happily worked on the biscuit.
“Oh. Okay. Thanks,” Sawyer said slowly. He took the box from me and tried to make room under the stroller amid the avocado, turkey slices, pineapple, peas and squash.
“Are you on a raw food diet?” I asked.
“That’s all for her,” Sawyer said.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you eat food?”
“In theory,” he said. “I have a date with aisle twelve, actually, so if you’ll excuse me...”
I scanned the aisle markers. I found twelve and wrinkled my nose. “Frozen dinners? That doesn’t sound healthy. You prepare all this fresh food for her but none for yourself?”
“I don’t have room to carry a whole lot more,” he said. “I’ll be okay, thanks for your concern…”
“I’ll help,” I said. “What do you want? I’ll carry it for you.”
Sawyer sighed. “Listen…Darlene? That’s nice of you to offer, and thanks for the crackers, but I’m good. After she goes to bed, I’ll throw something in the microwave and hit the books.” He stopped, shook his head, perplexed. “Why am I explaining this? I have to go.”
He started to walk away and I was tempted to let him. He was kind of a jerk, but that was probably the exhaustion. I tried to imagine what it would be like taking care of an entire little human being all by myself. It was hard enough taking care of one adult me. I decided to set aside Sawyer’s gruffness (and his ridiculous attractiveness) and help the guy out. Be neighborly.
“You’re being so silly right now,” I called after him.
He stopped, turned. “Silly?”
“Yes! I’m right here. Let me help you.” I crossed my arms. “How long has it been since you’ve had a really nice meal for yourself?” He didn’t say anything but stared back at me.
“That’s what I thought,” I said. “Come on. I’ll make you something.”
“Now you’re going to cook for me? We met eight seconds ago.”
“So?”
Sawyer blinked. “So…you don’t have to cook for me.”
“Of course I don’t have to. I want to. We’re neighbors.” I peered at the aisle markers again to get my bearings. “I was going to make tuna casserole. Mostly because it’s the only thing I know how to make. How does that sound?” I squatted beside the stroller. “Do you like casserole, sweet pea?”
Olivia smiled at me over her biscuit and kicked her foot with spastic baby joy. I smiled back and straightened.
“Olivia said she would love some casserole.”
Sawyer looked at me with a strange expression on his face. I gave the sleeve of his hoodie a tug.
“Come on. Looks like fish is this way.”
Sawyer hesitated. “I’m not going to get out of this, am I?”
I cocked my head, frowning. “Why would you want to?”
He was still frowning, but he pushed the stroller after me. “I’m just not used to people doing things for me. Elena does enough already. I feel like a charity case.”
“You’re not a charity case,” I said. “One dinner isn’t going to kill you.”
“I know, but I’m juggling a hundred balls in the air and if someone reaches in and grabs one, it’s going to throw me off.” He covered his mouth with the back of his hand as a jaw-cracking yawn came over him. “Shit, I don’t know why I just said that. I don’t even know you.”
“That’s the benefit to talking,” I said. “Getting to know someone. A revolutionary concept, I know.”
He rolled his eyes and yawned again.
“You really do burn the midnight oil, don’t you?” I said. “Elena told me you’re studying law.”
“Oh yeah?” he said. We’d arrived at the meat section. He picked up a package of rib eye steak, then tossed it back with a sigh. “What else did she tell you?”
I selected some fresh tuna and put it in my basket. “That you have a heart of gold, but you’re stressed out all the time.”
His head came up, alarmed. “What? Why…why did she say that?”
“Maybe she thinks it’s true. The second part looks like it, for sure. As for the first?” I shrugged, then gave him a dry smile. “The jury is still out.”
“Ha ha,” he said dully. He glanced at me, then looked away. “Are you always this blunt?”
“I wish I could say honesty is the best policy, but it’s more of a lack-of-filter situation.”
“I noticed.”
“Says the guy who began our acquaintance with Who are you?” I said, with a laugh.
Sawyer stopped and stared at me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out. My pulse thumped a little harder while under his sharp, dark-eyed scrutiny. I