Biker's Virgin

“Hmm,” I said. “I’m not so sure about flowers, but I know there are some vegetables you could do, like peppers or green beans.”

“Maybe I should do that. You know what flower I really like though? Asters. I wonder if I could get some of those.”

“Sounds like a trip to the garden center is in your near future.”

“Can we go with you?” Declan asked immediately. “I like the big room with the glass and all the flowers. It feels like a tropical jungle!”

“That’s the atrium,” I said. “It’s pretty cool, if you haven’t seen something like that before.”

“You know what I’d like to do?” Allie said. “I’d like to have a cookout. Do you guys have plans tomorrow?”

“Nothing in particular,” I said.

“Then why don’t you guys come on over tomorrow afternoon? That grill has been sitting there on the deck, looking a little neglected.”

“That sounds great.”

Chapter Fifteen

Allie

When I’d been growing up, one of my mother’s good friends had lived in an apartment that had a roof people could go on and hang out at; there were lounge chairs and a grill set up, and I did have good memories of hot, hazy summer nights, being atop that roof, looking out over the city while the smell of charcoal smoke wafted through the air.

That was what I had in the back of my mind as I got ready for the cookout that afternoon. I’d never actually used a grill before, but this was a gas one, and earlier that morning, I had gone to the store and gotten a fresh propane tank, along with several bags of groceries.

I stood at the kitchen counter and chopped vegetables for the pasta salad, and I thought about maybe stringing up some white Christmas lights outside. It was nowhere near Christmas, of course, but white Christmas lights looked good any time of the year, especially when they were outside, decorating the overhanging branches of a maple tree.

Cole and Declan came over around 4, Declan carefully carrying a Tupperware container full of some sort of cookies.

“I figured it’d be okay if we came over now,” Cole said. “I texted you a little while ago but didn’t hear back.”

“You did? I didn’t hear my phone, sorry. Actually, I’m not even sure where my phone is; I think I might have left it in the car.” I looked at Declan. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

“I helped Dad make these this afternoon,” he said. “Oatmeal chocolate chip. We made two batches. But the first one we had to throw away.”

“You did?” I said. “How come?”

Cole grinned. “I asked Declan to put the cinnamon in for me, but—”

“Dad gave me the wrong thing! He didn’t give me cinnamon.”

“I might have grabbed the cayenne by accident. Which we both realized upon sampling the batter.”

I laughed. “Oh, my. That must’ve been a surprise.”

“Well, better we figured it out then as opposed to later when we were all biting into one. I know in some places cayenne and chocolate goes together, but this was a little... overpowering.”

“We had to go back to the store and everything,” Declan said. “Since we had to throw the first batch away. That was kind of sad. But we were very careful when we did it the second time and made sure to use all the right things.”

“They certainly look delicious,” I said. “Do you want to put them on the table over there?”

“These ones are much better,” Declan told me seriously. “We made sure to try the batter on these, too.”

“What can we help you with?” Cole asked.

“I think I’ve got things pretty much squared away,” I said. “This is actually the first cookout I’ve ever had.”

“Are more people coming?” Declan asked.