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The girls didn’t even lookup when they went inside, but they appeared to be having a new conversation now, one that seemed to involve a game they’d played at recess today. Jack gave her a sardonic look as his wave and the accompanying greeting were completely ignored.
They hung their coats on the rack by her door, then stepped out of their boots before heading into her waffle-scented kitchen. Well, artificial waffle, thanks to the candle Abby had forced her to buy because it reminded her of the lotion she’d gifted her.
Jack eyed the candle. “Pumpkin Waffle Surprise. What’s the surprise?”
“That it isn’t as revolting when it’s burning as it is when you sniff the jar?”
He smirked. “You and Abby don’t share the same taste in scents, huh?”
“I just like my baked goods in their natural form. Edible. But she wants us to smell like we’re covered in syrup all the time.”
Jack stepped closer to where she stood at the kitchen island, leaning in slightly. “If it helps, I think it suits you.”
“Why?” she whispered.
His eyes darkened as they held hers, then he surprised her by letting out a quick laugh and backing away. “Every answer that popped into my head sounded way too cheesy to repeat out loud. Sorry. I can’t do it.”
Robin was desperate to know, but since his cheesy answers to that question would likely be as sweet as the scent in the air, it might be good that he hadn’t voiced them.
What if she’d found them to be the opposite of cheesy? What if the sense of loneliness that had caused her to seek him out tonight caused her to find his words utterly swoonworthy instead? That wouldn’t be good for anyone.
This is about cocoa. Friendly, neighborly gestures. Nothing more, she reminded herself.
“How about that hot chocolate?” she asked, pulling down two matching mugs with snowmen painted in watercolor on the sides.
Jack nodded, noticed the mugs, and then glanced over his shoulder at the living room, which was completely overtaken by the same character in many shapes and sizes. While Robin poured their drinks from the kettle on the stove, Jack meandered through the space between the kitchen and the living room, eyeing Abby’s prized collection.
“Impressive,” he said as she joined him and handed him a mug.
“If she weren’t so distracted with her friends, she’d be happy to hear you say so.”
“Eh, wouldn’t want her to get a big head about it or anything.”
Robin chuckled. “Wanna have a seat at the table?”
He nodded and waited for her to sit at their circular kitchen table before seating himself. Then he sipped the cocoa, letting out a low hum that did funny things to her insides as he leaned back in his chair.
“Wow, that’s not the stuff from the packet, is it?” he asked, pointing at the steaming mug.
“No, this is the good stuff.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised. I bet those packets are outlawed in this town. Too inauthentic?”
Robin grinned and set her mug down, wrapping her still-chilly hands around it for warmth. “No, you goof. I just like being a little fancy when it comes to certain things.”
Jack nodded thoughtfully, and his eyes wandered over her kitchen and living room again.
Robin followed his gaze and wondered idly what her home looked like to him. Evidence of Abby was everywhere. From her school stuff that was still on the counter because her friends had started arriving before she’d gotten a chance to put it away, to several pairs of her shoes that littered the floor near the front door.
Robin was forever reminding her to put them in her closet once she took them off because it looked so cluttered when every boot or tennis shoe she owned was strewn in the small space. She knew she needed to invest in one of those fancy shoe and coat rack hutches, but Matthew had promised to build one the year they’d moved in and hadn’t gotten around to it, and she’d never been able to bring herself to order one from the store.
“There aren’t any rules about decorating the inside of your house at Christmas, are there?” Jack asked, breaking her from her thoughts.
“No. Just the outside. You’re safe.”
“Good.”
