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“That’s why I promised the good chocolate and not just M&Ms.”

Ryker helped her off with her coat, and she watched him drape it over one of the four dining room chairs. “Why don’t you go take a seat on the sofa, and I’ll call out what’s available to eat and drink, and you tell me what you want, does that sound like a plan?” Ryker asked.

“Sounds good,” Amy said as she sat down on the soft cushions. If she weren’t so nervous to talk to Ryker, she could easily just melt into this sofa and fall asleep.

“Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Orange Juice, Pi—”

“I’ll take a sparkling water if they have it,” Amy interrupted him.

“They do. What kind of nut selection?”

“No nuts, unless they come in a Snickers bar.”

“You’re in luck.”

“Packets of cheese and crackers?” Amy asked wistfully.

“Yes again. You’re on a roll. What else?”

“I’m done. Isn’t that the price of a prime rib dinner?”

“Probably,” Ryker laughed. He stood up and brought the haul over to the coffee table. Amy saw that he brought a Coke and Toblerone chocolate bar as well.

“No peanuts?”

“They only had honey-roasted cashews. I’m not a fan.”

Ryker went back to the mini-bar area and grabbed a bunch of little napkins that were by the coffee maker, and handed her a couple.

“Ryker, I want to explain why—”

“Food first,” Ryker interrupted. “No deep dark conversations without consuming sugar, salt, and fat. It’s a rule.”

“I don’t remember being taught that rule before,” she teased. “Trust me, I would have remembered.”

Ryker gave her a tender look. “If I told you that my mom used to say that to all of us kids, would it hurt you, Amy?”

She bent her head and concentrated on opening the cheese and cracker snack pack. “No, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings,” she answered him. It wasn’t his question that had her looking down, it was his knowing that was a hot button for her. It was the compassion that was on his face. She’d gathered from his voicemail that he wasn’t mad exactly. But she had expected an abrupt conversation where he demanded answers. Not teasing, cajoling and warmth. He was confusing the hell out of her.

“So, eat up. That’s the salt portion,” he said nodding at her snack pack. “Save some crackers for me, since I didn’t get my peanuts. Then we’ll both move on to our chocolate.”

“You’re not getting any of my cheese and crackers,” Amy protested. “Go find something else to snack on with salt. I worked a full dinner shift tonight, and I didn’t get to eat. If you make a grab for my crackers, you’ll lose a limb.”

Amy looked up when Ryker didn’t laugh. He had a strange expression on his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Just thinking about work for a second. But I’ve gotta tell you it’s good to see you being all feisty. I’ll be right back.” He got up and went back to the mini-bar and came back with peanut butter crackers. This time he didn’t sit on the chair across from her. Nope, this time he sat on the sofa, right next to her.

“Don’t worry, Honey, I’m just getting close so I can rub your feet.” He smiled. “Hurry up with your Snickers bar.” He reached over and opened up her bottle of mineral water, then opened up his Coke and drank down half the can.

By the time Ryker was done with everything he’d brought over for himself, Amy had finished her packet of cheese and crackers, had four sips of her mineral water, and two bites of her Snickers bar.

“Do you need help with that?” Ryker asked as he eyed her candy bar.

She folded the wrapper over the uneaten portion. “No, I’m saving it for later. If you’re hungry, go spend another twenty dollars for another candy bar for yourself,” she sniffed.

Ryker’s brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought, then he smiled. “Nope. I’m good. I shouldn’t need to eat for at least another fifteen minutes. Just enough time to give you a foot rub.”