The Chesapeake Diaries Series Read Online Free

given him with the schedule and the flight information and placed it on the kitchen table. “I’ll be there for whatever whoop-de-do you have planned for the week. Just don’t expect me to hang around after the wedding.”
    “Why not?” Mia took a seat on one of the two oak kitchen chairs and draped her bag over the back. “Why not visit with Andy and Dorsey for a few days? I know they’d love to have you.”
    When he didn’t answer, she didn’t press, and hewas grateful. Some things just were too hard to explain, like how you weren’t sure where you belonged, because your old life just didn’t fit anymore. Besides, there were those things to do .
    “It’s up to you, of course. I’m just so happy that you’re going to walk me down the aisle. Everyone will be happy to see you, Gray. We’ve all missed you.”
    “I’ll be happy to see everyone, too.” He glanced at the clock that hung over the door leading in to the dining room. “Almost dinnertime. We can go out for dinner, or I can cook.”
    Her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline. “I’m sorry, would you repeat that last part? It sounded like you said you could cook.”
    “That’s what I did say.”
    Mia’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
    He laughed good-naturedly. “When you live alone, you learn how to cook, or you eat out every night. You might have noticed, if you drove through West Priest, that there is only one restaurant there.”
    “Right. Sullivan’s. I saw it.”
    “Did you stop in?”
    She shook her head.
    “Everything is hit-or-miss there. One day the soup might be great, but the sandwiches, not so much. Next day, might be the reverse. The guy who runs it has a problem with consistency in his kitchen. Their spotty menu aside, there’s the fact that when winter hits, it hits hard and fast. There are times when you can’t get into town for weeks. You have to keep supplies on hand and you need to know what to do with them.”
    “So you learned how to cook.”
    “It was that or starve. The first year I was here, I bought a freezer and a backup generator to keep things going when the power goes out.”
    “So what can you make?”
    “I make a truly mean mac and cheese.”
    “Like Mom’s?”
    He nodded. “Maybe better.”
    “Let’s do it.”
    Grady went to the refrigerator and took out a large brick of Cheddar cheese. From a cabinet he took a large bowl, a grater, and finally, a glass baking pan.
    “What can I do to help?”
    “You can make a salad when it gets closer to dinnertime. Meanwhile, how about a glass of wine or a beer?”
    “I think I’d rather have something hot. Tea or coffee, whichever you have.”
    He opened another cabinet and pointed to a shelf that held both. “Take your pick.”
    “I think I’ll go with tea.” She rose and took down the box of tea. “Kettle?”
    He shook his head. “I have a small pan you can boil water in.”
    “Good enough.”
    He handed her the pan and she filled it with water, then set it on the stove while he began to grate cheese.
    “Are you chilly?” he asked.
    Mia nodded. “A little. It’s already warm back home. I didn’t stop to think that it would be so much cooler here.”
    “We’ll stay cool for another month or so.” He looked up and grinned. “Summer’s a short season here.”
    “I knew that. I just wasn’t thinking.”
    “Let me get you a sweater.” He put the grater down into the bowl. “I’ll be right back.”
    He returned in minutes carrying a pale yellow cardigan that obviously wasn’t his. He handed it to Mia. “Here you go.”
    “Thanks.” She started to put her arm into the sleeve. “You still have Melissa’s things here in the house?”
    Grady nodded. “I don’t know what to do with them. I can’t bring myself to just throw them away.”
    “There must be something like Goodwill, or the Salvation Army, or a thrift store in the area.”
    “There is. But I don’t know what to