"Good morning." Rick stood framed in the kitchen doorway in his usual pose.
Angelyn's stomach clenched in reaction at the sight of him. Did he have to look so good? Sternly, she reminded herself to keep things light and friendly. "Good morning. Coffee?"
"Sure. Something smells good." Rick glanced at the covered skillet on the stove. She saw a look of anticipation on his face when she lifted the skillet lid allowing the aromas to escape into the air.
"Scrambled egg casserole. What time will Cory be home?"
"I expect his grandmother will have him home about the time I get home from work this evening. She wanted to keep him for a large part of the day. Would you mind adding some extra shredded cheese?" he asked hopefully.
"Sure, about that much? That's very nice for Cory. I'm sure he loves being with his grandparents." Angelyn smiled wistfully.
"Yes, he does," Rick said, giving an agreeable nod.
"Well, that will give me lots of time to get a few extra things done around here."
"Like bake cookies?" Rick cajoled, looking more like his son.
"Like bake cookies." Angelyn gave a half-smile. "I'm guessing the favorite would be chocolate chip?"
"How'd you ever guess?"
She chuckled. "I'm just smart that way."
"Have you heard anything on your house?" Rick placed his filled to heaping plate on the table before returning to fill a plate for her.
Angelyn busied herself pouring two fresh cups of coffee. "There are been quite a few interested parties looking, and one couple has made a return visit so I'm hopeful. The realtor also has several locations for me to look at on Saturday as possibilities for my center, so I thought I'd ask Cissy to go with me to check them out if that's convenient for you." She handed him a freshly pressed linen napkin while he passed the salt.
"Sure, take your time. I'll be home all day. By the way, I drove through the Timber Creek area yesterday and saw a nice location that might be something to look at, if you'd be interested." Rick offered.
Surprised but pleased, Angelyn nodded her head and took a quick sip from her cup. "Oh, Rick. I appreciate it. Yes, I'd be interested."
Breakfast passed in leisurely conversation before Rick glanced at his watch with a grimace.
"Where'd the time go?" he said with a grin reaching over to grab their empty plates.
Angelyn placed her hand on his to restrain his movements. "Leave it. You'd better get going before you're late."
"Okay, I'll call you later. I might stop in for lunch."
"I'll have something ready in case you do," Angelyn said with a nod. She drew in a sudden intake of air when she felt Rick drop a casual kiss on the crown of her head. Looking up at him with wide eyes, he just grinned and gave her a jaunty salute.
"I couldn't resist. We've been sitting here like we've been doing this routine for years. It just seemed a natural progression," he said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Shame on you. No teasing or fraternizing with the hired help," she admonished, still feeling shocked even though she knew he was only joking. "Go to work or no cookies for you."
All she got for her pains was a hearty laugh.
Angelyn couldn't have said how long she sat there, still able to feel the press of his lips in her hair.
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