Always A Pleasure [Book 2]

Six

Harrison wanted to do something for Katherine. Even if it was just something simple. He wanted to let her know how he felt about her, how grateful he was to have her there with him.

So as she was out of the house at a doctor's appointment, he started making the two of them dinner. It had been a long time since he had cooked and he didn't initially know what he was going to make, but memories of his childhood, one of the few good memories he had of it, filled his mind.

He remembered cooking with his grandmother in her kitchen. It was a simple recipe— Shepherd's Pie. But being a lad of just eight-years-old, it seemed just as complex in nature as the universe itself. His grandmother only let him dump in the ingredients and turn the potatoes into mash, but he would always remember how vital he felt he was in the process.

So as he browned the beef and added in all the same ingredients he once did as a child, he felt a sense of purpose as he made his comfort food for Katherine.

It had been eight weeks since the miscarriage and Katherine was having a check-up with her doctor in regards to it. He didn't know how it was going to affect her, and what kind of mood she would be in when she arrived home. But he wanted to be there for her, and he wanted to make the situation better for her in any way he could.

Harrison thought about how their baby would have been at least two months along and Katherine would have been out of the major risk of miscarriage at that point. But instead, she was going through the pain of loss and heartache.

Harrison offered to go with Katherine to the appointment, but she told him she needed to do it alone. It hurt him a little to not be needed, but if that was what was necessary for her to feel okay, he would abide by her wishes.

When Katherine finally came home, she was in much better spirits than Harrison imagined she would be. He was met with an ample smile on her face when she walked into the kitchen, causing him to stop what he was doing to focus on her.

"You're making dinner?" She asked with wide, amused eyes.

"Katherine, hi," he said, gaping at her, trying to read her mood— what she was feeling deep down, not just the façade of a smile on her face.

But she seemed okay to him. Her eyes weren't puffy from crying, her expression didn't look forlorn or sad in any way. She just genuinely looked amused to see him spooning the meat filling for the Shepherd's Pie into a glass baking dish.

"I didn't know you could cook," she said as she walked up to him.

"Not very well," he replied as he finished transferring the last bit of filling from pan-to-pan.

"Smells amazing," Katherine said as she leaned up on her tip-toes and kissed Harrison's cheek.

He tried to hide the smile on his lips by grabbing for the pot of mashed potatoes to put on top of the meat, but he could feel Katherine's eyes on him.

"I love it when you smile," she told him as she reached over and poked at his dimple.

He decided to just give in and look over at her with the smile still on his face. And he wasn't disappointed, because the light he saw in her eyes as she smiled back at him was enough to make his heart feel like it was swelling in his chest.

He leaned over and quickly smashed his lips to hers, wanting to show her how she made him feel.

"You're so handsome when you smile," she murmured against his lips as he felt her arms wrap loosely around his neck.

He fumbled as he set the pot of potatoes down and it made a loud sound as it hit the stovetop. But he didn't let it deter him as he immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her tightly to him as he kissed her again.