AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?” she said. “No. Let’s have a second glass if you don’t mind. Or are you more of a beer drinker and you are choking this down to be nice?”
“Even if I didn’t like wine, I’d have a glass with you so I didn’t have to leave. I don’t drink often, but am not fussy either. Beer is easy, wine is nice. I’m not much into liquor.”
“I’ve never acquired a taste for it either,” she said. “I hope Sammie is okay with the small burger and some bread.”
“She steals my food all the time. I try not to give her table food, but it’s hard when she begs with those big eyes of hers. She got more bread than burger though.”
She poured them both another glass, then picked up the remains of dinner and carried it in the house, putting it all in the sink. She liked to clean up right away but wouldn’t leave Brent on her deck alone. That would be rude and it was one thing she tried to never be.
And his comment about having the wine even if he didn’t like it to spend time with her was sweet.
Though she’d hoped to see Brent today, she hadn’t expected to be spending several hours with him.
When she came back out, he was sipping his wine and petting Sammie on the head. She’d returned with a bottle of water and dumped it into the little plastic bowl for Sammie too.
“Will you think I’m a complete loser if I told you this is the most time I’ve spent with a woman in almost a year?”
“No, because then you’d think I was one when I said it’s the most I’ve spent with a man inovera year. There are slim pickings in this area I’ve found.”
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t leave the house much.”
She laughed. “You seem to be now.”
“I am,” he said.
When she heard buzzing and saw Brent reaching into his pocket, then swearing, she figured their time was coming to an end. It was barely six.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. It’s work.”
“On a Sunday night?”
“I’ve got programs running nonstop. I get alerts on my phone when things are flagged.”
“So you need to leave?” she asked.
“I should,” he said. “It could be important.” He picked up his wine and downed the rest. “But not before we figure out if I can see you again. Or do we wait and hope for a chance meeting next Sunday?”
“If you don’t mind giving me your number, we can figure something out this week.”
“We can do that,” he said, standing up and grabbing Sammie’s leash and harness and getting the dog set. He read his number off to her. She put it in her phone and shot him off a text.
“That’s me,” she said.
“Thanks for dinner,” he said. “And the company.”
“The same,” she said, then watched him walk around the front of her house. She thought of following after him but figured that might be too much.
There was no kiss, no touch on her hand, nothing.
Maybe she was reading it wrong and she wouldn’t hear from him again and the number exchange was easier than saying no.
If that was the case, then she’d move on. She could and had before.
11
A Bond Like That
