Her mouth fell open, and she stared at me in disbelief. “How come you never mentioned that before?”
I shrugged. “It never came up.”
She shook her head and smiled. “You are full of surprises, Clay Drover.”
“They say a man should remain mysterious if he hopes to court a woman.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Courting me?”
“It’s what I’d like to do. I’m just waiting for you to agree.”
She flashed a coy smile. “Our situation hasn’t changed, but I see no reason why we can’t spend time together while I’m in Alaska. After that…” She trailed off. “Well, we don’t need to think about that right now.”
“No, we don’t. And I’m up for the challenge.”
Our waiter appeared with Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Beef and Broccoli, Chow Mein, chicken salad, white rice, and egg rolls. It was more than we needed, but I didn’t want my woman to go hungry. I smiled at the sudden realization that I’d thought of her as my woman. Truthfully, I’d thought of her in that way for some time now. Hopefully, she would come to reciprocate those feelings one day. I said a quick prayer asking God to bless our meal and then we dug in.
I cleared my throat. “Aren’t you going to ask how I’m able to afford a five thousand square foot home?”
Her eyes flickered with amusement. “They say if a woman hopes to court a man, it’s taboo to ask how much money he makes.”
I laughed. “Good call.” I rested my arms on the table and finished chewing. “But I’ll tell you, anyway. My parents were well off. They left me a sizable inheritance when they passed.”
“How come you live in the cabin instead of the house?”
“It tends to be lonely living in a home that size. The cabin is much more to my taste.”
“Then why did you buy the house?”
I wiped my face with a napkin. “Just waiting for the right woman to agree to marry me. Once that happens, we’ll have a whole brood of kids to fill up all those rooms.” I lifted one side of my mouth in a wry grin. “Maybe you can help me out with that.”
The humor died in her eyes and she glanced away, but not before I saw a flicker of pain there. What was that about? I watched her carefully, but she kept her head ducked and stared at her plate as she moved her food around.
She was quiet for a long moment and then she let out a breath. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Already found it.”
I waited for her to absorb that and when it finally registered that I was speaking of her, she blushed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Can’t help it when it comes to you. Every time we’re together, it’s like I’m an awkward teenager putting his foot in his mouth.”
She glanced up at me with a sad smile. “You’re very sweet. You’ll make some woman very happy one day.”
I frowned, not liking the sound of that. She was pulling away again, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
We finished our meal but our conversation was a little stilted. Something I’d said had upset her, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it was. I paid the bill, and we stood to leave.
A bell at the door jingled, and a couple walked in with their three children trailing behind. Jazmin froze, and the color drained from her face. “Oh, no,” she whispered.
“What’s wrong?”
“That man…” She jerked her chin in the direction of the family that had just come through the doorway. “His name’s Jared, and he was an old boyfriend. It didn’t end well.”
“I take it you don’t want to say hello?”
She shook her head and covered her eyes with a hand. “This is terrible. I always knew we’d run into each other one day, but…”
“You still have feelings for him?”
“No way. I’ve been over him for a long, long time, but it’s hard seeing him with a family. I have nothing to show for myself.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re beautiful, smart, accomplished. You have everything going for you.”
The corners of her lips tilted up gratefully and then she glanced over in his direction. Turning back to me, she looked a little panicked. “Quick, sit down before he sees us.”
We both sat down in the booth and watched as a hostess seated them nearby. When he didn’t look our way, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m acting like a child.”
“Don’t worry about it. I get it. It’s hard running into someone you haven’t seen in a long time.”
“It was awkward when we broke up.”
“Mind if I ask what led to the breakup?”
She pressed her lips together, and I got the feeling she didn’t want to talk about it.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind telling you. He wanted kids, and that wasn’t a priority of mine at the time.” She averted her gaze and wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I’ve always been more focused on my career.”
My heart sank, and disappointment washed through me. My mom had been an attorney before she retired, and she often worked late into the night, rarely making time for me. My father was a CEO of a large company and was hardly ever home either since he preferred to work long hours. When he did have free time, he prioritized his friends over his own family. I was a lost kid back then. Lonely. Sad. Swore I’d be nothing like my parents, and I’d kept that promise to myself. My grizzly appearance was the complete opposite
