He didn’t take my card. “You’re making our contribution to the party. Please let me help in some way.”
The older cashier grinned at us. “It’s always so cute when married couples try to buy for each other. My husband and I shared the same account, and I got an allowance.” She hit the button to run Van’s card. “Now I’m single, and I get to spend all my own money. Can’t take it with me.”
I almost told her that we weren’t a couple, but we were married, and we did have separate accounts.
Van stuffed his debit card back in his pocket. “Enjoy every penny.”
He lifted our groceries and didn’t bother with the cart. When his arms flared out with the load, it made his profile even more rugged, with his muscles more apparent.
The cashier looked from me to him. “I also like when they can’t seem to get enough of each other.”
My gaze shot to Van. He waited for me by the door. I’d never find out if I couldn’t get enough of him.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and scurried after him.
The rest of the day went by like normal. I worked at the table, but Van left his office a lot more than he had the last few days. When he ventured out to stretch his legs and gaze out the living room window, I popped up from my workstation at the dining room table.
“It’s my turn for dinner.” I stopped a few feet behind him. The sun rested above the horizon. It wouldn’t set for a couple more hours, but that’d change as the days went on. “What do you feel like eating?”
He glanced at me. “Whatever you’re up to making.”
“You’d better be careful, or you might end up with a pan of brownies and popcorn for a meal.”
“Are you trying to sell me on the options?”
My stomach picked that time to growl. “I’d do it if I didn’t think I’d feel sick in the morning. The popcorn sounds good. I could make that for after. I might watch a movie.”
“What movie?” He spun around, stuffing his hands in his shorts pockets. He’d changed after we returned to the house, but casual Van was still potent. If he wore a suit, I might forget all about how I promised I wouldn’t make more out of sharing a bed than just us two occupying the same mattress during the night.
“I’d like a good action show, and it’s getting to be Die Hard season.”
He grinned. “You’re ‘Team Die Hard is a Christmas movie’?”
“Either that, or it’s an adult version of Home Alone.” When his brow furrowed, I nodded. “A kid uses nothing but his savvy to protect a building from the bad guys. But then it’d still be a Christmas movie.”
He laughed, and I glowed inside from getting this serious guy to crack more than a smile. “The parallels are impossible to ignore. Whatever you want for dinner. I’ll make the popcorn for the movie.”
“Deal.”
He faced the window again, arms loosely folded in front of him.
Was something bothering him? Was someone out there? “Something weighing on you?”
He shook his head. “I answered emails all day, and I have to decompress. I really like this view. It’s relaxing.”
I scooted over to see around his shoulder. The shop and barn were both visible, surrounded by trees with leaves that were already turning color. More brown painted the grass than green, and soon it’d take over completely. A hawk hunted over the pasture, its wings spread wide. Farther out, cattle grazed. Wisps of white clouds floated high in the sky.
“It’s lovely,” I murmured.
“It is.”
I couldn’t see his gaze in the glass, but from the way heat streaked over my skin, it was on me.
Van
* * *
I waited for the popcorn in the skillet to start popping. I had a pan of brownies in the oven. Clover made delicious BBQ chicken for dinner, and she likely wasn’t hungry, but she’d mentioned these. After my deplorable words when we kissed, I’d do anything for her.
