your pocket?” This time he wasn’t snappish, though. Just teasing.
Sydney tapped on the rim of his wineglass with two fingers. “Because you only mentioned the two chimneys. I’ve been out there. I know there are more.”
“True.” Alex gave a wry twist of his lips. His kissable, well-formed lips. “Only two is better than all of them. The roof’s surprisingly fine. But if anything else big goes wrong we could be in trouble. And it’s only been two weeks of discovering things.”
Sydney remembered the idea she’d had while rooting through her sister’s closet and stumbling across a pile of quilt squares. “Let me help.”
“You know how to reline a chimney?”
“No. Nor do I want to learn. I do, however, have another brilliant plan for you to cut corners. Like with the help from the high school students.”
“Color me intrigued.” And Alex not only looked intrigued, but more relaxed as well. As if talking through it with her was helping.
Sydney was very glad she’d given him one more chance and stayed. An intrigued, interested Alex was, well, intriguing to her. “Why not have the retirement village help with your linens?”
His index finger shot up. “One—what retirement village and two—” another finger shot up “—we have linens? You mean the bed sheets?”
“You’re such a guy. Even with all your planning and list-making. I’ll bet Amelia and Everleigh would know what I’m talking about.”
“Enlighten me,” Alex said, picking up his wine.
“You’ll need chair cushions in the dining room, as well as some of the sitting rooms. New throw pillowcases. Multiple sets of place mats. That’s the sort of fun but basic sewing my gram’s friends would love to do. Do you realize this town has four quilting clubs? Fixing cushions and pillows is practically the same thing. It’d be a fun change in routine for them.”
“Wow. I did, in fact, have all of that on my list. As things to purchase. Your idea—if they go for it—would be better. You’re really good at thinking outside of the box.”
His praise warmed her even more than that giant oven at her back. “Let me keep going. What about Teague?”
“He can’t sew,” Alex deadpanned.
“Can he help with the money? You cashed out your retirement funds. Would he do the same?”
“No.” He firmed his lips, flattened his palms on the table as if drawing a line in the sand. “I mean, I won’t ask him to. It’s my responsibility alone. I got them into this.”
Darn it. That annoying sense of obligation Alex wore like armor—or a hair-shirt—wasn’t good for him. No matter how admirable she found it. “Who says you’re responsible for everyone and everything?”
“I do.”
Clearly that was a bigger conversation to push another day. She’d already pocketed the wins of fixing his mood and the linens idea.
“Good thing we’re at a make-your-own pizza restaurant, then,” Sydney said to lighten the mood. “You’re entirely in charge of your topping destiny tonight. That should make you comfortable.”
“The toppings can wait.” He pushed aside the menus to half-stand and plant his hands in the center of the table. “The only thing I want to taste right now is you.” Alex leaned over to brush his lips across hers once, twice, and then sank in to linger on the third pass. “Thanks for listening. And helping.”
Yes, he’d definitely redeemed himself from the way the date had started. “Thanks for sharing. And being open.” Sydney poked him with the menu. “Now give me a glimpse of who you really are—a pepperoni or a sausage man?”
Not that it mattered. She’d end up kissing him more tonight even if he preferred a weird combination like broccoli and ham. Alex had shown her his heart, with that single sentence of refusing to even ask Teague to pay in anything.
And she’d fallen head over heels for it.
Chapter Fourteen
Alex reared back as Amelia tapped a fingertip right between his eyebrows. “Why are you poking at me? I thought we quit all that back when you were a tween.”
“Oh, I reserved the right in perpetuity to poke you if you annoy me. Or do something stupid. Or eat the last of the ice cream.” She bounced on the couch cushion in his cottage as she bumped his thigh with her own. Obviously to drum in her point.
“That’s patently unfair. And untrue. I’ve done nothing.”
And while Alex took that stance on principle in every argument with his sister, this time it was true. Definitely.
He hadn’t even seen her all day. They’d been working in different buildings. He’d just gotten