Page 11 of Falling for Love

“Possibly.”

I chuckled, hoping to change the subject. “Anyway, is your sausage big enough?”

My eyes clenched shut in horror. That was not the direction I’d meant to change it to.

“Are we still talking about food?” he asked.

Embarrassment rolled through me as I blinked my eyes back open, trying not to let his flirtation throw me off balance.

My smile only grew. “Don’t push your luck, Harper.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, taking a bite. “But I will say, these are amazing. If you ever tire of the whole horse whisperer thing, you could open a bratwurst stand.”

“Oh, sure,” I said, playing along. “I’ll just set up shop next to the lodge and put you out of business.”

“I’d welcome the competition,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “Though, you’d have to put up with me coming by every day to inspect the goods.”

“Are we talking about the food?” I shot back.

A deep rumble of laughter filled the kitchen, and I wished I could bottle it and listen to it when he left.

That was how lonely I was, and I didn’t even realize it until now.

“I don’t know any longer…” He smirked before taking a bite of sausage.

“You’re impossible.” I eyed him playfully.

“And yet, here I am, invited into your kitchen at long last,” he said, his tone softer now. “Guess that makes me a little bit possible, doesn’t it?”

I swallowed, feeling the air between us shift.

He was disarming, and I wasn’t sure how to handle the emotions flooding through me.

“Well,” I said, clearing my throat, “I hope the bratwursts live up to the honor of being served in this tiny kitchen.”

He looked around, his gaze lingering on the cabinets and the artwork Hayden had taped to the walls.

“This isn’t just a kitchen. It’s home. It feels… warm. Like you, like the heart of something special.”

I froze for a second, thrown for a loop as I debated what to say or do.

How could words roll so perfectly off his tongue? I’d spent so long distrusting the opposite sex that I couldn’t even judge what I was hearing.

The warmth in his voice was genuine, and I couldn’t help but look at him, really look at him. His dark hair curled slightly at the edges, and the light from the kitchen cast soft shadows across his jawline. His blue eyes held mine.

There was so much about him that made me want more.

Or, at the very least, to go out on another date instead of hiding.

It was all more than I could take.

“You don’t have to say things like that,” I said softly, though my heart was doing its best impression of a jackhammer.

The truth was I wasn’t used to a man’s words meaning something.

“Why not? It’s true.” His voice was low, and his gaze didn’t waver.

I felt heat creep up my neck, and I turned back to the counter, pretending to adjust the mustard sauce that didn’t need adjusting.

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