That stopped me for a beat.
Because it wasn’t normal.
It felt like more.
The way his eyes tracked every expression I made. The way he leaned toward me, like gravity pulled him that way. The way I wanted to reach out and brush the sleeve of his flannel just to see if his body was as warm as his smile.
This wasn’t friendship.
This was slow-burn attraction dressed up in biscuits and jokes.
I cleared my throat. “Okay. If I’m cooking with you, I’m in charge of the grocery list.”
“Deal.”
“And the prep.”
“Sure.”
“And plating. I don’t trust you not to just throw food in a bowl and call it rustic.”
He held up his hands. “You wound me. But I accept your terms.”
I grinned, then fiddled with the pen again. “We’ll have to do a trial run.”
His gaze sharpened, but he didn’t move. “You mean in the diner?”
“Well, I can’t exactly whisk gravy in the Coffee Cabin.”
His mouth curved slowly. “You’re inviting yourself into my kitchen?”
“I’m inviting myself to beat every restaurant in the county. You’re just my very charming assistant.”
“Keep talking like that, and I might let you boss me around.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Might?Youwilllet me boss you around.”
He tilted his head, studying me. “I probably will.”
And that’s when it hit me—not just the heat between us, but the strategy. The logic. The sense of control I’d been craving for months.
He leaned in, forearms resting on the table, eyes teasing. “You’re a little scary when you talk like that, you know.”
“Scary?”
“In a good way. Like, you’ve got this whole intimidating older-woman energy.”
I blinked. “Older? Nate, I’m twenty-five.”
He grinned, entirely unbothered. “I mean, I figured you were younger than me. I just turned thirty. Which means I’m technically the older one. But if we’re going by intimidation factor, you win.”
I gave him a look. “You don’t seem very intimidated.”
“Oh, I am,” he said, deadpan. “I’m just hiding it behind extreme charm and the sweet potato fries you selected.”
I snorted, but the warmth in his eyes made my chest flutter. “You’re impossible.”
He shrugged, a crooked smile curving his lips. “You like me that way.”
