Page 68 of The Oscar Escape
Oscar nodded. He focused on the closed cabinet door a beat longer, then returned to the fridge.
She opened and closed a few more cabinet doors before one cupboard looked promising. She pawed through packets of crackers and boxes of bagels, listening as Oscar rummaged around on the other side of the kitchen. She touched a plastic bag and spied two loaves. “Found it,” she announced and snagged the bread.
“I can’t believe they have this,” Oscar remarked, astonishment coating his words.
She turned to find him inspecting a jar.
He held it so she could see the label. “It was way in the back. It’s apple butter from Applebaum Farms. The same exact apple butter that’s in—”
“The Say Cheese Louise signature sandwich,” Aria squealed as her stomach growled. Sweet and savory, Oscar’s father had created this signature grilled cheese sandwich for his food truck business years ago, before Oscar was born. “Tell me you found a hunk of cheddar cheese and some delish Dijon mustard.”
Now that she had that delicacy on her mind, she couldn’t stop thinking about it until she had a bite.
He stepped aside and revealed the ingredients on the counter.
She did a happy dance. “I haven’t had a Signature Louise in ages. It’s hard to imagine our childhood without thinking of that sandwich.”
He flipped on the cooktop. “I haven’t made it in years. Ivy likes the Signature Charlotte. That’s what I make for her when I’m in Denver. It’s been a while since I’ve whipped up the Louise.”
She handed him the loaves. “What aboutme?”
“What about you?” Oscar asked with a sexy smirk as he prepped the ingredients.
“What would you use to make aSignature Ariasandwich?”
“Mole-lay,” he announced without hesitation.
“Mole-lay?” she repeated, not sure what the hell he was talking about. “Like a mole—a rodent?”
He shook his head. “It’s spelledm-o-l-ebut pronouncedmoe-lay. It’s a Mexican sauce. It’s thick, spicy, and it’s often made with chocolate.”
“Chocolate? I like the sound of that.” She leaned against the counter across from the cooktop and observed the man in his element.
“Next, Cotija cheese. Have you ever tried it?” He glanced over his shoulder at her as he sliced the block of cheddar.
“No, that’s new to me.”
“It’s a little salty—and milky. You’d love it. And then a buttery brioche for the bread.” At the mention of butter, he slapped a thick pad of the stuff onto the surface. It hissed and sputtered as he arranged the slices of bread and constructed a line of Signature Louise sandwiches.
She watched him closely. “Sounds like you’ve put some thought into this sandwich.”
“I have.”
That got her attention. She abandoned her relaxed posture and came to his side to see his face. “You came up with a sandwich for me?”
He monitored the cooktop, but the ghost of a grin graced his lips. “I did.”
“When?” she asked—no, demanded.
“A couple of years ago. I was working with a team on a culinary documentary in Mexico’s Puebla region. A little oldabuela—a granny—in this village insisted on cooking for us. That’s when I tasted mole for the first time. It made me think of you.”
“Traveling the globe makes you happy.” She wasn’t sure if she was asking him a question or making a statement.
With rapid flicks of his wrist, he flipped the line of sandwiches, then picked up a lone morsel of cheese left on the cutting block. He held it to her lips. “You make me happy.”
She accepted the bit of cheddar and studied his face. Yes, he’d confessed his feelings for her. And yes, he loved her. But was it real? No, that wasn’t the question. The question was, would their love endure after they left Havenmatch Island? It had to, right? There was no going back. He’d spoken those very words. She tucked her worries away and focused on Oscar as he surveyed the cooktop. The man was a genius at work. She wanted to capture the magic. “Don’t move,” she ordered, then scanned the kitchen and found his camera bag hanging over the back of a chair in the corner of the room.
He frowned. “I have to move. I’m cooking for twelve.”
