little public park, and your landscaping is extraordinary. I hoped you wouldn’t mind strangers wandering on your property.”
“Don’t mention it. You’re hardly a stranger, so feel free to make yourself at home.”
He had a feeling it was what she’d do anyway.
Chapter Eight
“A nybody home?” Ali knocked briskly on the door frame before entering Ethan’s room. As expected, he was propped against his headboard with an ancient geology textbook in one hand and a Snickers bar in the other.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s always a pleasure to see you too, Ethan.”
Ali dragged a side chair across the floor and positioned it at the Danish modern partner’s desk. Then she unfolded the game board and set out a small wooden rack for each player. Ethan shifted from his backside to his knees so he could see what was going on. Good, she had his attention.
“Don’t you know it’s the weekend?” he snapped.
“So?” She began flipping the letter tiles facedown in the lid of the box. “If you never leave your room how can you tell today’s any different from yesterday?”
“Morning cartoons, Sherlock.”
“Very nice. You actually made a wisecrack.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s not important.” A teenager who didn’t naturally dole out sarcasm wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “To your point, I’m definitely aware it’s Saturday evening and I felt like doing something fun. I thought you might be interested in a Scrabble smackdown.”
“That’s a stupid kid’s game.”
“Oh, is that right?” Benjamin crossed the threshold carrying an additional chair. “In that case you probably won’t want to join us.”
“Of course he will.” Ali suppressed her shock and continued to set up the game. Inviting Benjamin to play had crossed her mind but she’d dismissed it after a moment’s thought. Working with Ethan was like groping about in a dark and unfamiliar closet. If she was going to fumble blindly it was best to do it in private.
“How about it, Ethan?” Ali kept her voice casual.
“Nope.” He slumped back onto the bed but continued to watch, incapable of masking the interest on his face.
“Alrighty, then.” She turned to Benjamin, who winked and grinned at her as he passed the foot of Ethan’s bed. Another woman might have interpreted the gesture as flirtatious, but Ali felt certain it was conspiratorial and nothing more. Even so, such a teasing glance from the Dallas Cowboy legend was the stuff that drove Bridget Jones to her diary.
“I’m glad you have some time to kill before your dinner’s ready.”
“Pffffff,” Benjamin puffed at the comment. “If a rousing round of Scrabble is in order, the food can wait.”
The game was positioned between the two of themwith the board only partially in Ethan’s line of sight. Ali prayed his curious nature would get the best of him and it took less than fifteen minutes to receive her answer.
“Huh?” Ali squinted at the word Benjamin had carefully positioned on the board. “Anth…Anthr…I can’t even pronounce that. You’re making it up,” she accused him as she grabbed her trusty dictionary.
“No way,” Benjamin defended himself.
“Way!” She thumbed through the pages. “A-N-T…How’d you spell that, again?”
“A-N-T-H-R-A-C-I-T-E.”
“Anthracite!” Ethan was on his feet and crossing the room. “That’s the most highly metamorphosed form of coal, containing ninety-two to ninety-eight percent of fixed carbon. It is black, hard and glassy.” He selected a dark chunk from the many cylinder-shaped core samples on his bookshelves, carried it to the desk and positioned it beside the word on the Scrabble board. “Any dummy knows about Anthracite.”
“Well, that certainly accounts for you,” Ali muttered.
“Okay, you two. Keep it civil.” Benjamin never looked up, just reached for more letter tiles to replenish the ones he’d used during his turn.
So, she’d been right not to swat
“Don’t mention it. You’re hardly a stranger, so feel free to make yourself at home.”
He had a feeling it was what she’d do anyway.
Chapter Eight
“A nybody home?” Ali knocked briskly on the door frame before entering Ethan’s room. As expected, he was propped against his headboard with an ancient geology textbook in one hand and a Snickers bar in the other.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s always a pleasure to see you too, Ethan.”
Ali dragged a side chair across the floor and positioned it at the Danish modern partner’s desk. Then she unfolded the game board and set out a small wooden rack for each player. Ethan shifted from his backside to his knees so he could see what was going on. Good, she had his attention.
“Don’t you know it’s the weekend?” he snapped.
“So?” She began flipping the letter tiles facedown in the lid of the box. “If you never leave your room how can you tell today’s any different from yesterday?”
“Morning cartoons, Sherlock.”
“Very nice. You actually made a wisecrack.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s not important.” A teenager who didn’t naturally dole out sarcasm wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “To your point, I’m definitely aware it’s Saturday evening and I felt like doing something fun. I thought you might be interested in a Scrabble smackdown.”
“That’s a stupid kid’s game.”
“Oh, is that right?” Benjamin crossed the threshold carrying an additional chair. “In that case you probably won’t want to join us.”
“Of course he will.” Ali suppressed her shock and continued to set up the game. Inviting Benjamin to play had crossed her mind but she’d dismissed it after a moment’s thought. Working with Ethan was like groping about in a dark and unfamiliar closet. If she was going to fumble blindly it was best to do it in private.
“How about it, Ethan?” Ali kept her voice casual.
“Nope.” He slumped back onto the bed but continued to watch, incapable of masking the interest on his face.
“Alrighty, then.” She turned to Benjamin, who winked and grinned at her as he passed the foot of Ethan’s bed. Another woman might have interpreted the gesture as flirtatious, but Ali felt certain it was conspiratorial and nothing more. Even so, such a teasing glance from the Dallas Cowboy legend was the stuff that drove Bridget Jones to her diary.
“I’m glad you have some time to kill before your dinner’s ready.”
“Pffffff,” Benjamin puffed at the comment. “If a rousing round of Scrabble is in order, the food can wait.”
The game was positioned between the two of themwith the board only partially in Ethan’s line of sight. Ali prayed his curious nature would get the best of him and it took less than fifteen minutes to receive her answer.
“Huh?” Ali squinted at the word Benjamin had carefully positioned on the board. “Anth…Anthr…I can’t even pronounce that. You’re making it up,” she accused him as she grabbed her trusty dictionary.
“No way,” Benjamin defended himself.
“Way!” She thumbed through the pages. “A-N-T…How’d you spell that, again?”
“A-N-T-H-R-A-C-I-T-E.”
“Anthracite!” Ethan was on his feet and crossing the room. “That’s the most highly metamorphosed form of coal, containing ninety-two to ninety-eight percent of fixed carbon. It is black, hard and glassy.” He selected a dark chunk from the many cylinder-shaped core samples on his bookshelves, carried it to the desk and positioned it beside the word on the Scrabble board. “Any dummy knows about Anthracite.”
“Well, that certainly accounts for you,” Ali muttered.
“Okay, you two. Keep it civil.” Benjamin never looked up, just reached for more letter tiles to replenish the ones he’d used during his turn.
So, she’d been right not to swat
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