“Casson deserves a batch of cookies for this,” she said, grinning.
“He’s quite a guy.” Red smiled back. He parked behind it and turned off the ignition. “So if he gets cookies for arranging a tow, what do I get for my heroic rescue? Not to mention my culinary effort and the outdoor entertainment I provided?” He batted his eyelashes as he looked at her pointedly. “I think I deserve at least a cookie or two. Or maybe twenty…”
Ronnie burst out laughing. “If I had my phone, I would have taken a video of you. I’m sure it would have gone viral.”
“Really? Well, here’s my phone. Let’s give them something to talk about…” He sang the last phrase. He pulled off his toque and ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick out, before batting his lashes at her again.
“I’m going to pass,” she said, holding up a hand. “Besides, I don’t think that performance would do anything for your image as the owner of Brannigan Architects International.”
“Fine!” He patted down his hair. “But don’t get distracted from the fact that you offered to make me a couple of dozen cookies.”
“What?” She looked at him with an exaggerated frown. “Casson should have warned me about you…” She opened the side door and glanced back at him. “But I do offer you my thanks and appreciation for your aforementioned heroism and associated efforts.”
She walked gingerly up the steps to her door, then turned and waved, a slight smirk on her face.
He rolled down his window and waved back. “Peanut butter cookies are my favorite,” he shouted. Grinning, he backed up before driving off slowly, conscious of Ronnie watching him until he turned and disappeared from view.
CHAPTER SEVEN
RONNIE SHOOK HER HEAD and unlocked her door. She took off her coat and boots and put on her fleece-lined slippers. Feeling a little cold, she turned up the heat and then sat down on the couch, covering her legs with the checkered throw. She gazed at the dozens of boxes that still needed to be unpacked and sighed. It was a task that needed to get done, but somehow, she had no desire to get to it right now. Or anything else. Except maybe baking a batch of cookies for Casson later in the afternoon.
There was no way Red had been serious about baking him cookies, as well…
Peanut butter cookies, his favorite. Just like Andy.
He had been in a joking mood; he was just teasing her…
Or maybe not, her inner voice suggested.
Ronnie frowned. She wouldn’t think about it for now. She’d rather read. She glanced at the doorway for her bag of books. Confused, she wondered in dismay if she had left it in Red’s truck. And then she realized she hadn’t remembered to take the bag with her. It was on the floor next to the recliner she had slept on.
Damn. Now she’d have to make arrangements to get it from Red. A thought occurred to her. Maybe Casson was planning to meet him before the grand opening, and if so, Red could give it to him.
Her cell phone suddenly rang, and she jumped up to get it on the kitchen counter where she had forgotten it. It was Casson. He had seen Red’s truck go by. He asked if she was okay, and if she wanted to drop over for lunch.
“Thanks, Cass. Yes, I’m fine, and thanks too, for getting the car towed. Um, I’ll pass on lunch… I had a big breakfast, so I’ll just munch on something a little later, but I will drop by this afternoon, okay?”
After hanging up, Ronnie stretched out on the couch and gazed out the huge living room window that looked out onto the water. It had started to snow again, and as she watched the flakes tumbling gently down, she was glad she had some time to herself. She felt bad about declining Casson’s invitation, but she needed to process everything that had happened since her car had spun out of control. It was true what she had said about breakfast, but she couldn’t exactly tell Casson that this architect buddy of his had spun her around. Literally and figuratively.
And much as she loved Casson, Justine and the baby, Ronnie knew that she’d have little A.J. in her arms immediately if she went over. She would delay that pleasure until the afternoon, once she had baked the cookies.
Okay, start processing, her inner voice urged. Start with his looks.
Ronnie closed her eyes. She could see him approaching in long, purposeful strides, assaulted by the freezing rain. His dampened russet hair and piercing blue-green eyes. The strength in his arms as he carried her to his truck. His broad chest in that teal pullover and perfectly fitting black jeans today. She had had no problem with the way he looked…
What about his personality?
He was positive, creative, attentive, daring, funny, a good listener, empathetic, silly, charming…
What are his negative qualities?
Ronnie frowned. She tried to think of something Red had said or done that had irked her.
His teasing? Mmm…no, she hadn’t minded it; in fact, it had made her feel a swirl of different emotions, but none of them were bad.
What he had done was make her feel something that had been missing in her life since Andy had become seriously ill. The feeling of being lighthearted. Alive. When Red had swooped her up, preventing her from falling on the ice, and then skated around the pond with her in his arms, she had felt like a switch had been turned on inside her.
She could keep the truth from Red, but she couldn’t keep it from herself. Red had turned her on. Made her remember that she was a woman. And that life was fun.
She had lost her sense of play, of adventure, of joy. Of course she had felt joy at the
