She laughed. “Oh, come on. You have preferences. Every man does.”
I shrugged. “I like a woman to be real, genuine. Can’t stand it when someone puts on a fake attitude.”
“All right, so you prefer someone who isn’t afraid to be herself.”
“Yeah, and it helps if she’s really hot as well.” I gave my words a punch and allowed a little arrogance to slip in.
Her jaw dropped open, and she stared at me with disbelieving eyes. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
I waited a good three seconds and then laughed, slapping my knee. “I’m joking. You should see your face right now.”
She shook her head and chuckled, but there was an underlying irritation in her eyes as she studied me. “Don’t try to backpedal. You totally meant that. You’re just like every other man out there. Everyone except…” She trailed off.
“Except…who?”
“Daniel. My late husband. He saw people differently than most.” A shadow fell over her face, and the corners of her lips drooped.
Before I knew what I was doing, I took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “Kayla, I honestly was joking. Seriously. I said it to get a rise out of you. I regret doing that now that I see how much it bothered you, but I said it to see your reaction.”
Her brows drew in slightly. “You wanted a reaction from me… Why?”
“When you get excited about something, or even mad, your eyes light up and your face practically glows.” I shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I just like seeing that inner sparkle that’s unique to you.”
The corners of her mouth tugged upward, exposing her dimples. “I want to be mad at you right now, but when you say things like that…”
“It’s the truth.”
“You think I have an inner sparkle.” It was a statement, not a question, and she was fully grinning now.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s why you’ve come this far in your career, and why you’ll go far one day. I’m certain of it.”
“How do you manage to be so infuriating and sweet all at once?”
I snickered. “It’s a talent. I tend to get under people’s skin.”
“You’ve certainly gotten under mine.” She said it under her breath as if talking to herself. “But be honest. There’s no way you can deny you aren’t looking for a drop-dead gorgeous woman. Men are visual creatures. It’s a known fact.”
“Are you trying to imply I’m shallow?”
“No, more like visually challenged. That’s just men in general. Don’t take it personally.”
I leaned back against the couch and crossed my arms over my chest, irritation causing my shoulders to stiffen. Categorizing all men that way was so off-base. She didn’t even realize how off-base she was. “You have a poor opinion of us males if you think all we care about is the exterior. What made you so jaded?”
She bit down on her bottom lip and frowned, the blue of her eyes brightening. “I’m not jaded. I’m calling it as I see it.”
My pulse quickened, and I felt a touch of anger rising to the surface. “Well, then I feel sorry for you. You must hang around a bunch of creeps.”
She smiled wide, her dimples on full display. “Gotcha.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I don’t really think that about men, at least not as a group. There are individuals who are like that, but I’m not speaking for the group as a whole. I just wanted to see how you’d react.”
I burst out laughing. “Touché. I deserved that.”
“When you get mad, your eyes flash and there’s this fierceness about you…like you’re ready to take on a whole troop of men on your own.” She smiled. “It’s kind of cute. I find it intriguing.”
For the next few seconds, we both laughed, and it felt good to release all that tension.
“Kayla Keller, I really like you.” I grinned, not even caring that I wasn’t supposed to tell her that.
“Good, because I like you too.”
We stared at each other for several long moments, and it wasn’t tense or uncomfortable or awkward.
It was nice.
I moved closer, leaning down a bit. “Why haven’t you dated anyone since your husband passed away? It’s been four years.”
“Just haven’t found the right person, I guess.”
“That was my line.”
“You don’t own it. I can use it if I want to.”
“I’m sure you’ve had tons of men beating down your door.”
She took a second to think about that and then a look of amusement crossed her features. “Oh, please, I’m not that sought after.”
“Those phone numbers I gave you earlier prove differently.”
“Most of those guys were too young, and they were just looking for a quick hookup. They weren’t interested in a lasting relationship.”
“How could they not be? You’re beautiful and sing like an angel. Besides that, you’re smart, kind, funny, and you’re the most genuine person I’ve ever met. Most of all, you love the Lord, and you have a heart of gold. I might have misjudged you in the beginning, but it didn’t take long to figure out how special you are.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, and it was then that I realized I’d said too much. Not only had I told her I liked her, but I’d just revealed she was my ideal woman.
“You really believe that?”
I let out a heavy breath, wishing I could take it all back, but now that I’d said it, I couldn’t backtrack without hurting her feelings. “Yes, but don’t let it go to your head.”
She grinned like
