“How was your day?” I reached for a spoon and dug into the stew.
“Rather uneventful,” he admitted, pouring us some wine. “We’re still getting the office up and running, but we finally have enough paper to make everybody happy. It’s amazing what a shortage of copy paper can do to normally calm ATF agents.”
I grinned. Aiden’s ATF team was one of the best, and they were a specialized unit. In fact, they were the first team allowed to work in a remote area and not in one of the big cities. Of course, it was an experiment. I wasn’t sure what would happen if it didn’t work out, especially if he had to move. I imagined he’d ask me to go with him, and I was very much afraid I would, but that would mean leaving my entire family.
The idea made my chest hurt.
“Stop worrying about it.” He nudged my wineglass toward me.
Sometimes, I liked that he could almost read my mind. Other times, that gift irritated the heck out of me. I sipped the wine, contemplating which kind of time this was. I didn’t know. The cabernet exploded on my tongue, and I took another deep drink.
Aiden had excellent taste in wine and didn’t mind spending money on the good stuff. I liked that about him. I likedmostthings about him, to be truthful.
“What about your day?” he asked. “Did you get shot?” He was only half-joking.
I took another bite of the stew. “I didn’t, but Nick Basanelli got hit with an arrow.”
Both of Aiden’s dark eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
I told him about the robbery. When I finished, he sat back and stared at me. “Cupids?”
“Yeah.” I finished my glass of wine and reached for the bottle. “It was the oddest thing I’ve ever seen. Well, probably not, but it was close.”
Aiden frowned. “The plan holds merit. I mean, you’re more concentrated on the fact that they’re dressed as Cupids than really trying to memorize what they looked like. Plus, it is Valentine’s season, so I guess there’s some genius to it. Who’s on the case?”
“Grant Pierce,” I said. “He didn’t look too happy and tried to blame me, but honestly, I had nothing to do with this one.”
Aiden chuckled and finished his stew. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt, Angel.”
“Nick stepped right in front of me. He would’ve taken any arrow headed our way,” I said. “He was much faster than I was.”
“Nick’s a good guy. Tell me about the ring.”
I did so in great detail.
“You like rose gold?”
I tapped my finger on my lip. “I do. I think it’s perfect for Tessa. Though I might be more of a white-gold type of gal.” Not that I was fishing. Not at all.
“Are you fishing?” he asked.
I finished my meal. “No, but it’s nice to be prepared.” I didn’t think either of us was ready to make that kind of commitment, but I did see it in our future. Probably. Maybe? I mean, we’d only dated for a while and not for a verylongwhile.
“Stop worrying about it.” He poured himself another glass of wine.
“Stop reading my mind.”
“I wasn’t. I was reading your face.” His grin was too charming to get him punched. At least, today.
I finished my second glass of wine, happily full. “Thanks for cooking.”
“Anytime. You had the frozen stew in the freezer. All I did was dump it into the Crock-Pot.”
“Still, I like the homeyness.” I glanced toward the now finished great room with its polished wood floors and wonderful fireplace. We’d placed my piano on the other side of the breakfast nook and finished the laundry room just the week before. Now, it was time to tackle the three bedrooms. “Are we working tonight on the cabin? I wouldn’t mind pulling apart a few beams or walls.”
He stood, took our bowls to the sink, and then returned, deftly plucking me from my chair.
I yelped and grabbed his shoulders, instantly warming.
