He grunted. Not annoyed. Just... acknowledging.
The vegetables went into a pot with some kind of stock that smelled savory and rich. Steam rose between them as he adjusted the heat. She reached for the spoon at the same time he did. Their fingers collided.
Both of them froze.
His hand was massive next to hers. Scarred knuckles, calluses from years of work. He could crush her fingers without trying. Instead, he pulled back like she’d burned him.
“You stir.” His voice was rougher than usual.
She stirred. The motion gave her something to focus on besides the way he filled the space, heat radiating from his body, the scent of earth and something uniquely him that made her stomach do weird things.
“The vendor at the market.” She kept her voice light, conversational. “He said you forget to eat vegetables.”
A sound that might have been amusement. “Raaith talks too much.”
“He seemed nice. Worried about you.”
“Old males with nothing better to do.” But there was no bite in it. Almost affection, even.
The stew bubbled. She kept stirring while he pulled bowls from a high shelf. No stretching required for him. Must be nice.
“How long have you lived here?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. She’d been trying not to pepper him with questions, but the relative peace between them made her brave.
“Most of my life.”
“You’ve never lived anywhere else?”
“For a while. Came back though.”
She wanted to ask more. About where he’d been when he’d left…About his parents, and about growing up here. But he was actually answering, and she didn’t want to push.
They ate at the small table, bowls steaming between them. The silence wasn’t hostile. Wasn’t comfortable either, but better. Definitely better than this morning’s argument about Christmas.
She caught him watching her. Quick glances when he thought she wasn’t looking. His gaze lingered on her hands wrapped around the bowl, on her mouth when she talked about the market. When she caught him, he looked away, jaw tight.
The third time it happened, warmth pooled low in her belly.
“The other women seemed happy.” She needed words to fill the charged air. “With their matches, I mean. Autumn was already helping at the clinic.”
“Good for them.”
“Aida’s excited about the engineering complex. She said the tech here is completely different from Earth’s approach.”
He took another bite. She watched his throat work and immediately looked away. What was wrong with her?
“You miss it? Earth?”
The question surprised her. He’d actually asked something.
“Some things.” She set down her spoon. “Not the job situation. Not the... the reasons I left. But small things. Coffee. Rain that doesn’t freeze before it hits the ground. Chocolate cake.”
“Chocolate cake?”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Stupid, right? Of all the things to miss.”
He didn’t answer, but he was listening. Actually listening, not just enduring her chatter.
The way he’d listened for the baby’s breathing. Patient. Steady.
