Free Dakota Love by Rose Ross Zediker Page B

motioned for Rodney to sit at the head of the table. “I liked this arrangement best but thought it might be too”—pink tinged her cheeks; then she shrugged in it’s-too-late-now fashion, never letting her bright smile fade—“intimate. Please sit down.”
    “Not for me.” Rodney moved closer, then reached around her and took hold of the chair back.
    “Oh.” Caroline sat and let Rodney guide her chair to the table. “Do you know how long it’s been since someone’s done that for me?”
    Rodney slid his own chair closer to the table. “A long time?”
    “Yeah.” Caroline sighed the word. She reached for the serving spoon. Rodney stopped her hand in midair by covering it with his own.
    “I’d like to say grace.” He squeezed her delicate hand.
    “Please do.” Caroline wrapped slender fingers that felt like silk around Rodney’s hand and bowed her head. Rodney’s family folded their hands in prayer when saying grace, but had he known Caroline’s tradition was to hold hands, he’d have prayed out loud versus silently at every meal they’d shared together. He’d longed to touch her since their first meeting when their simple handshake left a faint tingle on his palm.
    “God in heaven, thank You for the bounty of Your love that You bestow on us each and every day. You are a faithful Father, letting us cast our cares upon You and providing for all our needs. Bless the food we are about to receive. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
    “Amen.” Caroline gave his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing her grasp. “Better dig in before the apples and banana start to turn brown.”
    Rodney gave her a short salute, spread his napkin in his lap, and scooped a spoonful of fruit. Caroline shook her head as if annoyed by his antics, but her blue eyes twinkled with amusement.
    “How was your day?” he asked.
    The deep sigh and sagging shoulders answered Rodney’s question long before Caroline spoke. Worry pushed the happiness from her features. Regret that he’d asked about her day washed through him. Not quite the mood he’d hoped to set.
    “Jason visited this morning.”
    Odd that that would make her unhappy. His mom had been overjoyed when he’d visited. And Michelle seemed glad to spend time with her own sons.
    Caroline reached for Rodney’s empty fruit dish, stacked it with hers, and set them aside. Caroline efficiently served the main course. “Is this enough?”
    “That depends on if I can have seconds.”
    The corner of Caroline’s mouth twitched. He waited for the corner of her bottom lip to disappear. “You might want to taste it before you ask for seconds. I haven’t made this dish in years.”
    “Well, if it tastes as good as it smells and looks, then I’ll want seconds.” Rodney took a bite of the fish and rice. The nutty rice and flavor-filled fish melted on his tongue, his low growl of pleasure inadvertent. “This is fantastic.”
    “Thank you.” Caroline gave a curt nod and tasted her dinner. “How was your day?”
    “Typical. Since last week’s snow thawed in yesterday’s forty-two-degree temps and this morning it was ten degrees, we made the rounds to all my clients’ houses and put ice melt on the walks and driveways.”
    “You know what they say about South Dakota’s weather. If you don’t like it, stick around for an hour because it’ll change.”
    “That’s the truth.”
    “Do most snow removal companies check for ice when it thaws?” Caroline sipped her water and blotted the corners of her mouth with her napkin.
    “I don’t know. I do it because I have elderly clients. Even if they’re able to spread the ice melt, they shouldn’t be out on the ice.” Rodney helped himself to more trout and rice.
    “Rodney, that’s very thoughtful.”
    “Well…” How could he tell her that guilt drove him to provide that service? The thought had never entered his mind that his mother had needed help with things like that until she insisted he come to her house to