She glanced behind her to find Sinjin right where she’d left him. Surprise kick-started her pulse and she blamed it for the flush heating her face.
“Oh, he’s not my date,” she told Walter after turning back to face him. “But he does have those manners you spoke of because he was walking me home from the restaurant.”
“Yes, I noticed that about him,” Walter said. “Mr. Acothley is quiet. Keeps to himself. Never any trouble, unlike those noisy hooligans that occupied your cottage. Mary was just saying how nice it was not to hear music blaring at two a.m.”
She smiled. “I might be up at that hour, but to study, not party.” That was never her thing. “You should go ahead and eat. Hopefully, you won’t have to heat it up. And the cornbread is for you.” She winked. “Maybe don’t eat that in front of Mary, though.”
His wide smile returned. “Aww, Isla. If I wasn’t married and was fifty years younger, you’d be on the top of my radar.” He glanced around her and waved to Sinjin. “You should hold on to this one. She’s a keeper.”
Beyond mortified, Isla stood there a few seconds after Mr. Potter went back into his house. Heat once again flushed her cheeks, but she had to face her coerced escort at some point.
So, she did what she always did in a weird situation, she laughed. The incident happened. Nothing could be done about it, so she returned to the sidewalk and met the handsome man’s gaze.
“Those two are so sweet,” she said, pretending Walter hadn’t said a word.
He stared at her a beat before his head dipped in a single nod. “So, you stopped at the restaurant for takeout that wasn’t for you.”
“Yep.” As she headed toward her cottage, she explained about Mary’s surgery and her concern for Walter. “Sometimes the caretaker needs to be reminded to take care too.”
“What will you eat?”
She stopped in front of her place and turned to face the frowning man. “I have chicken cooking in the crockpot. Want some?”
Okay, she had no idea why she asked that, but now that it was out, she wasn’t going to take it back.
“No, thank you.”
“Sorry. Of course, you don’t.” She rolled her eyes. “You no doubt ate at the restaurant.”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t.”
Now it was her turn to frown. “So, you went to a restaurant but didn’t eat?”
“Yes.”
Laughter bubbled up her throat. “I like you, Sinjin. You travel to your own beat.”
She did too.
He blinked at her with those mesmerizing dark eyes of his but remained silent.
“Thanks for walking me home,” she said, but when he didn’t move, she walked to her door, unlocked it, then twisted to face him. “Okay, your duty is complete. You can go home now.”
He gave another slight nod and started to turn.
“It was nice meeting you, Sinjin.”
Isla had no idea why her darn mouth kept talking. She blew out a silent breath, calling herself an idiot.
At least her escort was polite enough not to laugh or roll his eyes at her. In fact, he turned back to face her long enough for her to notice his lips twitch.
Yeah, because he probably thought she was nuts.
Before she did something to confirm his thoughts, Isla entered her cottage and closed the door. Her actions were no longer needed for idiot of the day. She’d contributed enough to take that title by a landslide.
Snickering, she removed her purse and hooked it on a peg by the door, then fished out her phone as it started to ring.
Her cousin, no doubt.
