merrier.”
“Okay, when you put it that way,” he said with a laugh. “I mean, if it’s okay with you? I just really didn’t want to intrude,” he added on as his gaze swung back to me.
I didn’t bother to fight down my smile. “It is most definitely okay with me. Come on in.”
“I’ll go find a vase for those,” Claire said as she took the flowers from my hand. She took off down the hallway, toward the storage closet.
Alex followed me into the kitchen. I washed my hands and then picked up where I’d left off, slicing the olives to sprinkle on the pizza.
“It smells amazing. Again,” he said. “You do know I don’t just show up hoping you’ll feed me, right?”
I looked at him through lowered lashes as I continued to work. “Why do you keep showing up then?”
A laugh erupted from his mouth. “Okay. You got me. I guess,” he paused as he shifted from foot to foot, “I just wanted to see you. Since I finished the roof, I didn’t know if I’d see you again.”
I stopped slicing to look at him. My heart sputtered, waiting to hear what else he had to say.
“I would like to see more of you,” he finally added on.
I smiled, relieved and excited, even as I wondered if I should be feeling this way so soon. I hadn’t flat out asked him but I was assuming after our trip to the state park that there was no wife, no kids, no white picket fence.
“Did my girl tell you she’s sticking around?” Claire asked as she walked into the kitchen. The flowers, now in a vase, were held out in front of her. She set them in the middle of the kitchen table
Alex ’s eyes shot back to me. They crinkled in the corners as a satisfied look settled onto his face. I glanced at Claire who was off to his side, adjusting the flower arrangement. Claire winked at me, letting me know she’d caught the look as well.
“She didn’t tell me,” he said , his eyes on me. “But I’m glad to hear it.”
“Me, too,” Claire said. “Oh, I think I hear Sean driving up.” She made her way out of the kitchen again.
“You know,” Alex said. “I think you need to let me pay you back. Let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night.”
“Oh,” I replied, already shaking my head as I tried to think of a polite way to decline. Until that moment, dating Alex had been nothing more than a fantasy, wishful thinking. Daydreaming about dating him had not been a reality. Now the question was out there and my confused heart wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that.
“Would S unday be better?” he asked.
“No, not really,” I honestly replied. “It’s just, I don’t think so.” I couldn’t think of a reason I wanted to share so I didn’t give him one.
“What? You let me bum cookies off of you but I’m not good enough to be seen in public with? I see how you are,” he joked but he looked completely disappointed.
Despite myself, I felt disappointed. I had come here to move on. Didn’t that mean meeting someone new? But wasn’t it too early for that? My head was telling me that it should feel too early. And yet…
“It’s just,” I motioned to my face, realizing I did have a logical excuse, “I’m feeling a little self-conscious. I haven’t really left the house yet.”
“Oh,” he said, his smile brightening. “If that’s all it is, I’ve got a great solution. Let me cook you dinner. We can have a night in. We can rent a movie or something. Does seven o ’clock tomorrow night work for you?”
“Um,” I pulled my shoulders up in an exaggerated shrug while I thought it over. Why not ? I asked myself. I mean, really, why not ? I was young. I was single. I was sure as hell female and he was one beautiful, thoughtful specimen of male. “Sure? Do you want me to bring anything?”
“You can bring something luscious for dessert,” he said, his tone low and teasing. He cocked his head to the side, as if realizing something. “I may or may not have meant that the way it sounded.”
“I wouldn’t have
“Okay, when you put it that way,” he said with a laugh. “I mean, if it’s okay with you? I just really didn’t want to intrude,” he added on as his gaze swung back to me.
I didn’t bother to fight down my smile. “It is most definitely okay with me. Come on in.”
“I’ll go find a vase for those,” Claire said as she took the flowers from my hand. She took off down the hallway, toward the storage closet.
Alex followed me into the kitchen. I washed my hands and then picked up where I’d left off, slicing the olives to sprinkle on the pizza.
“It smells amazing. Again,” he said. “You do know I don’t just show up hoping you’ll feed me, right?”
I looked at him through lowered lashes as I continued to work. “Why do you keep showing up then?”
A laugh erupted from his mouth. “Okay. You got me. I guess,” he paused as he shifted from foot to foot, “I just wanted to see you. Since I finished the roof, I didn’t know if I’d see you again.”
I stopped slicing to look at him. My heart sputtered, waiting to hear what else he had to say.
“I would like to see more of you,” he finally added on.
I smiled, relieved and excited, even as I wondered if I should be feeling this way so soon. I hadn’t flat out asked him but I was assuming after our trip to the state park that there was no wife, no kids, no white picket fence.
“Did my girl tell you she’s sticking around?” Claire asked as she walked into the kitchen. The flowers, now in a vase, were held out in front of her. She set them in the middle of the kitchen table
Alex ’s eyes shot back to me. They crinkled in the corners as a satisfied look settled onto his face. I glanced at Claire who was off to his side, adjusting the flower arrangement. Claire winked at me, letting me know she’d caught the look as well.
“She didn’t tell me,” he said , his eyes on me. “But I’m glad to hear it.”
“Me, too,” Claire said. “Oh, I think I hear Sean driving up.” She made her way out of the kitchen again.
“You know,” Alex said. “I think you need to let me pay you back. Let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night.”
“Oh,” I replied, already shaking my head as I tried to think of a polite way to decline. Until that moment, dating Alex had been nothing more than a fantasy, wishful thinking. Daydreaming about dating him had not been a reality. Now the question was out there and my confused heart wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that.
“Would S unday be better?” he asked.
“No, not really,” I honestly replied. “It’s just, I don’t think so.” I couldn’t think of a reason I wanted to share so I didn’t give him one.
“What? You let me bum cookies off of you but I’m not good enough to be seen in public with? I see how you are,” he joked but he looked completely disappointed.
Despite myself, I felt disappointed. I had come here to move on. Didn’t that mean meeting someone new? But wasn’t it too early for that? My head was telling me that it should feel too early. And yet…
“It’s just,” I motioned to my face, realizing I did have a logical excuse, “I’m feeling a little self-conscious. I haven’t really left the house yet.”
“Oh,” he said, his smile brightening. “If that’s all it is, I’ve got a great solution. Let me cook you dinner. We can have a night in. We can rent a movie or something. Does seven o ’clock tomorrow night work for you?”
“Um,” I pulled my shoulders up in an exaggerated shrug while I thought it over. Why not ? I asked myself. I mean, really, why not ? I was young. I was single. I was sure as hell female and he was one beautiful, thoughtful specimen of male. “Sure? Do you want me to bring anything?”
“You can bring something luscious for dessert,” he said, his tone low and teasing. He cocked his head to the side, as if realizing something. “I may or may not have meant that the way it sounded.”
“I wouldn’t have
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