Of Literature & Kisses (Forbidden Romance)

Chapter 30 - Opposites Attract

"Bran, the faucet is leaking again," I called out from the bathroom. "What do I do?"

"Absolutely nothing," he said from a distance. I could hear him walking to me. I opened the door, since I had finished using the restroom, and he looked at the sink.

"Damn it. I got to get that fixed or the water bill will spike. I might as well make the run to the hardware store and get everything else. I want to replace the shower head, too, and get a better lock for the front door. Need some wood for the bookshelf you asked me for, months ago. I'm sorry for that," he gave me a helpless grin.

I laughed softly. "I honestly forgot all about that. I can go with you if you want the company."

"No, it's fine. I know you hate going there. Stay home. I'll have Chad come with me so he can help with the lifting."

"Okay, it's a bit of a drive so make sure you get everything you need at the store. I'm going to make some lunch and dessert, Cottage Pie and Banoffee Pie, so don't buy any food."

"Mmm. Feeling British today, aren't we? I love both pies, the savory and the sweet."

Moments later he and Chad were getting ready to leave. Bran looked at me before leaving with a playful smirk on his face. "Hey, I'm putting the alarm on. Make sure not to forget it's on and set it off, little one."

I laughed, rolling my eyes as they left.

Bran was right about the food, not my forgetting the alarm system. My taste buds wanted some British food, the homey kind my dad, who was very much American, used to love. He had visited England, Scotland, and Ireland once with my mother for their honeymoon, and ever since then he said it had become one of his favorite cuisines to eat, especially the meat pies and pot roasts. My mother had always been more into Italian or Mexican, but she had cooked him those pub fares every once in a while. She had loved to see him happy, grinning like a child.

I missed them. My chest became tight with a sudden flash of grief, and I moved to the kitchen with my sleeves rolled up to my elbows, ready to put my energy elsewhere. I started the makings of lunch first, taking the ground beef I had set to thawing with ample time. The making of cottage pie wasn't difficult, just a little time consuming. I set about seasoning the beef and cooking it, which was quick and easy. Then I began methodically dicing the vegetables before simmering them over the pan, then adding a mixture to make for gravy. The beef and vegetables were mixed together with my favorite herbs of rosemary and thyme, some salt, and I set onto the task of making the mashed potatoes.

That too wasn't difficult, and I covered the beef with a thick layer of mashed potatoes and cheese before popping the pie into the oven.

Then came the second pie, which was altogether different, consisting of purely sweet ingredients. As I took out the English biscuit crust I had pre-prepared and kept refrigerated for a little over two hours, I started to wonder if Hanna had tried this recipe recently, and what spins she have added to it. She was a purely instinctive baker, adding to her recipes whatever she felt they needed. It seemed she never erred.

I kept mine simple, adding to the crust a layer of thick caramel. Then I sliced thin rounds of bananas, adding them as the second layer. The third layer consisted of my freshly made whipped cream and crushed pieces of toffee. Hands down, the easiest pie to make, and it didn't lack in flavor.

The aroma of the meat pie in the oven was already permeating throughout the house. I had just finished storing the completed dessert into the fridge when I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye, outside the front window, whose curtains I had drawn in the morning to watch for snow in case it decided to fall.