Mistletoe Magic (Paradise Place #6) - Natalie Ann Page 0,8
a judge of character after marrying Alex, causing her to doubt pretty much everything in her life now.
Once she had the plate in her hand, she moved closer to him, inhaling his fresh scent. Dang it, when was the last time she ever noticed a scent on a man if it wasn’t cologne? Never, that’s when.
Nor could she get his brown hair and dark eyes out of her mind. He was tall and thin but not scrawny. She wasn’t into bulky men or pretty ones. Alex was pretty and flashy and she had thought over and over why she fell for it.
Brian was simpler. Normal in his jeans and a cotton shirt. The type of man she had always been drawn to.
“Thanks,” he said.
“Do you want something to drink with it?” This would give her an idea of what was in her fridge since her mind was completely blank. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask him again about dinner either. She didn’t know what the heck to do right now.
“Water is good,” he said, taking a big bite out of the cookie. “These are out of this world. Man, if I had someone in my neighborhood baking like this I’d gain twenty pounds easily.”
She opened the fridge, saw the bag of shrimp she’d grabbed at the store and wondered what he’d think of scampi tonight. The white wine he’d brought would complement it well.
“You look good the way you are, but if you put a few pounds on, I’m sure you’d look great too.” He started to laugh. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.”
“Not at all,” he said. “I guess I came over here to feel things out and I’m starting to wonder if you’re doing the same?”
“Maybe,” she said. “I’m kind of rusty if you can’t tell. I don’t even know what I want anymore, but wouldn’t mind getting to know you a bit better. Wait. Are you single?”
“Yes, I’m single,” he said. “I have been for a while.”
“I find that hard to believe. Can I ask why? I mean you know so much about me.”
“I don’t know much about you at all,” he said. “What I know is that you ended up in a rotten situation and got out with more class and respect than anyone else I’ve ever known. I know you work part time as a dental hygienist and that you spend time volunteering at an animal shelter. Not much more.”
“That’s quite a bit,” she said. Alex had hated the time she spent with the animals. He’d never wanted her to get a pet either, always complaining dogs were nasty and a commitment he didn’t want. She found it telling now what he felt about commitments.
“I guess it’s a start. You know where I live, my sister’s name, who she’s married to and what she does for a living. You even know she has a cousin by marriage in this development.”
“I also know what you do for a living.”
He grinned and finished up his cookie, then opened his water and took a nice healthy sip, his head back, her eyes going toward his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. She was pretty sure she swallowed too.
“I’ve had my own firm for a few years,” he said, pulling out a stool and sitting down. She did the same. “I worked for a larger firm, got some experience but then knew it was time to move on. I didn’t like some of the politics of it all.”
“I’m glad I went with my gut with you for my divorce. A bigger firm would have gone after Alex’s balls. I wouldn’t have minded twisting them in a vise myself, but it wouldn’t have accomplished anything.”
“No. You did the right thing. To me that is more important than anything or anyone in my life.”
“So are you from this area?” she asked.
“I am. What about you? Are you from Saratoga?”
“No. Glens Falls, which isn’t much further away. My parents still live there, my brother lives in Palo Alto.”
“That’s a big change from the Adirondacks. What brought him there?”
“He’s a software developer for Google. He’s always wanted to get out of New York. I should have gone with him when he asked me, but I’m not a fan of earthquakes.”
He grinned. “I’ll have to agree with you there. Of course I’m not much of a fan of snow here either, but I’ll never leave. My family is here and it’s all I’ve ever known.”
“Most people want to get out and do things. Experience