Unlovable

Chapter 14

The smells of breakfast tickled Darcie's nose as she slept. The promise of bacon and fresh coffee had her stretching out on the couch, her blue sweater lifting enough to reveal her belly button.

Roger watched her from the doorway, entranced by how beautiful she looked when in the morning. He sipped his coffee quietly, content with observing her. His eyes never once left her, and it enticed him more knowing she was completely unaware of his presence.

It took a moment for Darcie's eyes to focus and her mind to clear. She ground the sleep from her eyes with a balled up fist and looked around her.

She spotted him then in the doorway, watching her with an impossibly magnificent smile on his face. As soon as he saw she noticed him, he walked into the living room and stood in front of her. He sat across from her on the coffee table and handed her a steaming cup of her own. She stretched once more, briefly, before taking the cup from him.

"What time is it?" she asked as she brought the mug to her lips.

"It's just a little after nine. I took the liberty of making some breakfast. Eggs and bacon." he declared proudly.

She smiled at his enthusiasm. Was everyone besides her that chipper in the morning or was it just a Roger thing?

Darcie tried to remember if Harold had ever done anything as sweet as make her breakfast. Even cold cereal. Nothing came to mind.

"It smells great," she said softly, trying not to let the thought of Harold bother her.

They sat smiling at each other, neither knowing exactly what to say.

"You didn't have to stay last night," she said finally, silently thinking how glad she was that he did.

She peered at him over the rim of her cup. He shrugged.

"I could've gone home, but then I would've missed out. And I'm not one for missing out on things."

Darcie laughed sleepily.

"What could you have possibly missed out on, besides my snoring?"

He grinned.

"You don't snore, but I definitely would've been upset if I missed it. But what I really would've missed out on is seeing how beautiful you look first thing in the morning."

Darcie blushed. She tried to think of a witty response but came up empty.

"Breakfast, huh?" she asked because she didn't know what else to say.

"Hot and ready. And you're in for a treat, honey. Eggs and bacon are my specialty."

Darcie stood up and walked to the kitchen. She sat down as Roger served up the meal. They discussed the cabin repairs while they ate, what Darcie had done and still planned on doing.

"I noticed there wasn't a garden out back like Miko drew in the painting," she said as she bit into a slice of bacon.

"I've learned through my many years of experience that plants tend to die when they're neglected."

"I'm going to plant one." she said ignoring his sarcasm. "A big one. Full of vegetables and herbs. It's going to be amazing."

"Well, you'll save a lot of money on produce."

She laughed.

"I don't care as much about saving money as I do about preserving this cabins unique charm. Miko and Jack had an image in their heads about what they wanted this place to be. I've made it my goal to do what they would have wanted."