“Oh.” The way he says it makes my chest feel warm. I shift my foot slightly and wince.
A look of concern crosses his face. “Still hurts?”
“Yes.”
“Let me see.”
Before I can protest he moves his chair beside mine and crouches again. His hands are warm and steady as he unwraps the towel. “I think some of the swelling has gone down. The Ibuprofen should kick in soon.”
He wraps the towel again and rests the ice back against my ankle. For a moment neither of us moves. Raider watches from the rug.
I become very aware of how close Gavin is. Of how his shoulder nearly touches my knee. Of the quiet focus in his expression.
“You know,” I say softly, “this is the longest conversation we’ve ever had.”
“Yes.”
“And all I had to do was get a little sprained ankle to make it happen.”
He narrows his eyes. “Don’t make a habit of getting injured.”
I laugh quietly. “Well, if that’s what it takes.”
His eyes lift to mine. “You scared me tonight.”
His expression shifts slightly, like he did not mean to say that out loud.
My heart skips a beat. “You were worried about me?”
“Yes.”
He does not hesitate. The honesty in that single word makes my stomach flutter.
“I didn’t know that.”
“You didn’t know a lot of things.”
“Such as?”
He studies me for a second. “Such as the fact that I’ve been trying not to stare at you every Saturday morning for months.”
My breath catches. “Oh.”
Raider thumps his tail once against the rug. Neither of us looks away.
Gavin’s voice drops a little. “It’s impossible not to notice you.”
Heat creeps into my cheeks. “Did you happen to see me staring back?”
The room grows still. The kitchen light casts a soft glow across the table and the jars on the shelves. Gavin’s hand rests lightly against the side of my chair. Close enough that if I moved an inch it would touch mine.
Chapter 5
Sophia
Raiderliftshisheadfrom the rug, watching us both. The kitchen has gone very quiet. The honesty hangs between us.
Gavin clears his throat. “I guess Raider and I should probably get going.”
