Read Summer In Stanton (Stanton Falls #3) for Free Online Page B

seasoning skills.”

 
    “Well even if I did
enjoy it, I don’t know how an old lady like me would learn cookin’ at this age.
 What am I supposed to do, go to one of them fancy schools that Chef Alvin
went to?”

 
    That gave Tessa an idea
and she smiled.  

 
    “In a sense.”

 
    “What you mean?”

 
    “I mean that I could
show you a few things.  Basic ingredients and tricks that will have your
food better than any restaurant stuff.”

 
    “Really?  You would
take from your vacation to do that?”

 
    “Yeah.  It might
sound kind of strange for me to offer but I’d like to.  Because of my
job--former job--back home, I don’t find the time to cook anymore.  I’d
forgotten how much fun it was.  How much I used to love doing it with my
mom.  She always said that cooking could bring any two people together.”

 
    “Your story is so nice.
 How could I possibly say no to that?”

 
    “You can’t.  And
your problem is so easy to fix, I promise.  When I was in your kitchen, I
noticed you have hardly any seasonings in there.  I’m gonna have to head
to the store and get some so how about I go through your menu and go to the
store tomorrow?  I’ll pick up some stuff to spice things up.”

 
    “Oh I can’t let you do
that honey.  You’re a guest here.”

 
    “Exactly.  Consider
it me being selfish.  If I’m going to last here two weeks, I’m going to
need salt to survive.”

 
    The old lady and Tessa
laughed at each other as they continued to enjoy their pancakes.
   

 
 
    ***

 
 
    Tessa got out of her car
and headed towards the entrance of the grocery store when she saw the bed and breakfast
manager walking in her direction.  She didn’t want to create a scene.
 At the same time, she didn’t really know what to say to him.  She’d
just as soon not talk to him but since he was walking in her direction, she
guessed it would be considered rude to run away.  

 
    “Ms. McGuire.”

 
    She smiled at him.

 
    “Please.  After the
last twenty-four hours, I think we can at least use first names.  In fact,
maybe we should start over.”  

 
    She took her hand off of
her shopping cart and extended it to him.

 
    “Tessa.”

 
    “Great.  I’m Connor
and I wanna thank you for staying.”

 
    “Well, despite the
ownership issues, I think your little bed and breakfast is really nice.  I
haven’t slept like I did last night since I moved to New York.”

 
    “Different city huh?”

 
    “More like a different world. ”

 
    “Yeah.  We get that
in Stanton Falls a lot.”

 
    “I bet.”

 
    Tessa looked up at
Connor.  In spite of his attempt at a gruff exterior, she could read him
as easily as he had read her and every mannerism about him told her that he had
the world on his shoulders.  That only made her feel worse about her
attitude yesterday.  So many people had bigger problems than her ruined
clothes.  

 
    “So. Doing a little
grocery shopping?”

 
    “Yeah.”

 
    “You know we have a cook
at the b and b right?”

 
    “Of course.  I’ve
met her and she’s nice but her food could use a little help.”

 
    “Maybe but she tries.”

 
    She could tell by the
way he said it that he was a little protective of Ms. Celia.  He probably
thought she was being rude again.  She started to tell him what she was
doing but changed her mind.  If he’d misjudged her again that quickly,
that was his fault this time.  All he had to do was ask but she didn’t
have time to go around that again.  

 
    “Yeah. Anyway, you
shopping too?  Maybe I should just have you pick my stuff up for me too.”

 
    “I’d be glad to but I’m
actually headed to the flower store next door.”

 
    “A guy that buys flowers
huh?  You can’t be all that bad.”

 
    “Don’t let that fool
you.   I have been known to say completely stupid stuff to people I
hardly know.”

 
    “I bet.  Well