Читать книгу Special Delivery - Judi Lynn - Страница 11

Chapter 5

Keagan pulled his SUV behind Brad’s truck in Karli’s drive. His friend hadn’t wasted any time, but then, Brad was partial to pretty, single girls. Keagan walked to Axel’s sagging porch and gave a quick knock on the door.

Karli opened it and settled a frown on him. Had he upset her? How? She looked pretty damned appealing with her dark curls scraped back in a ponytail. She was a little thing, didn’t quite make it to his shoulder, but her pissed-off energy still carried weight. He nodded to the big foil tray of fried chicken and another with fried potatoes that he carried. The aromas had to make her happy. “You’re in luck, neighbor. Supper from Ralph at Ralph’s Diner.” He glanced inside at Brad with his pizza. “Oh, you already have supper. Maybe you can save the chicken for tomorrow.”

She opened the door and motioned him into the dining room with Brad. He noticed she’d dusted the sturdy, cherry table that was long enough to seat twelve kids and their parents. Everyone in Mill Pond had heard she was here, and they all felt sorry for her. Soon, that table could be lined with all kinds of goodies.

She looked surprised. “I don’t even know Ralph. Would you tell him thank you from us?”

“Sure will.” He set the food down and nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

Her frown deepened as he ran back outside. This time, he carried in a set of four plates and coffee cups he’d designed. She lifted the lid on the box he’d packed them in and inhaled a soft breath. Her frown melted. “You made these? They’re beautiful.”

Nice. She liked them. “I had them on display at Ian’s resort, but I just took him my winter design. These are for fall, so I thought I’d bring you these. I wasn’t sure what Axel’s dishes were like, if he still had any.”

She rubbed a finger over embossed pumpkins, acorns, and leaves. “This was so nice of you. They’re stunning.”

“Thanks.”

Her lips pinched together, and her brows narrowed into a scowl again. “Do you have any ego at all? You’re giving these to Axel? They’re art. He won’t appreciate them.”

Keagan glanced at Brad, confused. He was trying to be nice, but he’d irritated her again. “I came at a bad time. I interrupted you and Brad and your pizza. I’ll let you get back to it before it gets cold.” He turned toward the door. He’d ticked her off, and he wasn’t sure why. And then he got it. Brad had dropped onto her doorstep with his golden curls and easy smile. He’d probably already turned on the charm, made her feel special, and then he’d swooped in with his chicken and interrupted. Keagan had learned from experience that when he was with Brad, he might as well be invisible. Some women even cozied up to him just to get close to Brad. He needed to get the hell out of here and let Brad do his thing.

She followed him out onto the porch. “I didn’t thank you for the dishes. I love them and don’t want them ruined. I’ll only use them for special occasions.”

Would there be special occasions with Axel? He didn’t know what to say, so looked everywhere but at her and that made him really look at the porch. It was his turn to frown. “You know, this is downright sad. It wouldn’t take much to fix it. All we’d have to do is jack up this corner and replace the column.”

She looked surprised. “You can do that?”

He nodded. “People in town are pretty tired of how dismal this place looks. It’s not a great selling point for Mill Pond. I can call some friends, and I’ll probably get more help than I need.”

She seemed genuinely confused. “Why would you do that?”

Brad cleared his throat behind them. “If you’re serious, I’ll sign up to help.” Keagan had suspected he would.

She turned to him. “Really?”

Brad’s smile returned. “For you? Anything.”

Keagan rolled his eyes. He’d heard his friend’s lines before, but this was a doozy. He gave Brad a look. “Saturday morning, it’s on.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Good enough.” Keagan went to his truck and drove away.