Page 46 of Lucky Haven

I grin at her. “You afraid my bedroom might bite?”

She rolls her eyes and sets her purse on my couch. Then she pulls out her notebook.

“More rules?”

She laughs. “No. But it is a living document, so just in case we want to add anything, or amend…”

I shrug. “I’m good.”

“Me, too. What are you making for dinner? Can I help?”

“You’re my guest.”

“I can be a helpful guest, though.” She gives me a shy look, as if to remind me that cooking together is something people who are dating do. “Or you can tell me more about what happened this morning with Jeb.”

I make a face. “I could use help with dinner, after all.”

She puts the notebook down. “That good, huh?”

I shrug. “It was fine. He’s an asshole, but I was polite and professional. He tried to ask about us and I didn’t give him any information.”

She sucks in a breath. “Really?”

“Of course.” I frown. “I wouldn’t reveal your secrets.”

“Oh, I know that. I meant, he really asked? That’s…direct.”

“You’ve surprised him.” I hold up a bag of rice. “I’m cooking some ground beef with veg. I’d eat it on top of rice, if that works for you?”

“Sounds great.” She purses her lips, but whatever the rest of her thought is, she keeps it to herself.

I get the ground beef into the skillet, then pull out veggies for Haven to chop while I put a pot of rice on.

“It’s nice to have company while I cook,” I say once we’re into a rhythm. “And you don’t yell as much as my brothers do.”

She slides a soft look sideways at me. “You know…I don’t think I’ve ever cooked with another person.”

“Really? Not even at university?”

“Nope. I found a studio apartment when I moved to Edmonton and I lived there all six years.”

“But—” I cut myself off.

“It’s okay. I know it’s weird. I struggled to make friends.”

“I don’t know, here we are.” I shrug. “If I didn’t have three brothers, I don’t know that I’d have any friends close enough to cook with, either. It’s hard to make friends.”

She laughs. “You’re joking.”

“No.”

“You have… But you…”

“I…what?”

“You have lots of friends.” And the way she says friends, she clearly means girlfriends.

“Do I?”