Page 44 of Kiss Me Now
“Nice,” I said as she stepped back to study it from beside me. “It’s both contemporary and timeless with an airiness that invites some rest.”
“Timeless? Airy?” Brooke tilted her head to study me. “Is this another Sherlock Holmes thing, to be into interior design?”
“It’s possible Gran talks me into renovation show marathons.”
“Chip and Joanna or the Property Brothers?”
“Chip all the way.”
She stretched her arms overhead and reached way up before dropping them and shaking them with a sigh. “I think that’s it for today. I find it’s best to only do one major project in a day or I burn out.”
“But I didn’t make much of a dent in the wallpaper.” I wasn’t ready to leave yet, I realized. I liked working near her, even in silence.
She waved her hand. “It’s okay. That’s two hours less labor that I have ahead of me now. I appreciate it, but you’re forgiven. No further repentance required. Go hang with Miss Lily with a clear conscience.”
“I don’t mind,” I said.
“At this point, I’d be taking advantage of you. Seriously. Make your grandma happy. I’m going into town for some other supplies.”
“All right. If you’re sure.”Don’t be sure, I willed her.Make up some other job for me to do.
But instead she gave me a cheerful, “I’m sure,” and led me to the door.
“See you around,” I said from the bottom of the steps.
“Bye,” she said and had the door closed before I’d even turned toward Gran’s house.
It bothered me as I crossed her yard to Gran’s place. It wasn’t that she’d been rude. She’d been relaxed, the edge of annoyance I’d felt from her disappearing altogether by the time she’d finished tiling. It was more that I didn’t seem to register with her at all, like she’d quit thinking about me before she’d even got the door shut, her mind on other things.
It didn’t sit right, especially not since she’d taken up most of my free thoughts for almost two weeks now.
By mid-afternoon, it still nagged at me. I’d taken Gran to lunch and enjoyed the conversation with her as I always did. We’d watched a couple of cooking shows together, and then Gran excused herself to take a nap, and suddenly I had the afternoon yawning before me, but it was all cluttered up with thoughts of Brooke.
What was she doing right now? What kind of supplies had she run into town to get? What was she going to do with the sitting room she hadn’t touched yet? Was she giving herself a break? She started work on Monday, and she probably needed to give herself some downtime before diving into her first day of teaching.
She probably wouldn’t slow down as much as she should. My investigation had painted the clear picture of a woman who was a go-getter.
I needed to invite her to dinner. That way, she could enjoy a nice meal and easy conversation before the school year started.
I crossed to her yard again, my step light, thinking about where I should take her. Somewhere with a great view. Good views were always relaxing. I knocked as I considered whether I should choose something casual or if she’d be up for a change of pace.
She opened the door and gave me a puzzled smile. “Hi. Did you forget something?”
She had changed into clean jeans and a UVA T-shirt. Her hair looked faintly damp, like it was still drying from a shower.
“No. Well, yes, I mean.” I shifted my feet. I sounded like an idiot. Or like I was twelve. Same thing. “I forgot to ask if you’d like to get dinner later. Maybe a do-over at Caps where I behave like a normal person and we get to enjoy the food.”
Her puzzlement didn’t clear. If anything, she looked more confused. “Are you asking me on a date?”
I almost said no, but I had never been a coward. I wasn’t going to play this off with an excuse. “Yes, Brooke. I’m asking you on a date. For dinner. I promise not to apologize for anything or do anything I need to apologize for.”
That got me a slight smile. “That’s really sweet, but I meant what I said earlier. Or didn’t quite say, I guess. I don’t have time for anything besides work and this house right now, and that includes dates.”
I was surprised by the rejection and immediately felt stupid for being surprised. Why shouldn’t she tell me no, considering what I’d put her through? Did I really think I was such a prize that she’d overlook all of that for a dinner invitation?
No. But I had sort of thought I’d sensed a vibe between us while we worked.
I must have waited too long to process my own idiocy before I answered, because she gave an awkward laugh.
