Chapter 1
As Katniss Everdeen pins her sister's blue blouse on the line to dry, she hears the crunch of gravel on the long winding driveway. She turns to see who is approaching and sees the familiar sight of a red F-150. She quickly grabs the empty laundry basket and walks over to greet her boyfriend.
Peeta Mellark steps out of his truck in a gray t-shirt, and dark blue jeans. His ashy blonde hair shining in the afternoon sun. He reaches back into the truck for the bakery box sitting on his passenger seat and turns to face Katniss. "Hey. I brought some cheese buns to go with dinner." His blue eyes twinkle as he smiles sweetly and holds the box out to her.
Katniss smiles softly and takes it from him. "Thank you Peeta."
"It was no big deal. I know those are your favorite item from the bakery." Peeta says as he wraps his arms around her waist.
She stretches up on her tiptoes and gives him a kiss in thanks. They part and rest their foreheads together.
"Well you know the way to my heart is through my stomach, so you're stuck with me."
"Good that's always been the plan." He pulls her in for another kiss that goes on until they hear a shout.
"Hey sweetheart, lover boy, quit sucking face and come help me stack the last of this hay in the barn before dinner." Haymitch Abernathy calls out gruffly.
Peeta and Katniss sheepishly part and look towards the barn where her Uncle Haymitch stands at the back of a black Ford pickup truck pulling hay bales from the bed into the barn.
"Alright, we're coming." Katniss growls, not looking forward to the teasing from her uncle at being caught in such a tender moment. Katniss stomps over to the porch and sets the cheese buns on the swing and they make their way to the barn.
"Oh, good you still have your own lips attached to your face. I was worried they might be permanently fused together. After that little display over there." Haymitch snarks. Peeta and Katniss ignore the comment and start unloading the hay and stacking it in the barn. Then they muck out the stalls and feed the horses.
"Haymitch we should grab your chess set for a match after dinner." Peeta suggests as a peace offering over the kissing scene Haymitch had to witness. The guys head up to the loft to grab the set.
Katniss shakes her head and goes inside to help her mama and her little sister Prim finish making dinner.
She enters the kitchen to see her Mama at the oven working on a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, white gravy, green beans, and corn on the cob.
"Hey Mama, Peeta brought cheese buns to go with dinner."
Caroline Everdeen turns from the stove to see the bakery box in her daughter's hand. "Bless that boy! He's so thoughtful. You better hold on to him honey. He's a keeper." Katniss smiles at her mama's approval of Peeta. Not that she was worried.
She and Peeta had been best friends since they were five years old. Both her parents loved Peeta. Her dad had been like a father to Peeta as they were growing up. It was just as hard on Peeta when her dad passed away from cancer three years before. Katniss doesn't know what her family would have done without Peeta during their time of grief before Haymitch moved in six months later to help. Her Mama basically shut down that first year and Katniss had to take over the household and look after her sister. Peeta's dad dropped him off everyday to bring them groceries and help with chores on the farm on top of working all day in his parent's bakery.
After that first year Caroline came back to life and started to take care of her daughters. She went back to work at the local hospital as a nurse and started helping with everyday life on the farm. Katniss had a hard time forgiving her mother for the year of neglect, but she's trying to move past it.
"I better go help Prim set the table." She grabs the cutlery and walks into the dining room.
Prim glances up from where she was placing a plate on the table and wiggles her eyebrows at her sister. "Was that Peeta's truck I heard pull in?"
"Yes, Little Duck. Peeta brought cheese buns for everyone."
"Oh, for everyone? Does that mean we all get one or are you going to stab anyone who tries to get one with your fork again?" Prim snickers
"That happened one time. Y'all need to let that go." Katniss throws a balled-up napkin at her sister in mock fury. Prim simply catches the napkin, folds it neatly, and puts it back in the proper place.
"Uncle Haymitch has a permanent reminder from the scar on his hand."
"He shouldn't have gone for the last cheese bun. And all's fair in love and food." Katniss jokes.
They hear the back door open and the boys laughing over some joke as Mama tells them to wash up for supper.
Once everything is on the table and everyone is sitting in their place, they all hold hands as Mama says grace to thank the Good Lord for the delicious food before them and the family around the table.
"Peeta how was work at the bakery today?" Caroline asks as she wipes her mouth daintily with the corner of her napkin and eyes the tired looking boy.
Peeta looks up from devouring his second helping of turkey and mash potatoes. "Today was a very productive day. I started making the icing and fillings for Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta's wedding cake. They picked the vanilla cake with lemon and raspberry filling and red velvet layers with cream cheese icing. The design is quite a challenge. They want a beach themed cake. I showed them a few sketches to make sure they approved of what I had in mind. I want it to be perfect for them. I'm looking forward to bringing it to life." He excitedly replies.
"That sounds lovely Peeta. I'm sure it will be beautiful as well as delicious. Their wedding has been the talk of the town for months. Cinna designed Annie's wedding dress, so it's bound to be breathtaking. The dress he made Katniss for last year's formal was a showstopper."
"Yeah everyone at school nicknamed her, The Girl on Fire, thanks to that dress. Every time I spun her around the dance floor it looked like she was engulfed in flames of fire. I was the envy of every guy in town for having her as my date." Peeta winks at Katniss across the table. "It's a good thing we made our relationship official or someone might have stolen her way."
Katniss blushes "Stop it Peeta. You know you have no competition."
Haymitch rolls his eyes fondly. "You two are giving me a toothache from all that fluff." He reaches for a cheese bun but quickly drops it when he sees Katniss welding a fork.
Caroline laughs loudly to see their tough old farm hand being scared off by her eldest daughter. Everyone brightens up at the sound of her laugh. One they so rarely hear since Jack Everdeen's death.
"Katniss let Haymitch have a cheese bun. You've already had three." Caroline chastises.
"Ok Mama." Katniss gladly gives Haymitch the cheese bun in her relief at hearing her mother's laughter. "Haymitch you may have the last cheese bun and I promise not to stab you this time." Haymitch grins in victory and snags the last mouthwatering treat.
Later that evening after watching Peeta and Haymitch play a round of chess. Katniss and Peeta walk hand in hand out to his truck.
"Thank you for another lovely evening, Ms. Everdeen" Peeta says as they stop at his truck.
"Anytime, Mr. Mellark. I'm glad you joined us for dinner. I know you must be tired after working in the bakery all day. I hope your mother wasn't overworking you again." Jane Mellark was a witch of a woman who found fault in nearly everything her sons did. Katniss even witnessed his mother hitting Peeta after he accidently burned a loaf bread he was baking for her family when they were eleven. Since then Katniss does her best to steer clear of his mother not wanting to be the cause of more harm towards Peeta.
"She was at luncheon with the Mayor's wife and was out most of the day, so we didn't have to worry about her today. Don't worry. I'm too old for her to hit me anymore." Peeta assures his worried girlfriend.
Katniss breathes a sigh of relief glad to know that he's safe and stretches up on her toes for a goodbye kiss.
They finally come up for air as the front porch lights flip on and off.
"Well I guess that's my cue." Peeta says as he opens the truck door and steps in. Katniss waves as he heads up the road and sends up a silent prayer for her boy to make it home safely.
Thirty minutes later she receives a text to confirm that he had. With an I love you and sweet dreams attached.
She thanks the Lord for his safe return home. She quickly texts him her love and lays down for a good night's sleep.