bChapter /bb237 /b

    “Yeah.”

    Elissa swallowed thest bite of her beef pie. “She’s one of my patients.”

    She smiled. “Tastes good, right?”

    The man nodded, admitting sincerely, “Delicious.”

    Elissa took the chance to bring up Janice. “That grandma is really sweet, but she worries herself sick over her grandson.”

    Rowan’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly. “Worries herself sick?”

    “Uh–huh…” Elissa nodded. “She’s always hoping her grandson will find someone to settle down with, but he’s so reserved. Oh, and you two are the same age, by the way.”

    A couple of men pushing forty.

    The man in question didn’t catch her teasing. He finished his beef pie, wiped his lips with a napkin, and asked with deliberate calm, “And?”

    Elissa hadn’t expected him to be so interested in gossip, but since she’d started the topic, she kept going, “When I visited over the holidays, she mentioned he’d finally found a girlfriend. But whether the girlfriend will actually marry him is up in the air.”

    By nowi, /iRowan was almost certain who she was talking about.

    He just wondered why Elissa had told the grandma she was already divorced. For nowi, /ithough, he had no intention of bringing it up.

    He quirked a brow. i“/iSo, do you think his girlfriend would want to marry him?”

    “Me?” Elissa blinked, a little exasperated. “I’m not his girlfriend–what’s my opinion got to do with it?”

    “But if you were?”

    Rowan’s dark eyes lingered on her, something intent flickering in their

    17:14

    depths.

    Elissa yed along, thinking for a moment. “If I had to imagine it, I guess I would.”

    A faint smile tugged at Rowan’s lips. “So just from what the grandma told you, you’ve already figured he’s a decent guy?”

    Elissa shook her head. “No, I just think the grandma’s really nice.”

    And a great cook, too.

    i” /i

    Score one for grandma.

    Rowan considered this, then said, “Well, that’s not a bad reason.”

    Whether it was for the grandma’s sake or his own–either worked.

    Elissa had no idea what he meant by that.

    But with her beef pie nearly finished and Rowan showing no sign of leaving, she gently hinted, “You should probably head back soon, shouldn’t you?”

    He lifted his chin slightly, giving her a half–smile. “Wasn’t I waiting for you to leave with me?”

    You can’t dodge fate forever.

    Elissa didn’t put up a front. “Alright, let’s go.”

    She seemed calm, but the flush creeping up her ears gave her away.

    Rowan, however, didn’t move.

    Elissa hesitated. “Aren’t youing?”

    He nodded toward the bathroom, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I’ll freshen up first.”

    “Oh, sure.”

    Didn’t really matter whose bathroom, after all.

    b2/3 /b

    b17.14 /b

    Elissa headed to the master bath. As she reached for her cup, Rowan shuffled in behind her, still in his house slippers.

    This time, Elissa realized what he was after. “I don’t have a spare cup for you.”

    Other than Tanya Foster and her old mentors, there weren’t many people she’d invite to stay over. And her former teachers wouldn’t just drop by for a sleepover.

    So, she’d never thought to keep extra bathroom supplies on hand.

    Rowan raised an eyebrow. “But you have a toothbrush?”

    “Yeah…”

    Last year, during the holiday sales, Elissa bought herself a new electric toothbrush. To hit the free–shipping minimum without overthinking it, she just ordered two.

    She figured she’d use the extra eventually–just hadn’t expected it to be so

    soon.

    Under Rowan’s watchful gaze, she stood on tiptoe to open the mirrored cab, grabbed the unopened toothbrush, and handed it to him. “Here you igo/i.i” /i

    Rowan didn’t say anything. He unwrapped it, attached the brush head, then moved to the other sink. He rinsed it thoroughly, then reached for her toothpaste.

    And right in front of her, he picked up her cup and took a sip of water.

    Funny, they’d kissed plenty of times, but watching him use her cup so casually still made her cheeks warm.

    b3/3 /b