The Secret Admirer Next Door (Love Next Door Series Book 1) *Editing*

Chapter 17

Walking with Valerie made Abe feel a warm and a connection that he hadn't felt in too long. He wished it were enough. He wished he could just accept her friendship, he could. If it was what she wanted, and it was possible she did, but he had to try. He'd already dug a hole with the letters. If anything, he needed to get Christian off the hook.

Abe followed the billow of smoke to a section of canopies with grills lined up. A spicy burnt ceder aroma teased his nose, causing his stomach to grumble. He lead Valerie over to the tables.

"Who has it smelling so good over here?" Valerie smiled.

A plump man walked up to them with a long beard speckled with black and gray. "Abram, I was wondering if you were going to show up."

Abe smiled at his old friend. "Good to see you again, Rich." He tipped his head, "Valerie this is my good friend Rich, he is a culinary genius."

Valerie's lips pushed together and her eyebrow quirked. "Oh really." She joked.

Abe chuckled. "Ms. Valerie is going to open a restaurant, that's going to be the restaurant in Vincentville."

Rich chuckled. "Oh really."

Valerie sighed. "Well, see."

Abe rubbed her back. "It's going to happen."

"Rich makes the best pulled chicken on the planet."

"I make my own sauce too." He said, "It's a recipe passed down from my popa...yessir."

He pulled out two buns from a plastic package on the table, and set them on two Dixie paper plates he'd set out. Waking over one of the burning barrel-looking grills pulled up lid and pulled out a sauce pan with a wooden spoon in it. He quickly piled what was in the pot on each of the bottom buns, replaced the sauce pan and closed the grill lid and came back and topped the pile of the pulled chicken with the top buns.

Abe gingerly picked one up and handed it to Valerie. "Best pulled chicken ever." He stated.

"That's to be determined." She said picking up the sandwich and maneuvering in her mouth to take a slow tedious bite. The the sauce juiced in her mouth a with a sweet smoky tang. She closed her eyes just to relish in the masterpiece of taste and texture.

When she'd heard a the two men, chuckle her eyes shot open and her cheeks burned.

"What did I say."

"What is that extra spicy tangy kick." She said.

"Ahh! It's a secret recipe." Rich smirked, "But here's a hint. A shot of whiskey." He winked.

Valerie giggled.

"What type of cuisine are you specializing?"

"Um...soul food, with a cajun flare."

"Nothin' like some good soul food." He smiled, "Well, let me know if you need anything. Let me know." He winked again.

Abe went for his wallet, but Rich held his hand out. "Now you know your money is no good here Abe."

"How are your son of yours doing."

Abe sighed. "As good as can be expected."

"I dropped in on Christian at the bar the other day."

Abe was almost embarrassed that his son was a bartender.

"He's a good kid, Abe. We all go through storms in our lives."

And sometimes we just give up completely, he thought to himself. At least he was talking to someone.

"Thank you." The two men shook hands and Abe went off into the Cafeteria after grabbing two cans of tea from the cooler.