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“What was that?” Colt asked.
“I said that was nice of you. Say thank you, Chewy.”
Chewy woofed and stood up so his paws were on the island and he could see all the goods.
“Chewy, it’s not nice to put your paws on the table,” Colt said, rubbing the top of the dog’s head. “Maybe your mom can get all your stuff set up, and I’ll get washed up so I can start dinner.”
Chewy woofed again and put his paws back on the ground, and then he looked expectantly at Zoe.
“I wonder if he’s really a man trapped in a dog’s body,” she said, taking the dog bed and setting it between the fireplace and the window.
“I’ve had that thought myself,” Colt said, washing his hands in the kitchen sink and then wiping down the counter where Chewy’s paws had been. “It would certainly explain a lot. I brought steaks, veggies, and potatoes. Something simple for you to start with.”
“Oh, what a nice collar,” she said, looking at the tag that had been engraved with Chewy’s name attached to the bright red collar. “Very posh. You’re an uptown dog after all.”
She attached it around his neck and gave him a rawhide bone, which he took politely and then immediately went to his bed so he could gnaw it in peace.
“Chewy is very grateful,” she said, washing her hands. “And so am I. All this stuff must have cost a fortune. Let me pay you back for it.”
“Consider it a housewarming gift,” he said, seasoning the two thick steaks that were on the cutting board in front of him.
“I’ll make you a deal,” she said, eyeing the vegetables and potatoes with unease.
He looked up at her curiously and asked, “What’s that?”
“If you don’t make me cook, I’ll share my favorite brand of wine with you. Besides, it looks like you know exactly what you’re doing and that you actually enjoy it.”
He chuckled and said, “I guess I do. I’ll take you up on the wine. And maybe you could start with something simple like slicing vegetables. Technically, that’s not cooking.”
She went to the wine fridge and took out a bottle of white. “Don’t judge me for not drinking red with a steak. It drives sommeliers at every fancy restaurant I’ve ever been to crazy.”
“Hey, you like what you like and you don’t apologize for it,” he said. “I can respect that. I’m Irish, so we don’t particularly care what alcohol is served with what food. But nothing beats a freshly poured Guinness or three fingers of Jameson’s.”
“I’m fresh out of both of those,” she said.
“I’ll keep you stocked for next time,” he said.
Colt put a cutting board in front of her and a sharp knife, along with a zucchini and squash.
“You gave me vegetables for lunch too,” she said suspiciously.
“Do you have a maximum for the day?” he asked, chuckling. “Vegetables are good for you. They’ll make you strong and healthy so you can get big. Trust me. I’m a doctor.”
“Why do I have a feeling I’m not the only woman you’ve said that to?”
He barked out a laugh and then took the glass of wine she handed him, taking a sip. “Very nice,” he said. “I can see why it’s your favorite. It’s dangerous for wine to taste like candy. Good thing I walked here. Just slice the veggies evenly and then we’ll season them and stick them in the oven when we put the steaks on. They’ve already been washed.”
She took a sip of her own wine and savored it before setting to work on the vegetables. “So as an observer of people,” she said. “You’re obviously the studious type. Besides the fact you’re a doctor I noticed all the books in your apartment. Very eclectic—both fiction and nonfiction—but you lean toward nonfiction. You like to learn.”
“We’re always students,” he said. “And we’re never too old to learn something new.”
“Agreed,” she said.
“What else did you observe?” he asked.
“You cook like a pro, you play the piano and you probably play golf better than you say you do. You water-ski, rarely take vacations, and you love your family, though you try to set healthy boundaries with them so they’re not always up in your business. And according to everyone, you date shallow and insipid women because you’re afraid if you don’t you’ll settle down before you’re ready.”
“Wow,” he said. “That went deep fast.”
