Page 11 of Call It Love (Sterling Mill #5)

Anna

“I’m just me .”

Chase’s earlier words echoed in my head.

That was the problem, though, wasn’t it? There wasn’t anything “just” about him. I’d never known anyone as hardworking or kind as Chase. Too bad I hadn’t fully appreciated that until it was too late.

He deserved better than any trouble I potentially brought to his doorstep. But he wasn’t worried. Instead, he seemed determined to prove to his sisters, the town, maybe himself, that the past was where it belonged—behind us.

Chase didn’t appear to be in a hurry to get rid of me, and even if I shouldn’t, I was going to absorb the kindness he graced me with. I hadn’t been here at my new job for a full day, and already I felt more at ease than I had in a long time.

Still, one thing was certain. I refused to become a burden.

It only took me a few minutes to unpack my suitcases and explore the small cabin.

It was simple, maybe a little bland. But for now, it was mine.

Chase had mentioned I could use his laptop to order some things to make it more personal and usable, but I refused to let him spend his money on it.

Now that I had a place to stay and a job, it was safe to dip a little into my meager savings.

Stepping outside, I breathed in the fresh air. I closed my eyes and tipped my head back, relishing the feel of the sun on my face and letting it settle into my soul. I felt like the world was finally quiet enough that I could relax and take it in.

Three things I accomplished would be easy today.

I feel safe

I have a purpose

I’m not afraid of tomorrow

They weren’t things I could touch, but they were mine . Hard-won freedoms I hadn’t been able to enjoy in a long time.

Smiling, I opened my eyes. In the distance, I could see Chase and the sullen boy I’d gotten a peek of earlier headed across the grass in a small utility vehicle toward the fields of trees. To my surprise, the boy was behind the wheel.

I was curious about what had landed him here at Silver Creek Farm.

Judging from his scowl I saw through the window, it was easy to believe he wasn’t here by his own choice.

But beneath the sullenness and rigid posture, I sensed something.

Maybe it was the haunch of his shoulders or how he kept his eyes on the ground.

I couldn’t be sure, but I had a feeling it wasn’t just anger he felt. He looked lost. Maybe a little scared.

All emotions with which I resonated.

At my feet, Jack flopped to his back, as if he, too, felt safe enough to let his guard down.

I grinned. “You want to stretch your legs?”

In a flash, he rolled over and sprang to his feet, his tail wagging with anticipation.

“All right, boy. I guess you proved earlier you don’t need to be on a leash.”

He took off across the grass, pausing only to glance back at me. He bent his front legs in a wriggling play bow as if to say I was taking too long. I laughed and followed him, feeling a little extra pep in my step.

Jack wasn’t the only one who wasn’t on a leash anymore.

As we played, my thoughts kept drifting back to the boy. Chase hadn’t given me an exact rundown of what was expected of me as the new housekeeper, but maybe I could find something I could do until we worked out the details.

My stomach growled a little, reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything since Em’s amazing breakfast. I didn’t have any food in the cabin, something I’d have to take care of first thing after Chase went over his expectations with me.

Whistling for Jack, I led him to the main house and tentatively let myself inside.

Chase had told me to make myself at home, but I still felt like a sneak as I opened the fridge.

A quick search of the crisper drawers revealed a ton of lunch meat, a variety of cheeses, and another drawer was full of garden vegetables.

The rest of the fridge was full of miscellaneous groceries, and the freezer held plenty of frozen meat.

I hesitated, wondering if Chase had any plans for the food in here.

Then I thought about how the teenager looked like he could use a good meal.

I didn’t know if Chase would allow him into the house, but at the very least, I could make something he could take with him.

Hopefully, Chase wouldn’t mind. And if he did, I was good at apologizing.

I’d simply replace the food as soon as I could.

Decision made, I lost myself in cooking.

Sometime later, the kitchen was filled with the savory scents of good, old-fashioned comfort food.

Peeled potatoes simmered alongside fresh green beans mixed with bits of bacon.

The chicken I’d thawed quickly in warm water was breaded and ready for the hot oil heating on the stovetop, and golden biscuits cooled on the counter.

On the island, a cutting board held neatly sliced tomatoes and onions alongside jars of pickles, mayo, and mustard, and a loaf of sandwich bread—everything for an enormous meal that should satisfy even the pickiest eater.

I took a step back, momentarily surprised. After so many years of not cooking, I’d somehow managed to pull this together. It gave me hope that I’d be able to handle the job Marta used to do.

My stomach growled, eager to dig in. I hoped Chase would make a reappearance soon, hopefully with his sidekick. Most of it could be kept warm easily enough if the guys were late.

I’d just put the last piece of chicken into the hot oil when the kitchen door slammed, startling me.

“Whoa.”

The teen stood next to Chase with his jaw dropped. His eyes widened as he stared at the kitchen table loaded with bowls and platters. He seemed frozen until Jack whined and nuzzled Jordan’s waist.

“You’ve got a dog?” He cocked his head. “I mean, it is a dog, right? He’s huge.”

“He’s a Great Dane,” I answered, surprised at how easily my dog adopted another friend. If only it were that easy for me. “His name is Jack.”

The boy bent and used both hands to pet Jack. He murmured words I couldn’t make out, but both Jack and I understood the tone. Jack’s tail wagged as he leaned into his new devotee, soaking up the attention.

Meanwhile, Chase studied me with quiet intent. “You did all this?”

I couldn’t read his expression, and uncertainty crept into my chest.

“Um. Yes. I hope that was okay. Of course, I’ll help pay for anything,” I added quickly, suddenly conscious of the amount of food I used, not even knowing if anyone liked it.

Not to mention, I hadn’t finished cleaning up.

“I’m sorry. Let me clean up, and I’ll get out of the way. I overstepped, and I’m sorry?—”

Chase’s brow furrowed. “Why are you apologizing? This is incredible! Jordan, man, let’s wash up and grab a plate.” Chase looked at me. “You, too.”

The boy finally had a name, and Jordan didn’t have to be told twice. He gave Jack one last scratch, then washed his hands at the kitchen sink before loading up a plate with a bit of everything except the sandwich makings, though I saw him eyeballing it against his full plate.

Chase followed behind him, but before he sat down, he glanced at me. “Thank you.” His eyes shifted meaningfully to Jordan, who’d already finished a fried chicken leg and was reaching for another.

Jordan offered an almost imperceptible nod without taking his eyes away from his plate. “Yeah. Thanks.”

I breathed a little easier. I fixed myself a plate, but it wasn’t nearly as full as the others. For several minutes, we ate in silence, with just the sounds of forks scraping against the plates.

Jordan broke the silence; his voice was hesitant. “Is it okay if I get some more? ”

“Have as much as you want,” Chase answered. “In fact, you should know that a hot lunch will be provided for you while you’re working here. Part of the job.”

Jordan stared at Chase, his fork in midair as skepticism creased his brow. “For real?”

Chase nodded. “You’ll have earned it. Trust me.”

Jordan’s eyes flickered to me. “She always cook like this?”

“That’s completely up to her. This is Anna. She’s a good friend who is going to help me run the house.”

“Friend, huh?” A smirk twisted Jordan’s lips.

Chase put his fork down and leaned forward. “She’s a friend. And while you’re here, I expect you to treat her—and anyone else on this farm—with respect. We clear?”

To my surprise, Jordan immediately dropped his attitude. “Yeah.”

Chase studied him a moment longer as if he had more he wanted to say, but he let whatever it was go.

Jordan went back to his food, finishing his second full helping, when a knock sounded at the kitchen door.

Reid’s handsome face appeared through the screen, but before he could open it, Jack’s ears shot up, and his hackles raised as a deep warning growl rumbled from his chest. Interesting that he didn’t do that with Jordan.

“Easy, boy,” Chase soothed. “He’s a friend.”

I called Jack’s name, and he responded immediately, trotting to my side, but he remained alert as he stared at Reid.

Chase opened the door, and Reid’s surprised eyes went immediately to Jack. “Wow. That’s some kind of security system you’ve got there.” His eyes settled on me. “Is he yours?”

“He’s mine,” I confirmed softly.

He nodded, and his expression softened. “It’s nice to see you again, Anna. I didn’t know you were in town. I haven’t seen you since…”

I knew what he meant. I didn’t want to put him in the position to be polite and lie and say he was sorry my husband had died.

“Nice to see you, too, Sheriff.”

“Reid, please,” he corrected with a smile as Jack sat in front of him, a sign he’d accepted Reid, who rewarded him with a good head rub.

I returned a well-practiced, polite one of my own.

Reid seemed like a nice guy, but I wasn’t sure we’d ever be friends.

His wife was Bristol, and while she and I had shared polite words, I knew we weren’t at a point to grab dinner together.

Maybe we never would. But for now, ingrained manners helped me through the awkward moment of silence.

“Would you like something to eat?”

Reid started to shake his head, but after another quick glance at the spread, followed by a drawn-out inhale, he changed his mind. “Yes, please. It smells too damn good to pass up, and I’ve got another two hours on my shift. Let me just call Dispatch so they know I’ll be here a bit longer.”

I turned my attention back to Jordan. While I had no idea what his circumstances were, one thing was obvious—he needed to eat more than he appeared to be getting.

I grabbed the bread and started piling extra meat and cheese between the slices.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chase watching, a knowing look on his face as he figured out what I was doing.

Without a word, he pulled out waxed paper and started wrapping the sandwiches, then loaded up a disposable plate with more chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, and biscuits and carefully covered it with foil.

I placed them into a plastic grocery bag I found in the pantry.

“Here,” I said, handing the bag to Jordan. “Take this with you.”

Jordan stared at the bag without taking it. Perplexed, I put it on the table in front of him. He still didn’t make a move to take it, but flicked a glance at Reid, who was quietly watching.

I saw the conflict in Jordan’s expression. It was one thing to eat here, where he’d earned the food while he was here. It was another to admit he wanted or needed it somewhere else.

I sat back down in my seat, trying to keep my tone light. “Please. Take it. I haven’t cooked in a while and got a little too carried away in making some of my favorites. I made way too much, and I don’t want it to go to waste.”

Jordan eyed the bag with such longing that I felt my heart nearly break. Then he swept it up. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

On the surface, it sounded a little gruff, but it was enough to know he was sincere.

A few minutes later, Reid stood, brushing crumbs from his uniform. “We’d better get going,” he said to Jordan.

It seemed like it was with a little reluctance that Jordan got up. He scratched Jack’s head and mumbled another “thank you,” then followed Reid out to his vehicle, cradling his food in front of him.

Just like that, the house was quiet again.

Chase glanced at me. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I have a feeling that boy is holding a lot inside him. I don’t know what led him here, but I’m glad it did. I have a feeling being here will be good for him. ”

I’d already felt it myself, that quiet sense of healing.

I hoped it would be the same for Jordan.