The Letter(50)

Well of course he did. How hard could it be? Just push that little button starter thing and let it heat up. “Um, sure.” Owen followed the boy into the house.

“Mom, Mr. Campbell is going to start the grill for you.”

Bella turned towards him as he entered the kitchen. She had an apron tied over a simple red dress. She couldn’t have looked any prettier if she tried. Get a grip. You’re in a house full of kids.

“Hi, Owen.”

“These are for you.” He reached out to hand her the flowers.

“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She reached up into a cupboard and pulled out a vase. He watched while she fiddled with the arrangement until she had it just like she wanted. With a flourish she placed it on the center of the table.

“Mom. Can Mr. Campbell get the grill ready? I’m starving.” Timmy shifted back and forth on his beat-up tennis shoes.

“Owen, you up for that?”

“Sure. Timmy, want to show me the grill?”

“It’s right out here. Oh, and the charcoal is right outside the door, and the lighter fluid. I’m not allowed to touch that.”

The charcoal? She had a charcoal grill, not a gas grill?

“Here are the matches.” Bella stood on tiptoe, reached up to a top shelf in the cupboard, got the matchbox, and handed it to him.

He could do this. He could.

Timmy pushed open the screen door and Owen followed him outside. Bella’s son, Jeremy, came over to the grill area and eyed him suspiciously. He just couldn’t seem to win the boy over, and had no clue how to fix that. People usually liked him. He was a likable enough guy. But nothing he said or did seemed to break through Jeremy’s icy reserve. Owen had thought he was beginning to win the boy over this fall, but with being away so much off and on, things had only gotten worse between them.

“Hi, Jeremy.”

Jeremy nodded.

Owen took the bag of charcoal and placed some briquettes in the bottom of the grill.

“That’s not enough.” Jeremy rolled his eyes.

Owen added some more.

“Still not.”

Owen added a bit more. “That enough?”

“Don’t you even know how to start a grill?” Jeremy looked at him in disgust. “Now, squirt some of the lighter fluid on it. Then stand back so you don’t burn yourself.”

If a person could also have an eye-roll in his voice, Jeremy sure had it.

Owen did as he was told and lighted the charcoal, absurdly tickled that he’d just manage to light his first grill, not that anyone else needed to know that.

Jeremy sucked in a deep breath of air with an exaggerated sigh. “Come on, Timmy. Let’s shoot some hoops.”

The boys went over to the basketball pole and Owen decided to go in and see if he could help Bella.

“Everything okay out there?”

“Yes, I got the charcoal started.”

“Want to make the hamburger patties up while I finish the salad?”

“Sure.” How hard could that be? He washed his hands and opened the package of hamburger meat.

“There’s a platter to put them on.” Bella pointed to a plain white plate on the counter.

He grabbed a handful of the meat and started to pat it into shape. Not big enough. He added some more. Well, that could feed a starving football player. He took some of the meat off and worked until he had a nice sized patty. Once again, he was pretty proud of himself. See, this cooking thing isn’t that hard.

He finished up making the hamburgers just as Bella finished up making the salad. She put the salad in the fridge and pulled a pan of brownies out of the oven while he washed his hands. And washed them again. It was hard to get the sticky fat off his hands.

“Let’s go outside while you grill the burgers.” Bella smiled at him.

So he was going to grill them… okay, but how long does one grill a hamburger? Well, if he did it wrong, Jeremy was sure to correct him.

“Beer?”

“Sounds great.”

Bella grabbed two bottles of beer and used an opener to pop the tops.

They went outside and the boys wandered over. Owen looked down at the now white edged charcoal. He started to put the grill rack over the coals.

Jeremy laughed. “You have to knock the coals around. Get them out of the one stack. Don’t you know how to do anything?”

“Jeremy Harding. Mind your manners.” Bella pinned her son with a no-nonsense glare.

“But, Mom. He doesn’t know how to barbecue. He’s an adult. He should know how.”

“Well, son, this is my first time ever starting a grill. I appreciate your help.”

“I am not your son.”

“Jeremy, you are being incredibly rude. Apologize.” Bella stepped forward towards her son.