corner and came to a stop. He shouldn’t have driven that way. She was pretty upset that he was doing her “favors,” and he knew he should stop, knowing what happened when he got involved. But the chair looked heavy.
He pulled into the alley. Emily straightened and frowned. Her jeans and t-shirt had some dirt stains, and that strawberry blond hair of hers was falling down the back of her neck. Damn, but she looks good. He got out of the truck.
She put her hands on her hips. “This can’t be a coincidence. Didn’t I just see you this morning?”
“I’m on my way to the feed store. What am I supposed to do when I see a woman in distress? My mom would beat me if I didn’t stop. Now move aside.”
He brushed past her, and she seemed to quickly get out of his way. She was being smarter than he was. He hefted the chair off the ground and walked the final twenty yards to the Dumpster. She raced ahead of him to open the lid, and he got to watch her jeans-clad butt as she stood on tiptoes to reach the top.
He tossed in the chair.
Wide-eyed, she said, “Okay, that was impressive.”
“That couldn’t have been a compliment. After all, I was rescuing you again.”
“So your mama raised you right. Thank you for your help.”
As she walked by him, she stole a glance at him that he couldn’t quite read. It wasn’t angry or defensive or affronted. So what was it?
He found himself walking beside her. “Did you get your lunch?”
She snorted, and he was surprised she wasn’t too ladylike for it.
“Do you doubt your sister?”
“Nope. Just checking up on her. Although now that I think about it, she did rave about some apple tarts. So I guess she had those with you.”
She climbed the couple stairs to her building and glanced at him over her shoulder. Luckily, he’d stopped checking out her butt in time.
“You don’t sound like you listen to your sister very well.”
He realized he’d lost track of the conversation. Damn. He climbed the first step, unaware she’d stopped until he almost bumped into her. Their eyes met and held for a moment before she glanced away. He found himself wanting to gather her wayward hair into his hands and . . . fix it for her. Not . . . caress it or anything.
“You brought up the apple tarts for a reason,” she said. “You country boys probably need to check out a woman’s cooking.”
“You baked them yourself?”
“Don’t sound so disbelieving,” she shot back.
He raised both hands. “Just surprised.”
“I like to cook.” She lifted her chin, as if daring him.
“Then I better try one,” he said, trying to remain serious when a grin was eating at him.
The kitchen was still a mess, but a lot of the junk was off the floor, and it had been swept.
“You’ve been working hard,” he said.
“Thank you.” She picked up a container and continued to walk into the restaurant. “Now that I have paths to the doors, I’ve been focusing on the apartment—so I don’t have to impose on your grandmother,” she added over her shoulder.
“You know she doesn’t consider you an imposition.”
“But you do.”
He didn’t know what to say—it had seemed true. And he was no longer certain why. After all, it wasn’t like he was forced to see her every day.
“No, you’re not an imposition. Not if you can cook, anyway.”
He thought she might have smiled, but since she was still ahead of him, and he was still focused on her butt, he wasn’t certain.
“There aren’t enough usable chairs in here,” she said. “We’ll sit outside on the bench.”
“So you’re not handing me a tart and sending me on my way?” he asked dryly.
“I considered it. But you’re Brooke’s brother, and I like her.”
But not me, he thought. He tried to tell himself that was a good thing, but already his mind was slyly protesting that she’d liked him well enough a couple nights ago. Damn, he shouldn’t have let his thoughts go there. Before he knew it, he was noticing how close they had to sit on the bench, and that when he sat naturally, his leg touched hers, so he pulled back. But he’d almost lingered.
She handed Nate a tart on a napkin. When their fingers touched, he didn’t pull away too quickly. She blushed, and he knew she was remembering Tony’s Tavern, too.
He took a bite, and as the sweet and tart flavor oozed