Little Wonders

Dinner Disaster

A/N: This continues from A Fresh Start and The Girl Next Door.

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Teri leaned over to pull a casserole out of the oven and as she did, something caught her eye out of the kitchen window. She carefully set the casserole next to the tray of rolls she'd already made and then looked out again.

Smoke came out of the house behind her. She gasped, trying to remember where she put her phone. Then she saw her neighbor, Mr. Cain (she'd never picked up his first name from her rare conversations with her aunt about the man who lived behind her) came walking out the kitchen door. He was holding a fire extinguisher in one hand and what looked like a frying pan covered in white foam in the other.

"Oh," Teri said out loud, shaking her head. "That's the second time this week. Wonder if the poor man has any pans left?"

She glanced over at her counter where an entire dinner for a family sat. "Well, I need tasters and the guy probably doesn't want pizza again. Good as time as any to find out his first name. Aunt Ida said they were nice enough people. And the guy's apparently all alone with that baby and he can't cook. And yes I know I'm talking to myself."

With that, she took off her apron and grabbed her keys. She didn't have her neighbor's number so ringing his doorbell was her only choice.

Dean sighed as he scrolled through the DoorDash app, he really didn't want to pay the inflated prices for take out again. Sandwiches would have to be it. He could heat up a can of soup, that he was pretty sure he couldn't burn. . .possibly . . .maybe.

The doorbell rang and Dean looked at his phone strangely. No, he most definitely hadn't placed an order. His relatives always called before they came over and it seemed late for UPS, but he shrugged and headed toward the door. He looked through the peephole; a very pretty casually dressed brunette was standing on his doorstep. She's gotta have the wrong house, he thought, but opened the door anyway.

She grinned when he opened the door, better looking than I imagined, it's hard to see through that tree. "Hi, Mr. Cain?"

"Uh yeah," Dean said suspiciously, assuming she was selling something. "Can I help you?"

"It's more a give and take sorta thing. I'm sorry, I'm probably confusing you. I'm Teri, Teri Hatcher, I'm currently living in my aunt's house." She jerked her thumb in the direction of the house. "My kitchen overlooks your yard. We're neighbors."

"Oh! Mrs. Danielson's house. I'm sorry, I think I've seen you around but I'm kinda busy."

"Oh, I know! I've seen your little boy and the dog playing. My daughter's a couple of years older so I know how much of a handful they can be."

"So you're here to set up a play date?"

"No, I'm here to invite you and your son to dinner. I saw the mishap with the pan earlier. I was a bit scared to be honest, thought your house was on fire."

"Oh," Dean winced. "Uh, I'd hate to put you out. And um, I'm sorry, Teri, was it?"

"Yes, Teri."

"My name is Dean, my son is Christopher. But we'd hate to impose on your family."

"Oh you're not imposing. I'm a cookbook author," Teri figured if he couldn't cook her name wouldn't have rung the bells it normally did. "It's a long story as to why but I'm here solely to test recipes for my cookbook. So I make a ton of food basically daily and I need tasters! My aunt's family is busy tonight and frankly I think they're sick of me. My daughter is back home with my ex, so basically I cannot eat what I have sitting on my counter by myself. So we'd be doing each other a favor. All I ask for is honest feedback on the recipes."

Dean hesitated but Teri seemed friendly enough and her aunt was one of the nicest people in town. And free food? Was he going to turn that down?

"Alright, you got yourself a couple of tasters. What time?"

"45 minutes? I have to finish dessert. Any allergies? Picky eaters?"

"No, thank goodness. Christopher has to put up with my cooking so he eats what's edible."

She smiled at him. "I'll see you in a few."

Then she left in what could only be described as a whirlwind. Dean chuckled to himself. Today was looking up. But first he had 45 minutes to make himself and the boy presentable. He better hop to it.