Love and Leftovers Read online

  “Looks like you made some friends here yesterday.” Lucy’s voice held a note of confusion.

  Before he could answer, a woman holding a bag of onions rushed over. “Mr. Carson! I’m here getting ingredients to make your summer casserole.” She held up her bag. “Could we take a picture? My friends won’t ever believe I met Tate Carson. Oh, and maybe an autograph, too?”

  He forced a smile. It had been nice being with someone who had no idea who he was, but Lucy had to find out sometime. “Certainly.”

  The woman handed her phone to Lucy. “Would you mind taking a picture?”

  Lucy was holding back a smile. “No problem.” She took a few pictures, then Tate signed the back of the woman’s shopping list.

  “You should open a restaurant up here! You’d have them lined up out the door.”

  “I’m pretty busy as it is, but thank you.” Dealing with attention from his fans was always embarrassing - the flirty, confident guy he played on TV wasn’t really him.

  “See you on TV!” The woman laughed.

  God willing, he thought.

  The woman bustled off and Lucy crossed her arms, narrowing her beautiful eyes. “What was that all about?”

  He rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve got this cooking show … Hot Stuff in the Kitchen.” He tried not to cringe when he said the name. He’d fought for something more respectable, but the producers wanted to sell his sex appeal as well as his cooking skills. They even made him wear tight Tshirts - it was in his contract.

  Lucy dragged a hand down her face. “I served magic meatloaf to a celebrity chef.”

  “I’ve never had anything like it,” Tate said.

  “I bet.”

  Alexa’s mouth hung open. “You’re famous?”

  Tate tousled her hair. “Only to people who like to cook.”

  They walked on, Tate picking out vegetables and fruits as more people stopped to meet him and take pictures.

  “It’s going to be a long summer for you, Mr. Carson,” Lucy said. “I hope you didn’t think you were going to hide out in Maine for a break from all this.” She paused in front of one of the booths and took a strawberry shortcake sample.

  “No, I came up here for a change of pace. I need to work on a new cookbook, so I’ll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen this summer.”

  “Not all your time, I hope,” Lucy said, finishing the dessert sample and licking the tines of the plastic fork. There was nothing sexier than watching a beautiful woman eat, and watching Lucy eat something he’d made? He couldn’t wait to enjoy that moment.

  “I’m sure I’ll find some free time.” Usually, he had better self-control than this. Really he should explain that he wouldn’t have any time for socializing - that he’d basically be locked in his kitchen for six weeks - but he was standing in front of one of the most appealing women he’d met in a long time. Maybe ever. He’d make the time.

  Alexa put her hands on her hips. “You have to go to the beach at least. It’s right behind your house.”

  “Good point,” Tate said. He’d never paid much attention to kids - he didn’t have any nieces or nephews, and children were just never around. So it was surprising him how much he liked Lucy’s daughter and her sassy little attitude.

  “Are you going to make us dinner tonight since we made you dinner last night?” Alexa asked. “That’s fair, right?”

  “Alexa!” Lucy scolded her daughter. “Tate just explained how busy he’s going to be.” She widened her eyes at Alexa.

  “No, she has a good point. I do owe you dinner. As it turns out, I’m having some lobster tonight before I start working on my recipes, and I’ll have more than enough to share. You can come over to my house tonight.”

  “Yay!” Alexa said. “I love lobsters! I saw some at the aquarium.”

  “Only if it’s not too much trouble,” Lucy said.

  “I’d be very disappointed if you didn’t.” He looked down and realized he had reached for her hand. Awkwardly, he dropped his hand back to his side.

  *

  Tate wanted to get started on dinner, but when Lucy wandered out of her house in that black bikini, he relented to Alexa’s pleas of “Come to the beach, beach, beach!”

  The beach was in their backyard, after all. The three of them gathered buckets and chairs and an umbrella and tromped along the wooden boardwalk that snaked through the dune grass down to the beach.

  Alexa ran for the waves, dropping her toys behind her as she splashed into the surf.

  Lucy laughed. “I swear, she’s part water bug.”

  They set up their beach chairs and stuck the umbrella in the sand between them.

  He reached for the sunscreen sticking out of her beach bag. “Don’t forget this.”

  Smiling shyly, she took the sunscreen from him and squeezed out a handful. She rubbed it over the smooth skin of her arms and legs. Her gestures were beautiful to watch. Then she handed the tube to him. “Can you get my back?” She lifted her hair off her neck and glanced over her shoulder at him.

  “Sure.” His voice was hoarse. He knelt by her chair and squeezed out a dollop, then worked the lotion into her shoulders and down her back. His strokes were longer and slower than necessary, but at least he resisted the urge to plant a kiss at the base of her neck.

  The way she looked back at him made him think she wouldn’t have minded. “You’re going to have to come to the beach more often.”

  He traced his fingers over the splotchy tan on her back. “I should for your sake.”

  Lucy frowned, straining her neck to look behind her. “Alexa’s not very good at sunscreen application.”

  He leaned closer and tucked a flyaway curl behind her ear. “I’ll do it for you any time.”

  She looked down, blinking several times. “Thanks.” Her whisper was swept away by the wind.

  And so were all the plans for the recipes he was going to make later that night. Around Lucy, he could think of only one thing.

  *

  Lucy quickly decided she could watch Tate cook all day long. Lobsters boiled in the pot while Tate diced onions so quickly and with such precision that she felt like she was watching a performance. Now that she knew who he was and what he could do, she gave him huge points for not only for making magic meatloaf, but eating it too.

  Her karma sure had a funny sense of humor.

  “We should eat outside. We’re still a bit sandy,” Lucy said, noticing Alexa’s grimy legs.

  “That’s okay. I’ve got a cleaning lady coming once a week.”

  “Can you send her to my place?” Lucy joked.

  “It’s a requirement that beach houses have a trace of sand.” He winked. “But it seems wrong to have lobster inside when we’re just steps from the ocean. We’re almost ready here, if you want to take the plates outside.”

  Lucy and Alexa took the place settings outside. “This is a first. You’ve never had lobster, kiddo.”

  “Can I keep one in a tank?” Alexa asked. She’d spent a long time helping Tate pick out the ones to get. “I want the little one. I’m going to feed him corn. I think he’d like that.”

  Lucy gulped. “Oh, no, honey. They’re not pets … they’re … “

  “Dinner is served.” Tate came outside holding a platter with three bright-red boiled lobsters. Their dull black eyes seemed to stare at Lucy and Alexa.

  Alexa screamed. “What did you do to them?” Tears streamed down her face, and snot quickly followed. “They’re not moving!”

  “Honey, it’s okay.” Lucy grabbed a napkin and cleaned up Alexa while Tate slipped back inside. “Let me get you some water.”

  Lucy followed Tate in and shut the door behind her. “I’m sorry. I guess she didn’t understand that ‘having lobster for dinner’ meant eating them, not hosting them.”

  Tate tried to hold back a laugh, but couldn’t. “I’m sorry. It’s not funny.”

  Lucy covered her mouth. “Yes, it is.”

  He let his laughter spill out. �
��Give me ten minutes and I can turn these into lobster rolls. Then she won’t have to see her meal glaring at her.”

  “You’re great.” And without planning to, she kissed him on the cheek. As his smile disappeared, she felt hers fall, too. “I better check on her.” And she hurried outside.

  She sat next to Alexa at the picnic table. “Tate is making something different for dinner. Lobsters are horrible pets anyway, they snap you with their claws!” Lucy playfully pinched her daughter’s arm.

  Alexa’s eyes widened. “That’s not nice of them.”

  “No, it’s not.” Alexa’s father, Mike, would bust a gut when Lucy told him about this.

  She sighed. Sometimes thoughts of her ex would pop up when she least expected it. It had been six months since the divorce. That was enough time to move someone out of your home and even your heart, but not your thoughts. When you’ve spent six years thinking of one person, it’s hard to stop, even when the love is gone. Although to be honest, she wasn’t sure the romantic love had ever been there. Perhaps it had only been the connection they shared in raising their child together. All this had to be even harder for Mike. He hadn’t wanted the divorce, and now he didn’t get to see Alexa very often.

  “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

  She rubbed Alexa’s back. “Nothing. I’m just hungry.”

  Luckily, Tate stepped outside with a plate of lobster rolls.

  “Yum, beach rolls!” Lucy quickly said, fixing her gaze on Tate.

  Tate raised an eyebrow, then nodded. “Right! My world famous beach rolls.”

  *

  Dinner was great, and Alexa never made the connection between the missing lobsters and the beach rolls.

  After clearing away the dishes and chatting over steaming mugs of coffee, Lucy stood and stretched. “We’re going to get out of your hair so you can get to work on your recipes. I’d like to volunteer my services as taste tester.” She didn’t really want to leave, but she knew he had lots of work to do. Plus, she still wasn’t sure what he’d thought of that kiss.

  “Me too,” Alexa said. “And I’ll have more beach rolls if you make them.”

  “No problem, kiddo.” Tate stood on the deck, watching them walk across the sandy lot between his house and theirs.

  Lucy turned to wave and then stepped inside. Her cell was ringing on the kitchen counter. Alexa dashed to answer it. “Hello? Daddy! We’re having so much fun. I wish you were here.” She nodded and smiled as he talked to her.

  Lucy sank onto the sofa in the family room. Alexa skipped over and handed her the phone. “Daddy wants to talk to you.”

  Lucy smiled and reached for the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, sounds like you’re having a good time.” His familiar voice hit her in the gut.

  “We are. It’s beautiful up here.” She was enchanted with the soft thatch of dune grass that lined the beach and danced in the wind. It was more beautiful than she’d imagined - the perfect place to unwind after a difficult year. She liked to sit on the big rock behind their house, thinking about the past, wondering about her future.

  “Listen,” Mike said, “I know I’m supposed to get Alexa next week, but could I take her a few days early? My folks are planning this big get together and - “

  She cut him off. “Yes, that’s fine. I think it would be good for her. She’s been talking about you a lot.”

  “Really? Okay, great.” He sounded surprised. “Can I come up on Sunday?”

  “Sure, how about after dinner?”

  “I’ll be there. And thanks, Lucy. I miss you guys.” He hung up.

  Lucy held the phone for a moment, hoping the sad feeling in her heart would creep away.

  “Daddy’s coming this weekend?”

  “Yes, he’s coming a few days early to take you.”

  “But why can’t he stay here with us?”

  Lucy gave her a look.

  “Right. Because of the divorce.” Alexa sat on the couch and crossed her arms. “I hate the divorce.”

  Lucy put her arm around Alexa. There was nothing she could say to make her daughter’s pain go away. She’d hated breaking up their family, but the love just wasn’t there between her and Mike. They’d gotten pregnant in college after a few dates and had stayed together, hoping to be a family. Unfortunately, the older Mike got, the more he seemed to regret his lost party days. Lucy could never count on him to be home when he said he would, and while Lucy could handle the disappointment, she wanted better for her daughter. Alexa would go to bed crying because she didn’t know where her daddy was.

  Lucy had had no idea what he was doing when he wasn’t home. And the fact that thinking of him with another woman hadn’t bothered her that much seemed like reason enough to end things. Lucy wouldn’t want a marriage like theirs for her daughter. They both deserved better.

  Of course, she’d known the split would be hard at first but would be for the best in the long run. This just happened to be one of those tough moments she’d known she’d have to face.

  “Time for bed.” Lucy tucked Alexa in and gave her an extra big hug. Then she went outside and sat on the deck staring at the ocean, watching the whitecaps glow under the full moon. She dozed off in her chair, lulled by the slapping of the waves on the shore.

  *

  “Lucy?”

  Lucy woke with a start to find Tate squatting next to her. “What time is it?” she asked.

  His gray eyes looked silvery under the moonlight. “Eleven. I thought it might be too late, but when I realized you were sleeping I didn’t want to just leave you out here.”

  Lucy sat up and smelled something wonderful. That’s when she spotted the plate on the table. “What is this?”

  “A blueberry truffle tart. I wanted you to taste it and tell me what you think.”

  She took a bite of the exquisite, tiny dessert and closed her eyes, moaning. “God, yes.”

  “Shh.” He laughed. “What will the neighbors think?”

  She popped the rest of the tart into her mouth and licked the tips of her fingers. “I don’t know, you’re the neighbor. What do you think?”

  She looked up at him.

  He stood and held out his hand, pulling her up from the chair. They stared at each other, unmoving, as if they were each waiting to see who’d make the next move. Tate took a step closer and her throat tightened. He threaded his hand through her hair, then grazed his knuckles down her cheek. “I think I’m very lucky to be staying next to you this summer.”

  Her better sense was telling her to back up, to tell him, “No can do,” but when he slid his arms around her neck, she felt herself lean into him. She couldn’t help herself. It’d been months since a man had touched her, and she’d never been touched by a man like Tate.

  “I know what you mean,” she said.

  He bent to kiss her, but she sucked in a breath, still battling her feelings. “My daughter’s inside.”

  “That’s why I’m kissing you outside.”

  She laughed softly, and he cupped his hand behind her head, bringing her mouth to his. Any remaining protests disappeared with that kiss. It was soft and divine, but demanding. Her lips tingled and she wanted more.

  He pulled back, smiling. “How am I going to get any work done with you next door?”

  “Work during the day, play at night,” Lucy said, surprised by her flirtatiousness.

  He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “Are we going to have to stay outside every night?”

  Every night? She struggled to swallow. So this was going to be a summer romance, not just an eventual one-time fling. “Alexa’s spending a week with her father. She leaves on Sunday.”

  He kissed her again. “Then I’d better get some work done before then.”

  *

  Lucy was surprised. Despite his plans to work during the day, Tate made time to take the occasional beach break with Lucy and Alexa over the next week. He also treated them to gourmet dinners.

  Lucy had never eate
n such amazing food, and she admired his talent and thoughtfulness - he even sent his cleaning lady over so she’d have more time to work on her projects.

  “I was only joking when I said you should lend her to me,” she told him.

  “I figured you wouldn’t mind a little help. It’s your vacation - you should relax.”

  “Well, it was way better than a dozen roses.”

  He sent her a dozen roses the next day with a card that read, “Are you sure?”

  Lucy found herself becoming giddy at the end of each day after Alexa went to bed; she knew Tate would be coming over.

  This isn’t long term. Don’t get too excited, she had to tell herself more than once.

  At night after Alexa fell asleep, they would kiss and talk while Tate fed her the treats he’d made that day. But she was resisting taking things further until Alexa was gone. She and Tate both knew what they’d be doing on Sunday.

  *

  On Sunday morning, Lucy was awakened by a knock on the back door. She hurried downstairs and found Tate holding two buckets. “I’m up early to help you collect stuff from the beach.”

  “Early isn’t usually this early,” Lucy said, rubbing her eyes.

  “Alexa’s going to be gone for a week. She needs to stock up.”

  “I’ll go get her.”

  The morning was chilly, so they pulled on sweatshirts and headed down the path to the beach. Shells and bits of glass dotted the sand. “Hurry up before someone else gets them!” Alexa shouted.

  At that early hour, the beach was empty. The sand was slick and smooth, without the usual clutter of footprints; it was as if no one had ever been there before them.

  Alexa snatched up her treasures like it was an Easter egg hunt, shrieking with delight at her finds.

  “Being at the beach with a kid makes everything more fun,” Tate said.

  Lucy stopped walking, surprised. Tate really liked Alexa - he wasn’t just tolerating her and being kind for Lucy’s sake. She resisted the urge to reach for his hand in front of Alexa.

  With two buckets full of beach glass and shells and sand dollars and odds and ends, they went back to Lucy’s house, where Tate made them cinnamon apple pancakes. Oh, she would miss his food when the summer was over.