"Errm," he said, floundering for aresponse.
"We aren't getting married, Mrs. Graves. But thank you for thinking ofme."
"Oh you're welcome, darling. Have fun looking." She gave Kristoff one more looksie and let usbe.
I let out the laughter I'd been holding. "Did you hear that? Don't you dare leave me at thealtar!"
He shook his head but couldn't help but smile. "That shouldn't even befunny."
I let out a sad sigh. "Yeah. But it kind of is. One day, I suppose. If not, maybe they can make a documentary aboutme."
"Wouldn't that be something?" Kristoff trailed away from me and began to peruse the fantasy shelves. I headed over to grab my sequel, but I was also content to browse for a little while aswell.
We both walkedout of there with over fifty dollars in books. Neither one of us could help it. Bookstores were our Kryptonite. "What did you get?" I asked as we walkedout.
"Some how to not leave a girl at the altar guides and The KamaSutra."
My mouth dropped open before I caught his slight smirk. "Ha! You're such ajerk."
"Maybe I just got the secondone."
I swallowed hard and was quiet for most of the ridehome.
19
Martin
WatchingKatie leave with Kristoff killed me. I wanted to punch something but contented myself with smearing the paint I'd already redone four times on her sunroom post. I knew I was affecting her. I could tell it in the way her voice went an octave deeper when she spoke to me, the way her already dark eyes went even darker when she stared at me, the way her pulse fluttered like a rabbit against her neck. I had to get her to seeme.
Really seeme.
For me. Not as hercontractor.
I could dothis.
Katie came backin around noon and pronounced herself starving. I had done all I could do in the sunroom without rousing suspicion, so it was time for me to move on to something else. I had a checklist, but I couldn't decide what to donext.
I discreetly watched her as she pulled out bread, eggs, cheese, cream, and a bunch of various spices from her pantry. After that she got out a cast iron skillet and plopped a large hunk of butter inside and turned the stoveon.
"Want a grilled cheese?" she askedme.
"Of course I do," I said. If Katie offered me food, I was eating. She was an incredible cook. Plus I got to watch her mostly unnoticed while she puttered around thekitchen.
I pulled a bottle of water out of my cooler and sat down on one of the barstools. "Did you get yourbook?"
She cracked two eggs in a bowl before she answered. "Mmm hmm. I plan on reading quite a bit tonight, but I have to run to the brewery to check the stock first." She looked up from the bowl. "How long are you going to be heretonight?"
Think, Martin. Think. "Not sure. Maybe until 8? If that'sokay?"
"It's fine." She added garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and cream to the egg mixture. What the heck kind of grilled cheese wasthis?
"I finished up your sunroom if you want to look at itlater."
She looked up and grinned. "Really?"
I'd finished two weeks ago. "Really. Some areas were a little trickier than others, but it all workedout."
"What'snext?"
