Page 45

That’s right, she reasoned, he didn’t need her help anymore.

Mari started to bring the noodles toward herself, hoping to do it so she didn’t look as silly as she felt.

“Hey.” Heath lowered his hand back down and leaned in, opening his mouth.

Smiling at the way he looked and enjoying the warmth spreading through her, she put the bite to his mouth.

One of the translucent noodles stuck to his lip, hanging down out of his mouth.

With a quick sweep of his tongue, the noodle was gone and she resisted the urge to fan herself with her free hand.

She’d seen her parents from time to time serve each other a dessert or share a plate. There was also a cute portrait of the two of them at their wedding reception where her father was feeding her mom a piece of their cake.

Meals had always been a family thing at her house growing up, but in the last few years after the accident, with her father gone, she’d fed her mother when she’d become too weak to do it herself.

As she sat back against the couch cushions, she watched as Heath reached his hand across and pick up a piece of sweet and seasoned seaweed and hold it up… for her.

“Your turn?”

My turn, her head was a little slow wrapping itself around the gesture.

But finally, she leaned in and smiled, parting her lips.

The smooth skin of his forehead just above the bridge of his nose, creased and she pulled back slightly, nearly closing her mouth.

“What is this?” He turned his hand a little and looked at the dark green pieces held between the tips of the chopsticks. “This looks a little like seaweed.”

Before she could answer, he frowned a little.

“It is seaweed, right?”

She nodded and watched him turn a shade of green, a good deal lighter than the seaweed, but it was kind of fun to see it.

“Yes. It’s seaweed. But it’s healthy and…” she paused, leaning into him, “tasty.” Then she opened her mouth and leaned in for the bite.

He looked reluctant to give it to her, but she raised a brow at him, and he gave her the bite.

It tasted, like it always did, sweet and a little salty. Smooth against her tongue and easy to chew.

When she turned to look at Heath he was looking back at her with a mixture of awe and maybe a little fear.

Lifting her hand, Mari covered her mouth. “What? Do I have seaweed between my teeth?”

The thought of that actually happening was disturbing in the worst possible way.

He shook his head. “No. I… I think I’m worried that you’ll get sick and… and-”

“Vomit?” Her eyes widened as his cheeks turned a little red. “Oh, no… This is my favorite side at Korean restaurants.”

Heath gave her a look that said he wasn’t sure how true her words were, but before he could make a decision, she used her chopsticks and picked up a smaller bite of seaweed. This one included a sliver of cucumber and a tiny shaving of carrot, which had probably fallen in from the cabbage that was heaped beside it in the plate. “Here,” she said clearly having swallowed the bite in her mouth, “just try it. You can spit it out if you want.”

His upper lip curled a little, but he opened his mouth and took the bite she offered him.

While she waited for him to chew, Mari picked up a bite of japchae and put that in her mouth, enjoying the cool slide of the thick noodles against her tongue.

Before she was finished, she saw Heath’s face relax and then his brows raised up in surprise.

When he finally smiled, she relaxed a little. Her shoulders dropping slightly as she swallowed.