He might only be talking about pulling out her chair, but at the moment she was close to letting him do anything he wanted.
Once she sat, he pus
hed her chair in. Many considered it both an old-fashioned and unnecessary gesture, and she wouldn’t want him to do it all the time, but it suited the moment.
“This looks and smells amazing. If it tastes even half as good as it smells, you went into the wrong line of work.” And she wasn’t telling him that because he’d gone to so much effort.
***
The dessert before her looked so pretty she was reluctant to disturb it. However, it did contain raspberries, and they were one of her favorite fruits. The only fruit she enjoyed more was cherries. Dipping her spoon in, she scooped up a generous portion of the concoction he’d put together after dinner.
The taste of sweet raspberries, cream, honey, toasted oats, and something she recognized but couldn’t label exploded in her mouth. “Where has this dessert been all my life?” she asked.
With a chuckle, Gavin started on his own portion. “Scotland.”
“If Scotland has desserts like this, I need to spend more time there. What is it called?”
“Cranachan. It’s one of my grandmother’s favorite desserts.”
She licked the last of the cream off her spoon before returning it to the glass for more. “She’s the one who started the company?”
“No, Gigi’s parents opened the first restaurant. They moved to the US right after World War I and named it Culloden after the village in Scotland where my great-grandmother came from. But Gigi’s the one who expanded the business by buying other chains and then starting a few new ones.”
“And she’s the one who taught you to cook?”
He nodded. “Vivian too, and she does it a lot more than me. Gigi has started showing Piper and wants to get Erin in the kitchen. But it hasn’t happened yet.”
Leah took another bite of her dessert and again tried to identify the unique flavor she kept picking up. “What’s in this besides the obvious?”
“Whiskey. The oats soaked in it overnight.” He reached for his coffee and added a generous amount of cream and sugar.
“You started preparing all this last night?”
He’d driven to and from Maine yesterday and still had taken the time to soak toasted oaks so he could make her dessert. She’d had some thoughtful boyfriends in the past, but he set the bar at a whole new level.
“It’s not the same if you don’t,” he admitted. “There’s some left in the kitchen if you want more.”
She eyed what was left in her dessert glass. “I’m not sure I can finish this.”
Leah hated to admit defeat, but tonight her only option was to retreat and leave behind a decent portion of her dessert. Even an hour after finishing their meal, she remained full, but thankfully not stuffed, while she relaxed and watched the light show Mother Nature was putting on outside.
Some people were afraid of thunder and lightning. She’d seen friends go deathly pale at the slightest rumble of thunder. Not her. She’d always loved storms like this. And if the wind picked up and the skies opened while one was going on, all the better. Even when they caused the power to go out, she enjoyed them. Tonight was no different. Wanting a better view, Leah left Gavin on the sofa talking to his daughter and crossed the room.
A bright flash streaked through the sky and a moment later a powerful boom rocked the silence, indicating the storm was closer. The sound of rain pelting glass soon followed, and Leah couldn’t contain a slight smile. The weather gods had her in mind tonight.
Behind her the table lamps flickered twice before going out, but Mother Nature quickly lit up the room with its own light. From the sofa she heard Gavin tell his daughter he’d talk to her later.
“Something interesting out there?” Gavin asked, joining her.
“Just enjoying the show,” she explained.
“You like this kind of weather?” He sounded skeptical.
“Love it. Before I knew how dangerous it could be, I would beg my mom to let me go outside and watch.”
“I think you’re the only person I know who likes storms.”
She turned toward him. “Not all storms. Just ones like this. I hate when it snows, and rain showers are more of a nuisance. But this,” she gestured at the window, “is different.”