Heading toward the door, she pulled it open, and her stomach fluttered.
Chapter Thirteen
“What’s wrong?” Bear asked Aasia. He’d learned that when she was having a rough day or something occupied her mind, she played with her hair.
“Nothing. Why?” She shifted her gaze to the kitten that was weaving in and out between her ankles.
“You look like you lost your best friend.”
“Of course not.” Her chest wasn’t moving as if she was holding her breath.
“Okay.” He wasn’t convinced but didn’t want to pressure her. “Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I have a plan. Trust me?”
She smiled. “Yes.” She bent and nuzzled the kitten. “Behave, young man.”
“Still doesn’t have a name?”
“I’m putting a lot of thought into it.”
He led her to his truck and once she had her belt fastened, he picked up a brown bag and two bottles of Dr. Pepper from the backseat. “I hope you like grilled cheese.”
“Love grilled cheese.”
“Good because it’s about the only thing I can make.” He backed the truck out onto the road.
“You made grilled cheese? Is this a date?”
“Do you want it to be?” He relaxed in the seat.
“You’re not allowed to answer a question with a question.”
“Then let me just say, I’m hoping it’s a date.”
The wind from the open window caught the ends of her hair, floating them around her cheeks. “Where are we going, cowboy?” she asked.
“There’s something that I haven’t done in a long time.” He stopped at the first red light in town. The sidewalks were hustling and bustling as townsfolk visited the shops.
“Hmm.” One corner of her mouth lifted.
“Be patient.”
Twenty minutes later they were eating grilled cheese sandwiches in his truck and watching a little league baseball game.
“This is delicious,” she said around her grilled cheese.
“There’s nothing more American than one of these,” he held up his half-eaten sandwich, “a Dr. Pepper and a ballgame. My childhood right here. In a nutshell.”
“Wow. Be careful, cowboy, or you might reveal something personal.” She picked off a small piece of her sandwich and popped it into her mouth. “Baseball. How about football?”
“Yeah, I played, but baseball was my thing.”
“What else can you share?”
“There’s not a lot to say.” He swallowed the last bite of his grilled cheese with a swig of his pop.
