Page 35 of Falling For You

He took another bite and nodded, bringing his gaze to mine. “What kind of thoughts were spinning through your head?”

I twisted my mouth into an awkward pout full of casserole and waited until I finished as I pointed my fork at him.

“I tried to chat with Vern, but he wouldn’t answer his door, nor would his wife.”

My answer completely caught him off guard. I could see the smile slide right off his mouth.

“And I got signed up for some auction,” I rattled on.

A smile returned to his lips, and he nodded. “Never a dull moment.”

“Nope. Not around here. And don’t think I’ve given up trying to snoop out some answers before you get around to telling me things. I will find out.”

A faraway look floated across his gaze as he watched me before dipping his eyes back down to the plate.

“You okay?” I asked him. “Did I say something?”

Owen blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and forced a smile in my direction. “Yeah. Sorry. Just work stuff that’s haunting me.”

I raised a brow. “You seem like you’re used to dealing with work things as much as you proclaim to do it.”

He smiled and glanced over my shoulders toward the kitchen. “No, I’m pretty used to theworkload. It’s just recently, I’ve been having some doubts. I’m usually pretty sure about things, but I’m not feeling that level of security at the moment.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I nodded. “I know how that can be.”

His eyes narrowed on me. “You do?”

“Of course. Uncertainties in life are always bound to creep up now and again. We aren’t robots.”

He laughed and shook his head. “It would be easier if we were, though.”

I cocked my head slightly and caught his gaze with mine. “Do you truly believe that?”

He took another bite of food as if to buy some time before answering.

To me, it was a light conversation with an easy answer.

Who would want to be a robot? I certainly wouldn’t.

“I’m not good with emotions,” he said flatly. “So, from that point of view, it would probably be better if I were a robot.”

“I’m pretty sure you could hurt a robot’s feelings too.”

“You meanyou, as inme, or in a hypothetical sense?”

I snickered and nodded. “Both.”

He smirked, and I couldn’t help but notice the fine lines surfacing along his cheekbones. It made him even more attractive somehow.

“You don’t actually strike me as someone who is without emotion.”

Surprise sprang into his gaze. “Really? How so?”

“You felt guilty for being such a salty curmudgeon when we first met,” I pointed out.

“I didn’t think I was that bad.”

“Oh, you were,” I teased. “But you tried to smooth things over and brought me flowers. I don’t think a sociopath would do that.”

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