for Propel that played on YouTube and social media sites. That was the only way she’d know he liked peach. Had she bought those specifically for him? He tried to fight a smile but couldn’t contain it. A huge grin grew on his face, and he was an instant away from sweeping her off her feet and kissing her until the food grew stone cold. She googled him, she watched commercials of him, and she earned that time? This was the best news he’d heard in years. She was fighting her feelings for him for some reason, but they were there, possibly as strong as his for her.
“I’ll pray,” she said. She didn’t reach for his hands but immediately bowed her head and muttered a quick and not very heartfelt prayer.
“That seemed a little quick for the prayer of a preacher’s daughter,” he teased.
She gave him a sassy, appealing glare, sat down, and started dishing herself up portions of each of the meals.
Cruz followed her lead. If he hadn’t seen that chart, hadn’t realized she’d bought a certain drink because of a commercial he’d done, and didn’t have Cat’s words ringing in his ears that Meredith was “into him,” he may have given in to that ugly voice in his head that was always trying to catch his attention. At this moment, everything was adding up to give him a lot of hope. He might never be worthy of Meredith and never overcome his mom’s prophecies, but like Cat said, he hadn’t become successful by not going for things. If Meredith was interested, he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.
He dished up his own plate, gave her time to settle into eating, and even took a couple of bites himself. He didn’t taste any of the food, and he faked a casualness he definitely wasn’t feeling. He swallowed a bite of sweet potato and chased it with a gulp of the peach-flavored Propel. Peach. It was his favorite flavor of drink, his favorite fruit, and now he knew it was his favorite smell. Had Meredith always smelled like that?
“What kind of perfume do you wear?” he asked.
She startled and glanced at him. “I just use scented lotion and a matching body splash.”
“What flavor?”
She looked away and murmured, “Pretty as a peach.”
“Well, that’s fitting,” he said.
She ignored him and ate a forkful of salmon. That was for the best though. If she would’ve looked at him with anywhere close to the strong feelings he was experiencing right now, he would’ve attacked those pretty as a peach lips.
They ate in silence for a few more minutes, but Cruz couldn’t handle waiting one more second. He had to know. “So, what is earning ‘Google Cruz’ time all about?”
“Tell me about your staff,” she spoke loudly over the end of his sentence.
He arched an eyebrow and cocked his head.
Meredith jerkily pushed at her hair, took a drink of Propel, and couldn’t meet his gaze. “Taylee?” she asked. “What does she do for you?”
Cruz didn’t want to give her the out, but he didn’t want to push her too hard either. He started talking as they ate their meal. He told her about his different employees, how he met each of them, and what they did. He finished eating, wondering what they’d do next. It wasn’t even seven o’clock. He wanted to get her to talk to him but didn’t quite know how.
“What about Josh?” she asked as she compiled the leftovers into one takeout container.
“Josh?” It bugged him that she wanted to know about Josh.
“Isn’t he one of your cameramen?”
“I fired him a couple of nights ago,” Cruz admitted.
“Oh, really? I had no idea. He came in for ice cream today.”
Cruz’s gut tightened. He hadn’t seen the guy and assumed he’d left the valley. It made sense that he’d try to see Meredith. The man had quit because Cruz had told him to stay away from her. It made him angry that he’d dare stay around and pursue her. He stood to gather their trash and shoved it into the kitchen garbage can.
“Why’d you fire him?” Meredith asked to his back.
Cruz turned and folded his arms across his chest. Meredith’s gaze trailed over his arms and chest before she met his gaze again. He liked knowing she found him attractive, but talking about Josh reminded him of yet another issue that he and Meredith needed to work out. The mood had definitely shifted, and he regretted losing the carefree happy feelings he’d had moments earlier.
“He said he was coming after you, and he’s a major player. I didn’t want you hurt, so I told him to leave the valley and meet me at Flathead Lake in a couple of weeks, or I’d fire him. He chose the latter.” And apparently, he hadn’t left the valley.
Meredith studied him. “He said you were the player and told me story after story, backed up by photos and videos online.” She didn’t look obstinate or mad, but she seemed more confused about who to trust and what to believe.
Cruz wanted to walk to her, take her in his arms, and prove to her she was the only woman he’d ever want to be with, but he didn’t know if that would work. “How long have you known me, Mer?”
“All my life.”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
She stared at him as if she were thinking about it and then decisively shook her head no. “No.”