Page 33 of Anything for You
And yet.
I’d just explained the myriad reasons any bridge-crossing would be foolish at least and cruel at worst. I’d healed enough to recognize that being with someone in a romantic capacity wasn’t shackling them to me. I was doing well and knew myself and my diagnoses well enough to manage them. But someone like Dove? Someone so knitted into the fabric of her community, who worked in town and reveled in being near people and wanted to be surrounded on all sides by her family and friends?
Not quite a match made in heaven.
“You went serious on me there, Dorian Q. What’s wrong?”
Her voice interrupted my brooding thoughts. “Sorry. My brain waylaid me.”
Amusement twitched her lips. “Brains can be jerks sometimes.”
I huffed a laugh. “Indeed, they can.”
“So listen, can you confirm you’re the person who’s been sending in food to the Romance Readers Book Club?” Her eyes dipped to her plate, and she fiddled with a remaining piece of her slice of roasted vegetable quiche.
“I am. It wasn’t a secret.”Except that you asked Jo not to tell anyone.“Or I didn’t mean for it to feel like one. More just didn’t want the pressure of people knowing.”
Her gaze narrowed on me, and despite the searching glance, or maybe because of it, my pulse ticked higher.
“Uh, well, yes. Yeah. That’s me.” Why were my cheeks hot? Why did my heart start pounding with the admission?
When I looked to Dove, her mouth was open slightly and her eyes wide.
“Did Jo happen to… convey any sentiments shared at the first one you did? Or… you know, any of the ones you’ve done these last few months?”
Wassheblushing? This made no sense.
“She said everyone really loved everything. Sometimes, she’s told me which things disappeared first, but… is that not true? Are people not eating the food?”
She bounced in her seat. “No! No. I mean, yes, they are eating it.Weare eating it with gusto. I don’t think I’ve had a single thing I didn’t like and some of them were truly…” Her plush lips pressed into a thin line.
Curiosity sparked low in my gut. Something about the way she was clearly holding herself back made me feel restless.
“Truly…” I prodded.
She shook her head, finally circling her eyes back to meet mine again. A bolt of connection or familiarity orsomethingstruck.
“Can’t actually say what I was going to say so, uh—” She glanced up to the ceiling like the answer might be written there.
The wordorgasmicfiltered through my mind and I swallowed hard. She wouldn’t use that word now, of course. We were both a bit bolder in our letters. But what would she say? And did it make me pathetic for wanting whatever word she might supply? Fortunately, she saved me by speaking again.
“It was all just so good. Are you thinking about starting up a business?”
My turn to shift restlessly. I settled my saucer back on the table and plucked a few apple slices from one of the platters. “No. I don’t think I’d enjoy it that way.”
She nodded like this made sense. Did it? Was it foolish to go around aggressively baking just for the joy of it? Just because I liked to and other people seemed to like the literal fruits of my labor?
Her phone buzzed loudly and she jumped, then plucked it from a small purse I hadn’t noticed and looked at it warily. Her shoulders slumped, and she shoved it back into her bag without answering.
“Do you need to get that?” I asked, not wanting her to miss an important call, though selfishly wanting her time and energy all to myself while she was here.
Brow furrowed, she loaded her plate with more food as she spoke. “No. No, I was afraid it was my brother again, but it wasn’t, thank goodness, and anyone else can wait. But really—” She sat up and gave me a stern look. “Really, he should wait, too, right? Like, why would I answer him after what he just did?”
Admittedly, I could be a little slow with things like this. Had I missed something? Should I know who her brother was? Maybe he was some bigwig in Silverton or Salt Lake and other people would understand the reference. My tendency to stay tucked away here often resulted in me being oblivious to the goings-on of town or even society at large.
“Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean.” Damn but I hated the ignorance baked into those words and the realities of my life that caused them.
Instead of looking shocked or hurt, she slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes flickered around, searchingagain for an answer, then she sighed heavily, a pained smile behind her hand as she released it.
