Gone With a Handsomer Man (38 page)

Red bent over to kiss my cheek. “You’re on your own, homegirl,” he whispered, then he looked at Coop. “Take care of her, Boss. She’s a dandy.”

The dogs followed the men into the foyer. I heard their low voices, then the door banged shut. Coop walked back to the living room, shooed the dogs onto the screened porch, then sat down beside me. His eyes were pure gray, not a speck of blue.

“Can you manage a sandwich?” he asked. “Or would soup be better? I’ve got tomato and chicken noodle.”

“I’m okay.” All of a sudden, I felt queasy. I remembered the uneaten birthday cake I’d made him in high school. I’d waited until the sunflower icing had gotten stiff before I’d finally cut a big slice and washed it down with milk. All these years later, I was still chewing on hard, unspoken words, but I couldn’t hold them back another second. Last night he and Ava had left the hospital together. Now I was having déjà vu about him and Barb.

“Actually, I’m not okay,” I said. “What’s up with you and Ava?”

“She wanted to tell you herself.”

“Tell me what?”

“She’s going on another dig. In Peru, I think. One of her colleagues called while you were in the hospital.”

I felt a surge of glee followed by doom. I didn’t want to win the guy by default—if I’d won him.

“You didn’t think she and I were together, did you?” he asked.

“I don’t know what I thought.” This was lie number what? I’d lost count.

He reached for my hand. “Can you walk to the kitchen?”

I wasn’t in the mood for egg salad, but I got to my feet and leaned on his arm. As we passed through the dining room, I glanced at the yellow legal pads and beige law books that were strewn on the table. One book was spread open and a flat, brittle daisy lay on the page. Was that our daisy or just a weed?

I started to ask, but he turned into the kitchen and led me to the freezer. He opened the door and frosted air curled out of the glowing interior. He reached for a white box with The Picky Palate’s logo, then pushed back the lid. I recognized the peaks and swirls of cream cheese icing.

“It’s a red velvet cake,” he said.

“I know. I baked it. You didn’t have to buy one.”

He opened the freezer door wider. Inside, metal shelves were crammed with white boxes, each one marked with raised blue letters. “Sweetheart,” he said, “I bought them all.”

He set the box on the counter and slipped his arm around my waist. “I’m in love with you, Teeny.”

I slid my good arm around his neck and pulled his face close to mine. The moment our lips met, a bell rang. I’m not lying. It was an honest-to-god bell, only it wasn’t a sign from the cosmos—someone was at the front door. We broke apart and looked out the kitchen window.

A little girl with blond pigtails stood on the deck. Something about the shape of her face and her upswept nose caught my attention. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t think who.

“Probably a neighbor’s child,” Coop said. “I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, I’m coming.” I grabbed his sleeve.

Coop opened the door. The child looked up with wide gray eyes.

“Are you Cooper O’Malley?” she asked, turning her heart-shaped face to one side.

“I sure am.” He smiled. “Who are you?”

“I’m your daughter.”

Recipes

Lavender Shortbread

Teeny’s Vanilla Peach Pecan Coffee Cake

Espresso Steak Rub

Fried Green Tomato Salad with Cornbread Croutons

Lavender Shortbread

1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2
⁄
3
cup white granulated sugar

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

½ cup cornstarch or rice flour

1 cup all-purpose white flour

1
⁄
8
teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons fresh lavender flowers, finely chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried lavender)

Cream butter and sugars. Add flours a few tablespoons at a time and salt. Mix until crumbly. (You can mix by hand or put the ingredients into a food processor.) If dough is too thick, add 1 to 2 teaspoons cream. Add lavender. Chill mixture for an hour. Pat into a shortbread mold, or gently roll and cut dough with a cookie cutter. You can also shape the dough into a circle. If you aren’t using a mold, place dough on an ungreased baking sheet. Prick the surface with a fork. Bake 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool; cut into bars.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Teeny’s Vanilla Peach Pecan Coffee Cake

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla

½ cup sour cream

3 cups all-purpose white flour

1 cup sugar (white, granulated)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

Beat eggs. Add milk and oil. Whisk. Add vanilla and sour cream. Next, add dry ingredients. Mix. (It will be crumbly.) Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

Prepare topping:

3 cups ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup chopped pecans

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Mix ingredients and spoon over batter. Bake 30 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Espresso Steak Rub

3 tablespoons espresso beans, freshly ground

1½ teaspoons sea salt

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ginger

2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

Mix. Brush steaks with extra virgin olive oil. Dredge in rub. Grill.

Yield: coating for 2 New York strips

Fried Green Tomato Salad with Cornbread Croutons

Step 1:
Make cornbread.

Grease a 9 x 12 inch pan. Make your favorite cornbread recipe. Cool. Cut cornbread into cubes. Brush cubes with melted butter and place in a baking pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook cubes 10 minutes or until crisp.

Step 2:
Fry green tomatoes.

Vegetable oil

3 large eggs

5 large green tomatoes, sliced

1 cup cornmeal

Salt

Pepper

Heat oil in skillet. In a large bowl, add eggs and whisk. In another bowl, add cornmeal, with salt and pepper to taste. One at a time, dredge sliced tomatoes in eggs, then in cornmeal. Place in hot oil and fry till crisp, turning once. Cool. Cut tomatoes into wedges.

Step 3:
Make the salad.

Mixed greens

Bacon, crumbled

Red onions, thinly sliced

Shredded cheddar

Sliced green onions

Mix. Add tomatoes and cornbread croutons. Serve with buttermilk dressing.

Yield: 4 servings

acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Ellen Levine, Jennifer Enderlin, Sara Goodman, Lisa Senz, Matthew Shear, Sally Richardson, Matthew Baldacci, Sarah Melnyk, Sarah Goldstein, Nancy Trypuc, Kevin Sweeney, William Brock, Darnell Arnoult, Laurie Ritchey, Nacnich, Nathaniel Whalen, Trey Arnett, Andy Martin, Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Jean Helton, Lori Wilde, and Egg Cream Man.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

GONE WITH A HANDSOMER MAN
. Copyright 2011 by Michael Lee West. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.minotaurbooks.com

ISBN 978-0-312-57122-1

First Edition: April 2011

eISBN 978-1-4299-9630-3

First Minotaur Books eBook Edition: April 2011