Page 6 of Fascinated with the Mountain Man

But luck was on my side.

“I’d love to.” Jolene smiled, and all was right with the world once more. At least for now.

CHAPTER FOUR

Jolene

That night,Aster and I feasted on scrumptious meatloaf and mashed potatoes. “Wow, I never knew you were such a good cook.”

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not.” His hazel eyes twinkled.

“It’s a great compliment. I know you didn’t learn it from Cash or Caden.”

I nearly choked on my beer. “Damn straight. One of the foster homes I went to for a little while had an older woman, the grandmother of the house so to speak, and she showed me a lot of things in the kitchen. I liked her attention, so I ate it up.”

“Aw, Aster. That’s so sweet. I’m glad she got to be a part of your life.”

“Her buttermilk biscuits melt in your mouth. The secret? Using lard as your fat.”

“Lard?” I made a face.

“It’s just pork fat. Believe me, the flavor is irreplaceable.”

“You’ll have to show me sometime.”

“Sure will.”

“Oh! Before I forget, Cash and Leighton are having a get-together this weekend. They wanted me to spread the word.”

“Really? What’s the occasion?”

“Leighton’s birthday.”

“Nice. Never did I expect to see Cash settle down.”

“Me neither. Nor Caden. What’s going on around here?” I laughed.

“Glad I found my person already,” Aster said beneath his breath, but I heard every syllable. My heart leaped into my throat, and I felt as if I couldn’t breathe.

“What?” I choked out.

“I asked if you wanted to stay for dessert, maybe watch a movie?”

He could pretend all he wanted, but I knew what I heard. And while I should politely decline and head home to my cat, the word yes fell from my lips anyway.

“Great. I need to do my night chores on the farm, but then I’m all yours.” Aster winked and stood from the table. He began clearing the dishes and carrying them over to the sink.

“I’ll take care of those. You go do your chores.”

“I can’t have you cleaning up around here.”

“That’s silly. You cooked for me. The least I could do is clean up.”

“Okay, okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll be back in a bit.” Aster disappeared into the mudroom and out the back door, all three dogs trailing him.

I finished cleaning off the table and loaded the dishwasher. It was like we were playing house, and while most of me loved it, a big part of me was confused.

Caden wouldn’t change his mind, and I doubted Aster would do anything to sacrifice his friendship. Where did we even go from here?

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