He nodded. “I was on my way to Ms. Ida’s for a late breakfast and wanted to know if you’d like to come with me.”

A smile played around her mouth. “Any other time I’d be game, but I just made batter for waffles. You’re welcome to join me, if you like.”

Gabriel laughed. “I’ve never turned down a great meal, and I know yours will be exactly that. Do you need me to run home for anything?”

“Nope.” She held the door open for him to enter, then led him to the kitchen. “I have everything for a lazy Sunday brunch—scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and my homemade waffles.”

On cue, his stomach growled. “What made you decide to make waffles? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Somebody’s hungry,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ve been craving them for the past few weeks.”

“Let me wash my hands and you can put me to work.” He had no problem working for his breakfast. And he enjoyed cooking with her.

Serenity handed him a paper towel to dry his hands. “You can handle the bacon and the fruit. Just use this plate for the fruit.” She had halves of a cantaloupe and watermelon, grapes, strawberries, and a pineapple.

“Got it.”

“Do you mind if I put on some music?”

“Of course not.” Serenity walked over to her phone, punched a few buttons, and Jill Scott’s powerhouse voice poured through the portable speaker on the counter. Gabriel bobbed his head in time with the music as he sliced and diced the fruit. Once he finished, he joined Serenity at the stove, where she was adding brown and white sugar, a little salt, and water to a pot. “What are you making?”

“Vanilla maple syrup.”

“Wait. You make your own syrup?” This woman never failed to amaze him.

“It’s good, too,” Serenity said with a little dance move in time with the beat. “And the best part is that it doesn’t take long to make.”

Smiling, Gabriel swung her out and moved his body in sync with hers. They danced for a minute, and then she went back to the stove. He watched in fascination as she brought the mixture to a boil, then turned it off and added maple extract. She grabbed another bottle from the cabinet. “What’s in there?”

“Vanilla extract.” She measured and added the liquid to the pot, then gave it a little stir. “That’s it.”

“Wow. That entire process took less than ten minutes. Where did you buy your vanilla extract from? I’ve never seen it in that kind of container.” He held the bottle up in the light and noticed the long brown stems inside. He opened the lid and smelled. “Vanilla beans?”