‘It’s easy enough,’ I told her, taking my own seat and picking up my cutlery. ‘I had one like it before I upgraded. I can show you in less than a minute how to work it.’
She smiled. ‘Thanks. I’d appreciate that. Coffee is my weakness.’ She pulled a face. ‘Well, that and my poor taste in men.’
I choked on the mouthful of bacon I’d just put into my mouth.
‘You OK?’
I nodded, eyes watering. ‘I’m fine.’
She chewed some of the bacon, eyes closed. ‘Oh, that’s good,’ she said, after she’d swallowed it. ‘I love a fried breakfast on special occasions.’
‘Is this a special occasion then?’
‘You tell me. You’re the one with all the secret plans. Thoughwhythey have to be secret is beyond me.’
‘You’re not afraid of heights, are you?’ I asked, spearing my egg and watching the gooey insides ooze out satisfactorily. ‘Or confined spaces?’
She looked worried. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘That’s good. What about the dark? Or large insects? Spiders, specifically.’
‘You know what? I’m actually good with staying home today. You go, though. I’d rather finish my book.’
‘Chicken.’
‘I’m not chicken, I would just prefer to spend my day off doing something enjoyable, rather than whatever freakishly horrible thing it is that you’ve got planned.’
I couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. ‘Freakishly horrible?’
‘If it combines all of those things, yeah.’
‘You’re in luck. I’m only teasing.’
She eyed me suspiciously. ‘How do I know if I can trust you?’
‘Have I ever given you a reason not to? You’re the one who went through my phone, remember.’
‘I did not go through your phone,’ she protested. ‘It’s not my fault you held it in a way so that I could clearly see the screen.’
‘You’re victim-blaming me now?’
‘You’re not a victim. You’re just annoying.’
I gasped. ‘Rude.’
‘But youdomake a good breakfast,’ she admitted. ‘I’ll give you that.’
‘Nice to know that you think I have some positive attributes.’
Her eyes slipped to my shoulders. ‘Oh, you have a few of those, believe me.’ Then she blushed. ‘I mean, you clearly care a lot about your family. And you’re hardworking. And kind, because you helped me find this place the other night in half the time it would have taken for me to find it on my own,andyou sorted out proper tires for my car.’
It warmed my insides hearing her say nice things about me. Praise was not something I grew up with a lot of, and although I told myself I didn’t need it, that I was confident enough in myself to not need validation from others, it sure as hell felt good when it was coming from her mouth. Her plum-colored, Cupid-bowed mouth. Staring at her lips I felt something stir inside. Mae intrigued me, with her wit, confidence and lack of pretension. The women of Pine Harbor I knew would have rather died than open the door to a man wearing what Mae had been wearing this morning.
Feminine attention wasn’t something I’d ever been short of, but apart from one, serious relationship with Jessica Alexander, who I’d known since we were kids, I’d always kept things casual. Not on purpose, but because no one had ever made me want anything more. I had nothing against marriage, or children, when, orif, the right woman should come along. But I refused to marry anyone purely because my mother had an idea in her head of how my life should look.
17
MAE
