Page 44 of You've Got Male

“Candles would be a strict violation of the rules. That’s just like you to break the rules week one.”

“Cool your panties, sunshine. No flowers.”

“Good. Store roses have never done it for me,” she said and brushed past him to grab the salad out of the fridge.

“What does do it for you? Asking for a friend.”

Thank God her head was stuck in the fridge because she did not want him to see her blush.

Ignoring his question, she asked, “Have you heard back from Kyle?”

“Radio silence. Which might be an answer.”

She spun around. “Don’t do that! Don’t undervalue yourself. And don’t think the worst. ”

“Working on it. And how about you? You sign up for the placement exam yet?”

“You remember that?”

“I do.” There was something in his eyes that might be calledcare, but Evie didn’t want to see it. She didn’t know how long it had been since someone had thought of her needs. Grabbing the dressing, she busied her hands with that instead.

“Working on it. I still have some time. I am still weighing the pros and cons of doing it now rather than postponing a year when the shop is in a better space.”

“In a year there will be another excuse and then you look up one day and three years have flown by and you’re thirty pounds heavier, your garden is overgrown, and you’re sporting sweats with a hole in the crotch.”

“That’s a visual I didn’t need. But point taken.”

“Sign up for the exam before you pro and con yourself out of it being your choice. If there was one takeaway from Amber, it is to value when you can make a choice and not have one made for you.”

Evie opened her mouth to say something soothing, but knew he was done with that topic. “So, how did the meeting go with Mrs. Gomez?”

The expression of appreciation he sent her way did funny things to her. And for a moment she forgot why he annoyed her so much. “Strange.”

“Strange how?” She found a container of crumbled blue cheese, tongs from the drawer, and gave the salad a quick stir.

“I went in to just give her advice on how to handle the claims and find a broker. She said she’d already met with bigger firms, and it didn’t feel right. She wanted to work with someone who understood what it’s like to lose someone you love.”

Evie went to bring the salad to the island and stopped short. Jonah had set their places with plates, dinnerware, and wineglasses. The steaming pasta was in a beautiful white bowl, which he’d brought from home, and he was uncorking the wine.

“Icanset a table. I’m not completely inept.”

“I didn’t say that.”

His eyes sparkled with challenge. “Maybe not aloud, but you thought it.”

She neither confirmed nor denied his statement. Instead, she set the salad down and slid onto the barstool next to him. “Do you mind if I have my pinot grigio instead of the cab?”

“White wine with this sauce? That’s criminal. In fact, I don’t know if I could trust someone who drinks white with a clearly red-wine dish. Do you put ice in it, too?”

“No. And pinot is a neutral wine.”

“Unless you’re choosing white because I brought red.”

She snorted. “No. I really prefer white. Now, back to Mrs. Gomez. Did she hire you?”

“I said I’d think about it.”

“What’s to think about?”

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