57. Hobo Stew

FIFTY-SEVEN

Brett and I worked well together in the kitchen. I was already impressed by his cooking skills in Seattle, but seeing it up close was something else. He showed me ways I was making the process more difficult than it needed to be and wasting time.

"What do you call this again?" he asked, pressing the hamburger into the bottom of the large crock.

"Hobo stew." I laughed. "I promise it's a lot better than the name makes it sound. Kids used to make fun of me at school when I brought it for lunch and told them what it was called, but it was worth it."

"Who taught you how to make it?" he said over his shoulder as he washed his hands thoroughly with the foaming kitchen soap.

I smiled. "My mama. Her mom and dad taught her. They had five kids so it wasn't always these ingredients."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it was more of a ‘whatever they had in the house' kind of thing. But they perfected it over the years and these became the usual ingredients. My gram puts cabbage in too, but I can't stand the smell when you cook it."

"Oh, cabbage would be so good in this." I tried to use one of my slicing gadgets for the potatoes, but he swiped it out of my hand. "I'll do those."

I was all for watching a man cook while I sat back. "Why do you like to cook so much?" He'd relegated me to adding the canned corn and soup, handling all the vegetable chopping himself. When I finished my tasks I washed my hands and got out a jar of baby food.

He tossed the dish towel over his shoulder. "I was a chef in another life." He smiled to himself. "No, honestly my mom was a really good cook, and I just loved spending time with her." Before I could ask he said, "She passed away when I was 13. She was great. Please don't say you're sorry."

I nodded. "It gets old doesn't it?" I could relate to that.

"Yeah, Parker said your dad passed when you were in college. I remember him skipping that game. I think that's the only time he's ever missed anything baseball related."

"I couldn't have gotten through that day a single minute longer if he hadn't shown up." The feeling of relief when I saw him had been immediate. "I wasn't sure if I was even breathing before he got there."

"You guys have something special."

"Sometimes I worry we're too codependent. We know each other so well that it's just easier and more convenient to hang out with each other than different people."

Brett put the lid on the crock and put it into the oven before washing his hands again. Bracing his hands on the counter opposite me he said, "Not to discredit what you said, but to me you seem very independent. You have a successful writing career that Parker had nothing to do with until now. And please don't take this the wrong way, but he's accomplished a lot in baseball on his own too. I think it's more in your head than anything. There's nothing wrong with leaning on each other. Having someone like that is a gift." He looked away and started cleaning up the counter.

"Wow," I said with a sigh. "Not just a jock that can cook, huh?"

He laughed. "Sorry, I have three younger sisters. I'm used to the whole ‘talking about our feelings' thing."

"No, it's nice. I'm just deflecting with humor." I let out a long breath. "Still working on that one."

"So, your gram. Does she live around here?"

I smiled. "Oh, yes. And she'd eat you up with those blue eyes of yours."

Brett fluttered his lashes. "These ones?"

"Yes, those ones. My grandpa had the prettiest blue eyes. They looked kind of like mine, and she likes to tell me they're the whole reason our family is here. Like I said, my mom is one of five. Gram claims they had TV back then, but I'm not sure I believe her."

"Maybe he was just a good looking man."

I smiled, remembering pictures of my grandpa when he was younger. "He was very handsome. He's who I got my curls from."

"Are you going to tell Lily that Parker's eyes are the reason she's here?"

I cackled. "Oh, I"m nothing as sweet as that. I think it was more because of his d?—"

Brett barked out a laugh just as I was cut off by Benson Lee running through the door and straight up the stairs. He was followed inside by Lottie holding a tired Ollie.

"Sorry," Lottie sighed. "He's going to be a terror, but I'll clean your house for you later. I promise."

"Don't worry about it. He probably needs to get a little energy out." I hugged my sister and we squished Oliver between us. "You should have called sooner. Why'd you wait so long?"

"I knew you had a house full of people. Mom and Ned couldn't get out of the driveway, let alone all the way to town. P couldn't figure the generator out and insisted we stay tonight. Is that alright?"

I helped her out of her coat. "I already have the rooms ready. You really thought he'd let you stay there, alone and cold?" I rolled my eyes. Parker was a force to be reckoned with sometimes, but I was glad for it in this instance.

"He wasn't as bossy when he only came up to my shoulder."

"I haven't been shorter than you in ten years, Charlie."

"Don't call me that, squirt."

Peter coughed a laugh behind his hand. "That's hilarious, Parker. She calls you squirt? I'm so going to start doing that now."

"Whatever, runt. Get the woman's things upstairs." Parker pointed to the few bags they'd brought with them.

"The library," I directed. "Supper will be ready in less than an hour. Benson boy!" I called. "Want some hot chocolate?"

My spunky, full of life, nephew came bounding down the staircase with his favorite blanket I always kept on the end of my bed.

"I want some, Dellie." Ollie climbed out of Charlotte's arms and up onto the stool pushed close to the island.

"No Ollie, you"re too little. Hot chocolate is for big kids."

"Dellie, can you put some Bailey's in mine?" Lottie imitated her son who remained oblivious. "Actually scrap that. I'm going to raid the wine cellar."

"Grab a cabernet," he replied casually, already helping wrangle the boys in their seats. Lottie walked off without another word.

I turned to Parker. "Do we even have any wine down there?"

"I have everything you need, baby." Parker winked.

"Use protection!" Lottie called from the other room, apparently not yet out of earshot.

Brett and Peter were slapping each other and dying laughing. Lottie's humor was subtle and dry and usually caught you off guard. It seemed as though she wasn't paying attention because she was so quiet. Then bam, she had a comeback.

"Okay, okay gentlemen. Chill out." I looked to Lily, "We are severely outnumbered, my girl."

"Maybe we should have another then, Dellie."

I smacked his shoulder. "What is up with you tonight?"

The next morning my sister and I stood in front of the window looking out over the backyard. She had a coffee in hand, and I munched on a chocolate chip and banana muffin Brett made fresh this morning.

The "kids" were all out playing in the snow that fell overnight. And by kids, I meant Lily, my nephews, and the three overgrown man-children. The top layer of snow was light and fluffy, but the stuff underneath was wet and packable. Perfect for making a snowman. Ben was instructing Ollie on how to properly approach the task, and Ollie was hanging on his every word.

The large boys were throwing snowballs. Parker nailed Peter in the side of the head and then held Lily up in front of his face.

"I'd say he has precise aim, but I guess he should. Ya know, since he's paid to throw a ball really hard at a precise location."

"Yeah, it's best to go light on the compliments when it comes to him."

I heard Parker yelling, "You can't get me! I have a baby!"

Peter threw his snow down, looking defeated. I watched Brett shrug and fire off a missile of a snowball directly at Parker's balls. It made contact and he folded at the waist dramatically, but held Lily safely out in front of him.

I was pretty sure there were profanities flying from his mouth and I guess Lottie thought so too because she banged on the window until he turned his attention to the house. She pointed to the boys watching him and he paled.

"Sorry," he mouthed.

Lottie shook her head. "He's a handful." I opened my mouth to tell her he was more than a handful, but she stopped me with a hand in front of my face. "Don't even, little sister. That's gross."

"Sorry, I've been hanging out with those guys a lot lately. It's rubbing off on me."

She snorted. "As if you aren't bad enough on your own." Taking a sip of her disgusting black coffee she asked, "How was Seattle? I mean, besides the drama."

I smiled, thinking about the friends I'd met there and how close to a family it felt. "It was actually some of the most fun I've had in a long time. Everyone was really nice."

"Was it weird that they're all like… famous?" My sister's nose was slightly upturned. She wasn't a huge fan of the life she thought they lived. She tolerated Brett and Peter, but I knew she thought most people in that world were stuck up.

"A little," I replied honestly. "At first. But then they all seemed pretty normal." I told her how I'd made friends with Jo and about Parker's nieces.

"So, how long before you move?" Lottie turned to me and crossed her arms.

I choked on a chocolate chip. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you loved it there. You love Parker. What's the holdup?" She said it so nonchalantly, like it wasn't a big deal. To me, it was a very big deal.

"He hasn't asked me."

"Yet."

"What makes you so sure?" We had a lot going on at the moment. Our whole lives were up in the air.

"Oh, come on. Don't be dense, Delilah. That boy is crazy about you. If I had a hot, committed, pro athlete trying to whisk me away from here, I'd jump at the opportunity."

I'd never heard her talk like this. Lottie was a realist, not a dreamer. "You don't think that's crazy? To uproot my life for a guy? That goes against everything we've been taught. Come on, Charlotte. You'd never move across the country for a man."

"Oh, my full name. You're riled up now, huh?" Her evil smile vanished a second later. "Parker is not just ‘a guy.' He"s Lily"s dad and he's… Parker. He really loves you, and I really don't think you should base your decisions on what I would do. I mean look at me. I'm practically a single mom." She cleared her throat and looked away. "Soon I will officially be one anyway."

"Lottie," I said on a sigh, sympathy washing over my body.

My big sister gave me a weak smile. "It's fine. It was a long time coming. The paperwork will be finalized soon."

"Do you want me to kill him?" It was a sister's duty to offer, and I'd gladly take out anyone who messed with my sister.

She put her arm around my shoulder. I would always be the little one. Lottie had been taller than me our whole lives and it just made sense. She was the strong one, level headed. So when her voice wavered a little it tugged on my heart.

"I love you, kid. But I don't need you to do that. He isn't a bad person. He would just rather fly from city to city and represent his filthy rich clients than be home with his family. With me."

"I don't know. That sounds like a pretty shitty person to me. You're amazing, Lottie. You deserve someone who never wants to leave your side."

"I do. It took a little time for me to realize that. But I'll be fine on my own for now."

"If this is your motivating speech to ask me to move to Seattle, you need to work on your persuasion techniques."

She squeezed me tighter. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel bad or stay in Iowa. I want you to appreciate what you have and fight for it, Delilah. Not everyone gets a big love like this. Parker can be a shit, but we both know he'd give up everything for you. And he makes my little sister really happy. Even a cynical grump like me can see that."

"Eh, you're not so bad."