The way she said it, he could tell she didn’t expect questions. “And that means . . . ?”
“Well, I used to work for a big department store chain, but that involved a lot of travel to trade shows and stuff, and I guess at heart I’m a homebody.”
A homebody sounded nice. “Like Lucy.”
“Minus the cooking skill. I can get by. Clearly, I’m not going hungry, right?”
Nope, he told himself.Resist glancing at her body. Keep your eyes on the road. “You look healthy, if that’s what you mean.”
She laughed. “I cook the basics, but I won’t be tempting hordes of hungry men anytime soon.”
Oh, he didn’t know about that. “Not sure you’d need culinary skill to do that.”Shit. Probably shouldn’t have said that, but it was hard to fight his natural instincts.
Surprise, and then puzzled pleasure showed on her face. “Thank you.”
Concentrate on your driving. The seconds ticked by, not really uncomfortable, but still . . . “I can cook.” He said it, then wondered if it sounded like more bragging. “Basics, I mean. Working the grill. Breakfast. That sort of thing.”
“Same. Living alone, there’s not a lot of reason for a complicated meal.”
“Guess not.” And damn it, didn’t that sound lonely? For him at least. She didn’t seem lonely at all. “Do you miss big home-cooked meals?”
“Sometimes. Pot roast with potatoes and carrots.” She hummed a sound of appreciation. “Fried chicken. A pot of chili. Some meals are just better homemade. Luckily, close to whereI work now, there’s a little family-owned restaurant that serves traditional dinners.”
She was making him hungry—and not just for food. “So you switched jobs?”
“After I bought the house, I took a position with Helen’s Boutiques.”
“That’s a little ritzy place downtown, right?”
She nodded. “The first store was opened by Helen Montgomery, who was great-grandmother to the current owners. They have six stores now, all in the tristate area, Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and parts of Indiana, all run by family members. Luckily, I only have to do serious travel a few times a year. It helps that a lot of the buying is done online now. The trade shows are still helpful so I can see the quality and fit of some pieces.” Lacking enthusiasm, she said, “I have to watch a lot of fashion shows to see what’s up-and-coming. Not all of it works for a rural area like ours, but colors and patterns can trend everywhere.”
“You have great style, so I’m sure that work is a perfect fit for you.”
Again, she appeared nonplussed by the compliment. “I’m actually considered the unfashionable one in my family. Most of my relatives favor striking colors.”
“And you’d rather blend in?”
“Something like that.”
Not that she ever could. The understated colors and casual vibe of her clothes only made her more appealing. “Being different is good.” He was certainly different from his parents.
He wondered what her fashionable sister did, but refused to ask. He had a feeling that Skye expected him to, that she thought he’d be more interested in Laylee than in her. Not a chance. He knew plenty of women like Laylee.
Not sure he’d ever met anyone like Skye.
“We’re here.” He pulled into the shelter, aware of her leaning forward to look out the windshield in excitement. She had a beautiful profile—and he was pretty sure her long hair would be factoring into a few fantasies for him. “Ready?”
Nodding, she opened her door and stepped out. A couple of dogs were in the right-side yard with volunteers, others in enclosed runs on the opposite side.
Her gaze bounced around everywhere. “Is it silly that I’m nervous?”
“Not silly at all.” Drawn to her, he put a hand to the small of her back and guided her in. “I’ve been here before. Did I tell you that?”
She stopped to stare at him. “You have?”
“Knox told you he volunteers here.”
Her smile slipped into place. “And where he goes, you go?”
