The Boss Project

He laughed. “You’re killing me. Between the monkey bread this morning and now this, I’m going to have to hit the gym a little harder next week.”

“Oh God. Don’t remind me. I don’t even want to think about weight. I’ve been on a junk food tear since my wedding debacle.”

Merrick’s eyes raked down my torso, stopping to linger on my breasts. “Trust me, junk food works for you.”

• • •

“Do you mind waiting out here a second?” Merrick unlocked Kitty’s front door and pushed it open halfway.

“Umm, sure?”

He held out the fast-food bag to me. “I’ll just be a minute.”

“Alright, but I’m going to eat your dinner if you take too long.”

“You already ate most of the fries we were supposed to share.”

Two minutes later, he came back outside, carrying two familiar mugs. My eyes lit up. “Oh my God! The Waffle House mugs they used to drink their spiked tea from. You know they stole those from the restaurant.”

Merrick smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

I sighed. “Those bring back such great memories.” I pointed over to what had been my grandmother’s house. “They would sit on that porch for hours every night getting loaded, and all the neighbors saw were two little old ladies drinking hot tea.”

He smiled. “I know. Guess what’s in here?”

“Don’t tell me it’s spiked sweet tea?”

“Yep.” He nodded toward the house next door. “The neighbors who bought your grandmother’s house are away. I met them earlier this week. When they mentioned they were going out of town, I asked if they would mind if the old owner’s granddaughter sat on their porch. You said you’d give anything to bring back the sweet-tea days. I know it’s not the same, but I figured we can eat on the rocking chairs and drink the spiked stuff.”

My heart swelled. “I can’t believe you did that for me.”

He nodded toward the porch. “Come on. Let’s go over.”

At first it was strange to sit on my grandmother’s porch without her here. But when we were done eating and sat on the rocking chairs, doing nothing but sipping out of our Waffle House mugs, I felt a warmth in my chest.

“How did you know they drank out of these particular mugs? I don’t think I mentioned it the other day.”

“You didn’t. My grandmother did.”

“Oh.”

“She’s pretty much talked about you or your grandmother all week. I think having you down here brought up a lot of memories for her, too.” He held up his mug. “She must really love you, because she gave me her spiked sweet tea recipe when I said I wanted to make it for you. You know southern women hold their tea recipes just below the Bible when it comes to sacred things.”

I smiled. “Well, the feeling is mutual.”

We sat side by side, rocking and sipping quietly for a few minutes. Eventually, I pointed to a house a few doors down and across the street. “Remember the story I told you about when I almost fell from my treehouse in the rain? That I thought a boy named Cooper saved me?”

Merrick nodded. “I remember.”

“That was his house. He had a dog with three legs named Woody.”

Merrick squinted down the dark street. “I remember the dog. He used to walk on his back two legs like a human, right?”

“That’s the one.”

“Yeah, I remember the dog. But I don’t remember the kid.”

“I definitely do. He was also my first kiss.”