He grinned. “I like it, too.”
Larkin pulled on the shorts and then the top. She liked the outfit. It was something she would have picked for herself. The shorts were the right length, and the shirt was white and made of lacy fabric.
Darian came out of the bathroom dressed and grabbed her hand. “I’m hungry.”
She giggled and ran to keep up with his long-legged stride.
“Ella, I want you to meet Larkin.” He turned to look at Larkin. “Sweetheart, this is Ella. She’s been with the family for a long time, and she’s the best cook I’ve ever known.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “He just says that because I’m guessing he wants French toast.”
Darian chuckled. “That does sound good, but it’s also the truth.”
Larkin released his hand, walked to the older lady, and held out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
Ella’s eyebrows rose, and then she shook Larkin’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, too.” Ella smiled over Larkin’s shoulder when she turned to walk to the table and mouthed to Darian, “She’s sweet.”
Darian just nodded and led Larkin to a chair at the small table in the kitchen. He got two glasses of juice. “Do you want coffee?’ he asked as he set her drink down in front of her.
Her face scrunched up in a grimace. “No, thank you. I don’t like the taste.”
Darian grabbed a cup for himself and sat next to her.
She looked toward Ella. “Can I help you with anything?”
“No, hun. But thank you.”
Larkin took a drink of her juice and looked out windows at the bright sunshine. He saw a smile spread across her face. “Is that a lake I see?”
Darian nodded. “Yes. We also have a pool, an orchard, stables, crops…”
“Oh, my. That’s a lot.”
“We have over a thousand acres here.”
Larkin’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in shock. “How do you take care of it all?”
“We have a lot of help. I think we have thirty full-time people on staff, don’t we, Ella?”
“Yes, we do, and we need every one of them,” she replied and set two plates down in front of them.
Larkin looked down. “This looks so good.”
“It is,” Darian said. “Eat.”
Larkin rolled her eyes and dug in. She made it through half of her toast and most of her bacon. “That was wonderful. Thank you, Ella.”
Ella grinned at her as she stood at the kitchen sink. “You’re welcome, child.”
Darian stood, grabbed both plates, and took them to the sink. Larkin followed behind him with their glasses.
“The cooler is over by the door,” said Ella.
“Thank you.”
Larkin looked at the medium-sized cooler sitting on a table. “What’s that for?”
“It’s our lunch.”