Page 45 of Burning For You

A few throw pillows that added a pop of color to her otherwise gray furniture. Another throw blanket over the chair.

“I’m not either. I never had much growing up and it’s kind of a waste of time and money, but I do want my place to feel comfortable and lived in at the same time.”

“Looks like you’ve accomplished it.”

“Thanks. I made lasagna. Hope you like it. I should have asked.”

“I like anything I don’t have to cook and even more that has a lot of leftovers.”

“I planned on sending you home with some,” she said. “I can only eat so much of it.”

“Perfect. I’ll bring it to the firehouse with me tomorrow.”

“You’re working?”

“Yep. Got to be in bright and early.”

“We didn’t have to do this tonight,” she argued. “We could have done it when you didn’t have to work. And I didn’t know you had something to do earlier either.”

“Oh, I wasn’t passing up the offer. You might have changed your mind then.”

She might have. Or come up with a way to get out of it.

“Can I get you something to drink? I did buy some beer.”

Which would just sit there if he didn’t drink it because she wouldn’t, but she wouldn’t be rude and not have what he liked on hand.

“I’ll pass. I don’t drink before I go into work. Not that one is a big deal, but just got into the habit of it.”

“I’ve got the same tea and water then.”

“Tea is good.”

She pulled out a bottle for him and then filled a glass of water from a pitcher for her.

“Tell me, why did you really want to come here tonight?” she asked. Might as well put it right out there for him.

His lips disappeared as if he had to think it through. Or think of the best way to answer her.

“Why did you ask?”

“Are we going to play it that way? You’re the one who brought it up.”

“And you said yes.”

Guess they were. Time to redirect. “Why did you ask Corbin to ask his parents to take me in?”

“Damn. I should have known you weren’t going to let that slide.”

She’d absorbed the information last night but didn’t ask anything else after he’d said it.

“I can’t.”

“I’ve always liked you,” he said.

“As a friend?”

“Of course. We were friends for years. It was hard not to be friends with our classroom size. Though it grew once we got to junior high and high school.”