Chase glanced at Maddy, eyebrows drawntogether in confusion.
"You cook. What do you cook? Steaks on thegrill? Burgers?" She goaded him, the side of her mouth turned up inchallenge.
Chase rolled his eyes playfully. She alwaysdid know how to both unsettle and soothe him at the same time. "Iwouldn't say I have a specialty. Of course, I can grill a damn goodsteak or throw together an impressive burger, but generally, I justthrow together what sounds good. What about you?"
***
Maddy considered a brief, feminist, 'why doyou assume I can cook' retort, but she actually enjoyed cooking aswell. "Same. I make good salads, pastas, veggies of any kind. Ilike to experiment with whatever is in the fridge."
"You said your kitchen would be complete oncethis amazing dishwasher is part of the family. Maybe you shouldmake me a gourmet dinner as payment for driving you all this wayfor a fancy appliance." He turned his head to Maddy and gave her aquick look; she wished she could read the expression but was leftin the dark. She'd play along, though.
"Or, maybe you could bring over some of thefancy herbs you buy and make me a gourmet dinner. And, I'll do thedishes with my new state-of-the-art dishwasher." Perfect. She couldseduce him in the comfort of her own home.
Chase's face took on a pained expression. Washe regretting inviting himself to her place? She watched him fromher seat, wondering what was on his mind.
They returned to a companionable silence formost of the drive, interrupted only by the occasional comment aboutthe architecture or geography. Finally, they pulled into thehardware megastore. "We should have brought your old dishwasherwith us to see if they'd dispose of it."
"I thought about it, but didn't want to missmy ride, as in, I didn't want to keep you waiting. Besides, I knowthe high school shop teacher. They love random crap to take apartand try to repair." Maddy slid out of the car and walked around tomeet Chase at the front of the truck. "Ready to see the world'smost high-tech but reasonably priced dishwasher?" She grinned andraised her eyebrows in a joking come-hither face.
Chase found himself laughing with her again.This was becoming a nasty habit. "After you." And he watched herwalk confidently into the store.
***
Maddy was a determined woman-on-a-mission,going straight to appliances, until she stopped like adog-after-a-squirrel in the lighting section. "Ooo, I love thischandelier. It looks like it belongs in an old castle. But I dolove the one in my dining room. Hmm, maybe I need a chandelier inmy bedroom..."
Chase took her hand and dragged her out ofthe lighting section. "Payson warned me about you."
Maddy paused. Maybe she was wrong about heand Payson. That stupid pang of jealousy returned. She looked backat Chase with questioning eyes.
"At the antique store. My new dining roomtable. Apparently, you'd been coveting it, despite you having agreat dining room table. She knew we were friends and revealed yourtoddler-esque furniture-gimmes. I guess that extends to other homefixtures as well." Chase teased her.
An odd sense of relief overwhelmed her. Thiswas not good. One night, maximum. Maybe two. "Maybe." She smiledback and allowed him to feel like he was dragging her pasthousehold decor to the appliance section. In reality, she wantedhimmuch more than the chandelier.
Maddy was glad she'd done her research beforearriving at the store. She despised wheeling and dealing. Severalsalespeople had attempted to sell her various protection plans andupgrades. Knowing exactly what she wanted, she brushed past themand pointed to the one she wanted. "I'll take this one and the hosekit. Can you ring me up here?" They promised to have the dishwasherwaiting in the loading zone in thirty minutes. She turned to Chase,"Well, that was fun. Want to check out the plant section here foryour herbs?"
"Let's head that direction." Chase grabbedher hand again to lead her to the plant section. Unnecessary, asshe was walking with him anyway. More, she enjoyed the fire itstirred low in her belly.
Maddy enjoyed watching Chase pick out hisherb collection. He'd studied and smelled each one with expertise,surprising Maddy. "I can't imagine how you would grow herbs whenyou spent most of your time away on the rig, nor can I imagineHenry giving you the cash for fancy ingredients or plants."
"No, you're right. I have absolutely noexperience growing herbs." He picked up a full-bodied oregano in a6-inch pot and added it to the cart, "But, I'm finding I like italready."
Maddy stood back to watch him perusing theherb section and putting the occasional plant into the cart. Shenever realized how sexy picking out herbs could be, but maybe itwas the contrast of the delicate process of plant selection withhis faded gray t-shirt with jeans riding low over his hips andwearing his signature day-beyond-5-o'clock-shadow. The image wouldbe permanently cemented in Maddy's mind. Which, inevitably, lead toa pleasant fantasy about how delicately he might touch her.
Soon, Chase finished picking out his new herbcollection with a variety of ceramic pots and organic soil. Theychecked out and made their way to the truck. With Maddy'sdishwasher loaded up, and Chase's finds secured into the back, theyhopped in the truck. Chase turned on the engine and turned down theradio, "You hungry?"
"Starving. Want to grab some lunch?"
***
Chase found himself starving, but not forfood. He looked across the cab at Maddy and tried not to stare athow her silky top caressed her skin. If only he could come up withreason for her to sit in the middle seat again; maybe he'd breakthe seatbelt when she wasn't looking. This was getting ridiculous.She was absolutely hands-off, and he found himself forgetting whyhe was trying to resist.
"I haven't been here in ages. Where do youwant to go?"
Maddy closed her eyes and appeared tomeditate for a moment. "Hmmm. What sounds good...?"
"Are you asking me or is this a rhetoricalquestion?" Chase watched her and laughed.
"I'm imagining eating to determine what I'min the mood for. It's a good strategy." With a satisfied sigh, shelooked back to Chase. "How about Mexican? The quesadilla in mybrain is delicious. There's a collection of food trucks at thebeachside park that has amazing food." She grinned and looked backat him.
