Coffee with Eliot was going fairly well. Cora found him much more reserved than she would have expected from his blog. But like she told her uncle, she'd found the real him much more to her liking than the blog persona. He was charming in his way and she really liked it when he laughed or smiled. He was also interested in a wide range of topics, so conversation didn't seem to be lacking.

They'd been talking about Dash when Cora asked the question that she'd been wondering about since she'd been introduced to the boy. "So Dashiell, that's not a common name. Where did you guys come up with it?"

Eliot took a sip of his second cup of coffee which Cora was pretty sure had gone cold by now. He bit his lip and then answered. "My wife was really into mystery novels, it was her idea."

"Oh, like Dashiell Hammett?"

Eliot nodded. "I never really cared much for the name, but she was very . . . .Anyway . . .that's why Dashiell."

"What . . . ."Cora frowned, she knew the answer to the question she was going to ask but she didn't want him to know and wasn't sure how to ask now.

"She passed two years ago," Eliot said, keeping her from asking the question. "Cancer. It was . . .she fought hard but she's free now, better place."

"I'm so sorry," Cora said, even though she knew this fact, it was different hearing it from him. Words were always inadequate.

"Thank you," was all Eliot said. They sat in silence for a few moments and Cora mentally kicked herself.

Then suddenly Eliot looked over at her and took a breath, as if he was desperate to keep the conversation going and was looking for a subject change. He seemed to settle on one. "How about you?"

"Huh?"

"Well, pretty sure you don't have kids."

"No, not yet."

"Been married?"

Cora shook her head ruefully. "Almost. He dumped me for a co-worker two weeks before our wedding."

"Ouch," Eliot shook his head. "Want me to beat him up?"

Cora laughed, though she had a feeling that Eliot could certainly do so and probably would for her. Something about that sent a thrill up her spine. She always did have a thing for the slightly bad boy.

"Nah, I'm better off really. But that's why I went to New York. But honestly I'm feeling like I made a mistake there too. So now I don't know what I'm going to do." Every word she just said was the absolute truth. This little con game was not sitting with her well at all.

"Got something back home?"

"Managing my family's restaurant," she frowned. "I actually liked the restaurant business but working for family. Well you know how it is."

Eliot looked confused for a moment than realized that Cora thought he worked for Parker and Hardison. He laughed but then decided to go with it. "Yeah, I do."

"It's nice that they give you so much time off," Cora added. "Are you sure you don't need to be anywhere?"

"Well that's the fun of working for them, they're real flexible as for being somewhere . . . ."Eliot trailed off as his phone chimed. "Wow, it's almost lunch time. I gotta get home and get lunch started before Momma drops off Dash."

"Oh," Cora's eyes widened as she noticed the time. "Well, I had a great time, Eliot. Maybe we could do this again?"

He grinned at her, considering. "You free right now?"

"Yeah, my uncle's busy. Why?"

"I'm invitin' ya to lunch with me and Champ. What do you say?"

Cora couldn't quite hide her look of skepticism. He was making lunch for a 4 year old and while she liked kids, she wasn't up for dinosaur nuggets and goldfish crackers. Nor did she want him to go to the trouble of making a grown up meal. "What's for lunch?"

"Fish and chips."

"Uh . . . ."

"Oh," Eliot laughed. "You're thinking I'm serving frozen fish sticks and fries from a bag."

"Well . . . ."

"Oh, no, you're getting battered pollock, I'd probably do a beer batter if it was just you and me, but I can't with Dash. And my home made fries."

Cora looked at him sideways. "Really? And I'm not gonna look in the trash can and find take out containers?"

Eliot looked slightly offended then shook his head. "Cora, you need to date a better class of men."

"Clearly," Cora laughed. "Seriously? You're making your own french fries?"

"Hand cut. C'mon, you can watch me cook. Then," he grinned, "when I prove you wrong, I get to pick the next date."

"I like a challenge, it's a lunch date then. Keep in mind that you're talking to an Irish girl here."

"I like a challenge too, Miss McRory."

Cora perched on a stool against the counter watching Eliot cook. She'd have offered to help, but he was supposed to be impressing her. Besides, she knew better than to get in the way of a cook at work. She had to admit that he seemed to know his way around a kitchen. The proof of course would be in the eating.

The fries were just waiting for their second round of frying when Dash came barreling into the kitchen.

"Hey, Champ," Eliot smiled as the boy came to a stop in front of the island.

"Daddy! Oh, hi Miss Cora!"

"Hi Dash," Cora smiled, "you have a good day?"

"Where's Gran?" Eliot asked, stopping to give his son a hug.

"She said to tell you she'd call later, she had to run."

Eliot nodded, his mother was always on the go and since she knew Eliot was home, would have just made sure she heard her son's voice before leaving.

"Well Champ, we're just about to eat, just gotta finish the fries."

"Ooh fish and chips! Daddy makes the best," Dash told Cora.

"So I've been told," she said with a wink to Eliot.

A little while later, they were sitting down to fish and chips, a gob of ketchup and tartar sauce for Dash and malt vinegar for the adults.

Cora had been impressed when she saw him cooking but was even more so when she ate the results.

"This is amazing, Eliot."

"Why thank you, ma'am," Eliot winked at her. "So did I win our wager?"

"You did indeed. Seriously, we'd put this on our menu, puts our recipe to shame."

A light blush briefly crossed Eliot's cheeks. "That is a compliment comin' from an Irish girl. Always had dreams of opening my own place but . . . ."

"Life is funny sometimes," Cora said, changing the subject by asking Dash about his day.

Lunch turned into an afternoon of playing games with Dash. Cora knew she really should leave but Dash was hard to resist. Eliot was even harder to resist. And Cora was afraid she was going to have such a good time with them, she was going to completely forget why she'd come to Tulsa in the first place.

It was getting toward dinner time and Dash turned to his father, "can Cora stay for dinner?"

Eliot shook his head. "Miss Cora's visitin' her family, she needs to spend some time with them."

Cora nodded. "I really need to get back home, but I had so much fun today."

Cora gave Dash a hug and then Eliot walked her out. They were standing on the porch, neither one quite sure how to end things.

"I really had a nice time today," Cora offered.

"I'm sorry if we kept you too long," Eliot looked less confident than she'd seen him all day.

She shook her head. "I stayed because I was having fun. I promise. Not just being nice."

"Good, um, I did win that bet."

"You did, where did you want to go?"

"Can I call you in the morning? I've got an idea but I need to check on some stuff first."

"Alright, well I better get going, night Eliot."

He didn't say anything, just looked at her. She admitted she'd been lingering on his porch for a reason. He smiled softly and then leaned forward and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She leaned into him and their lips met in a brief sweet kiss.

"Night Cora," he murmured as they parted.

"Right, night," and Cora wouldn't admit that she might have stumbled backing off the porch. Eliot to his credit managed to stifle his chuckle.

Cora was in her room at her uncle's, somewhat dreamily thinking over the date. She'd not had a day like this in a long time and Eliot made her feel things that she thought she'd never feel again. She couldn't wait for morning and his call.

Her phone buzzed and she grabbed it with a smile, thinking he'd decided to text her instead.

But her blood ran cold when she realized who it was. She'd almost completely forgotten why she was in Tulsa as much fun as she'd been having and the connection she'd made with Eliot Spencer.

Sophie was texting, wondering if she made any progress. With shaking hands, Cora had typed that she'd made some leeway with Eliot but the subject of a book just hadn't come up.

Well, it needs to come up and soon, darling. Mr. Sterling is getting impatient and I need to get back to New York.

I'm seeing him again soon, I'll see what I can do.

I certainly hope so. For all of our sakes.

Cora sank onto the bed, holding her face in her hands. What am I going to do?

Nate could hear a muffled noise coming from his niece's room. He knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," Cora's voice was soft.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, entering the room. "Did the date not go well?"

Cora shook her head. "It went wonderful! I really like him, we're gonna go out on a second date."

Nate looked perplexed. "Then why?"

Cora put her phone in his hand, showing him the text and waving at it. "That. That's what's wrong! I actually forgot why I was here. I can't lie to him."

"So don't," Nate said, looking at the phone.

"What are you talking about?"

"If you don't bring up the book, you don't have to lie about it. Cora . . .relax, okay? Go take a bath. Enjoy yourself. Let Uncle Nate handle Sophie Deveraux."

"Really?" Cora raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Have I let you down before?"

"Well there was that time in . . . ."

"That wasn't my fault! Trust me, I've got this." He pushed her toward the bathroom. "Go, I even put a set from that bath store your mom says you love in there. Enjoy."

Cora finally nodded. "Okay. And if Eliot calls?"

"I'll come and get you. Or at least I will yell through the door. Now go!"

Cora giggled and closed the bathroom door behind her. Nate looked down at the phone in his hands and wrote down Sophie Deveraux's contact information.

"Alright, Ms. Deveraux, let's play a little game."