NovelEnglishConnie grinned, shooting Charlene a playful look. "Just now, Mr. Ferguson said
you should be more like him he had no idea Gaylord was interested in you until recently, but now he's figured it
out. So, what about you? Did you notice?"
Charlene's feelings were a tangled mess. "Yeah, | did pick up on it."
But honestly, when Gaylord handed her that drink earlier, she hadn't thought much of it. It wasn't until she
caught the way he acted around York-the way tension flickered in his eyes, that edge of jealousy-that she
realized, belatedly, Gaylord might actually like her.
Connie laughed again.
Then, as if something occurred to her, she couldn't help asking, "Do they know about your situation?"
Charlene knew exactly what Connie meant. "They know, at least a little. I've been married, | have a child, and
I'm getting a divorce-I made sure to tell York about it directly. As for Gaylord... I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it at
work, so he should know too."
The fact that Gaylord knew all that-plus the fact he was a few years younger- left Charlene genuinely surprised
when she started to sense his feelings for her.
Connie nodded in approval. "That's good. | haven't known them long, but | have a feeling they're both genuinely
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtinto you. Maybe you should give one of them a shot."
Charlene bit her lip, looking down in silence.
Connie understood she probably hadn't moved on from Thorne yet. It wouldn't be fair to anyone else if she
forced herself to start something new so soon.
She was about to say more when York strolled over, a plate of grilled meat in hand. He divided it between them
with a warm smile. "Fresh off the grill. Letknow what you think."
Snapping back to the present, Charlene didn't want to brush off his kind gesture. She set aside her drink and
accepted the plate. "Thank you."
Right in front of him, she gently blew on the food and took a small bite. The whole time, York watched her, his
gaze never leaving her face, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
Charlene noticed, and a hint of embarrassment made her glance away.
Still, not wanting to let his effort go unappreciated, she tasted it more carefully and then said, "It's really good.
Perfectly cooked. Thank you for going to all this trouble."
"I'm glad you like it," York replied, then added, "Is it too salty? Did | go overboard with the seasoning?"
Charlene shook her head. "No, it's just right."
"Great." York could see she was a little uncomfortable, so he didn't press. "You ladies talk-I'll go make you some
more."
Charlene, who could cook perfectly well herself, felt bad watching him do all the work. "Lethelp you."
She had barely finished speaking when Gaylord appeared, holding out a plate. "Here | made this grilled steak.
Want to try it?"
Gaylord, truth be told, was a disaster in the kitchen. Worried it wouldn't turn out well, he'd gotten someone to
teach him last night and had practiced several times, both i last night and this morning. After grilling, he'd even
sampled it himself, and only when he was sure it was edible did he bring it over to Charlene. s
Charlene paused mid-step, looking at him. "You..."
Gaylord seemed to sense she'd just realized how he felt about her and probably
wasn't sure how to react.
He didn't push, just smiled softly. "Will you try it?"
Charlene hesitated, then accepted the plate. "Thank you."
"No problem." His tone was as gentle as York's, and he, too, knew not to be too forward. I've still got more meat
on the grill. This is my first time, so if something's off, just letknow, okay?" s
Caught in the moment, Charlene could only nod. "...Alright."
With that, Gaylord turned away.
York watched all this unfold but
made no move to take the plate from
rox stop her from eating what Gaylord had made. Instead, he said gently, "You don't have to ear
everything we make. Just have what
you like-don't force yourself." s
Gaylord hadn't gone far. Hearing York's words, he paused, then turned and chimed in, “Right. If you don't like it,
you don't have to eat it. Don't feel pressured."
Charlene managed a small smile. "I know. Thanks."
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