Sam felt her cheeks warm.“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Sure you don’t.”Nora’s eyes twinkled.
The doorbell rang again.
Nora’s eyebrows shot up, and her expression transformed into delighted nosiness.“Expecting someone?”
“Not really.”It wasn’t yet time for Aiden to come by, if he was coming by at all.Sam headed for the door, wondering who else might show up on her porch.
She opened the door to find Aiden standing there with several takeout bags, looking slightly sheepish.
“I figured you probably hadn’t eaten,” he said.“I brought some takeout from the Thai place.I thought maybe tonight wasn’t the best night for us to go out to dinner.”He paused, spotting Nora in the background, her face infused with pure matchmaking satisfaction.
“Well, hello, Aiden,” purred Nora.
Aiden flushed a little.“I just thought Sam might need something to eat.”
“Great minds think alike.”Nora gathered Precious with suspicious speed.“I was just leaving.You two enjoy your ...dinner.”Her eyes gleamed at Sam.
At the door, she turned to give Sam a stage whisper.“He brought Thai food.Keep this one.”Then, she and Precious exited with a flourish, leaving them alone.
––––––––
AIDEN GAVE A LOPSIDEDsmile.“Should I apologize for chasing off Nora?”
“Are you kidding?She’ll be gossiping about this for weeks.You’ve made her day.”
Aiden made himself at home in her kitchen, bringing out plates, napkins, and pouring ice water.He hesitated.“Would you like some wine?I feel silly offering you your own wine, but I forgot to bring some.”
“You know, a glass of wine would actually be perfect right now.I’ll grab it.”
Aiden said, “No, I’ve got it.Just relax wherever you want us to eat.I’ll bring it all in.”
Sam walked into the living room, feeling slightly chilled, maybe from tiredness.Her stomach growled again, complaining about its emptiness more audibly.She turned on the gas fireplace as Aiden made several trips into the room with food and drinks.
She gave him a rueful look.“I do sometimes eat at the table, I promise.But I don’t think I feel up to it tonight.”
“I’m sure you don’t.”He sat next to her on the long sofa.Arlo, perking up from his bed for just a moment, decided to hop up between them, falling promptly asleep again as they smiled at each other.
Aiden glanced over at the book on the coffee table.“Still working throughMiddlemarch?”
Sam looked at the book, covered with color-coded sticky tabs.“I’m on page 387 now.”
Aiden studied the setup on the coffee table.The book, three different colored pens, and a small stack of index cards with character names.“You’ve added index cards since we talked about it.”
“They help me track the relationships.”
Aiden’s smile was gentle.“You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I’m compulsive.”
“You’re thorough.But still totally amazing.”
They ate their food in comfortable silence, watching the fire.Then Aiden talked lightly about other things: the essays he needed to grade soon, an upcoming parent conference, how he’d gotten his yard ready for winter.Sam listened, nodding, as she quickly ate her food.Neither of them wanted to talk about the day.
After they’d finished, Aiden cleaned up the kitchen, loading the dishes into the dishwasher.Then he said, “I’m going to head on out.What do you think about moving our dinner to tomorrow night?Our real dinner.”
“I’d like that.”
