Dive

Chapter Fifteen

"There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met." ― Jim Henson

"Morning."

I look up from the spread of cookies I'm arranging on paper plates just as a to-go cup of coffee is being placed on the table in front of me. Knox gives me a discreet smile, and I notice that he is holding an identical cup. Butterflies erupt in my stomach at the sight of him wearing another polo t-shirt –white this time– paired with blue jeans.

"Hey," I say with a smile of my own. "You made it."

"Yeah." He nods to the coffee on the table. "I didn't know what you liked, so I grabbed you a cappuccino."

"Thank you. Cappuccino is great, but you do know that we have coffee here, right?"

"I'm picky about my coffee," he says with a shrug, and I shake my head at him.

"You are high maintenance, that's what you are."

I'm teasing, and he doesn't seem to mind.

"My mother says the same thing, although I might point out that she did raise me, you know?"

"Your mother didn't teach you to drink coffee; you picked up that habit all on your own."

We both look behind him to see Martha approaching with a soft smile on her lips. Knox leans down to kiss her cheek when she is close enough. "Hey."

"Hello, darling," she says with love in her eyes as she touches his unshaved cheek. "I didn't know you were coming today."

"Yeah, I wanted to see Charlie."

"She hasn't come down yet. You can help out with lunch since you're here."

He nods. "What's on the menu today?"

"Mashed potatoes, chicken and green peas." She looks at me. "What do you say, Carina, would you like to assist in the kitchen today?"

My eyebrows lift in surprise. "Uh, I was supposed to help with laundry. To be honest, I'm not a very good cook."

She gives a light chuckle. "Don't worry, Knox will do the cooking and you can help him. I'll talk to Helen to replace you on laundry duty."

"If you think that's a good idea," I say hesitantly.

"I do." She pats her son on the arm before taking her leave.

When we are alone again, Knox's eyes spark with something close to amusement. "Don't worry, I won't let you burn down the building."

"Comforting," I say with a playful glare as I pick up the cappuccino and take a sip. It's delicious and he even added the perfect amount of sugar into it. "Wow, this is really good."

"Did I get the sugar right?"

"You did. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He glances down at the paper plates filled with cookies. "What are you doing with those?"

"It's dessert for later. I'm just arranging the plates and covering them with plastic wrap."

"You need help?"

"I'm almost done."

"I'll go say hello to Charlie, then. See you in the kitchen after you're done here."

He leaves, and I go back to my task, ignoring the butterflies that haven't yet left the premises.

~D~