“You are an idiot,” she muttered under her breath as her phone vibrated on the table. Grabbing her cell, she pressed it to her ear, determined to put Jason Anderson out of her mind.
“Hello?”
“Brinley? It’s Greg. I’m afraid I have bad news.”
“I can barely hear you. You’re going to have to speak up a little.”
Greg said something she couldn’t quite make out and then the background noise switched off.
“Is that better? I was listening to the radio in my car.”
“Much better. What’s the bad news?” she asked, although she had a pretty decent idea what it was if he was still in his car when he was supposed to be here. She shouldn’t feel so relieved either but she did.
“I can’t make it. There’s an emergency at work that I need to deal with. I hope you understand.”
Of course she did. Although now she was going to have to eat alone. Again.
“It’s okay, Greg. I do understand.”
Maybe this was a sign from the dating gods that she and Greg weren’t meant to be.
“You’re a sweetheart. Please say you forgive me and that you’ll let me make it up to you this weekend. I’ll take you to that new French place that’s getting rave reviews.”
He did sound regretful and sorry, although anxious to get the hell off the phone. He was speaking at twice his normal rate.
It wasn’t in Brinley’s nature to hold a grudge. From what she’d seen so far Greg’s work was very demanding of his time. He worked in finance and trading although what she knew about that would fit on the head of a pin. He talked about getting up early for the London markets and had vaguely mentioned something about a hedge fund and market derivatives.
“That sounds lovely and I completely understand, although we don’t have too many emergencies in second grade unless it’s a skinned knee.”
“Those kids are lucky to have you. Listen, I need to go. I’ll call you about this weekend.”
And with that Brinley’s phone went dead. Sighing, she slapped the phone on the table and wondered what to do next.
She could sit down all alone and eat the meal she’d slaved over or she could pack it up in the fridge and drink wine in front of the television until she fell asleep.
Feeling sorry for herself.
Brinley sighed and began to stack up the dishes on the table. She was looking down so she didn’t see the tennis ball until it smacked against her screen, ripping it from the frame. The ball landed harmlessly on the floor but Huck was jumping up and barking, trying to get into the patio.
“Shit. Hey, I’m sorry.” Jason Anderson jogged over and slipped his fingers under Huck’s collar to get him under control. “He and I got a little wild. I’ll get this fixed for you, I promise.”
She picked up the tennis ball and tossed it out of the gaping hole in her screen to the whining dog held fast by her neighbor. Luckily she liked dogs much more than she liked screens. Jason’s hand snaked out and caught the ball before Huck had a chance to grab it.
“It’s not a big deal. It needed replacing anyway. They all do.” Along with everything else in the house. But that’s why she’d purchased it. She wanted to make it her own. And the rundown nature of the property ensured she’d been able to afford it.
“Still, you probably weren’t planning to replace them right away. They have some life left. I’ll get a staple gun and mend it until I can get it replaced.”
“It’s not nec–”
She needn’t have bothered to answer because Mr. Gorgeous was already striding toward his own garage, Huck at his heels. She barely had time to turn off the oven before he was standing on a ladder and stapling the screen back into its frame.
“There. That should hold you until I can get it replaced.”
He climbed down from the ladder and wiped his dusty hands on a rag hanging from a rung. It was then that he seemed to notice her table was set complete with linen cloth, flowers, and a freshly tossed salad.
“That ball could have ruined your dinner.” He scratched the canine behind the ears, earning a lick of gratitude. “You almost got me in big trouble, puppy dog. I don’t think our neighbor would like us very much if we broke her dishes. No matter how cute you are.”
Brinley shrugged, her cheeks warm with embarrassment. “Actually I was just taking this all inside. My…friend called and can’t make it.”
Huck moved toward the sliding glass door to the kitchen, his nose sniffing the air appreciatively. Jason groaned and hooked the dog’s collar with his fingers.
“He’s always hungry. I guess I better feed him dinner. C’mon, Huck. Let’s leave Brinley in peace.”
She was tired of the peace and quiet. She could have that any time.
“Have you eaten?” The words seemed to pop out of her mouth unheeded and without any forethought. “I mean…would you like to join me? I made too much food for one person.”
Damn, this was what happened when she didn’t think things through. He was going to say no and then they’d be uncomfortable around each other until one of them moved.
She really was stupid. Rarely did she do anything that could even remotely be called brave. Indecision was clearly written on his handsome face.
“Sure, why not?” His features relaxed into a smile. “I’ve got an empty refrigerator and have been eating junk food all week. A home cooked meal would be nice. Thank you.”
It was only dinner. Two neighbors enjoying each other’s company. No more. No less.
*
Brinley was a damn fine cook.
Jason had devoured a tossed salad, two plates of baked ziti, three slices of garlic bread, and was now working on a plate of tiramisu that melted on his tongue. He should have thrown a tennis ball and broken her screen weeks ago.
“Another glass of wine?” Brinley held up the bottle as she settled back into her chair. She’d cleared away the dinner dishes and waved away his offer of help.
“No, thank you. One is my limit, although I’m not planning to drive or anything.”
“I think you’ve eaten too much take out, but I’ll just say thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Despite the fact that they barely knew one another, dinner hadn’t been too awkward. He’d found out she was going to be the new second grade teacher at Tremont Elementary which explained why she was home during the day – summer break. He’d vaguely revealed that he ran a consulting business and that he’d recently left a long-term job. It was all he was willing to tell someone he’d just met.
His plate empty, he sat back in his chair and admired his dinner companion. Long brown hair and trim figure. Not too skinny; she had curves. And muscles. She rode her bike almost every day, coming home tired and sweaty. Tonight she wore a red sundress that displayed a pair of spectacular legs, long and tanned.
Brinley Snow was a very attractive woman.
Jason had been a long time between women. The last female he’d dated hadn’t understood him in the least. There had been a time when that wouldn’t have bothered him, the physical more important than the cerebral. But that was no longer the case. Now if he was going to spend time with a woman he wanted more than an exciting bed partner. He had to be able to talk to her too.
Huck yawned and rolled onto his side, letting Jason know that as far as the Lab was concerned it was time to curl up on his favorite cushion and snooze. He probably should make one more offer to help with the dishes and then make his exit.
He didn’t socialize too much these days. It was almost as if he’d forgotten how to relax and have a good time.
“I can’t believe how much work you’ve done on this house,” Jason observed, taking in the back yard. It looked completely different than when Gail Denton had lived here. “And so quickly too.”