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“That’d be nice. Something funny?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll find us a few options.”
She bit her lip and took a bite of her ice cream.
He joined Poirot on the couch and ate his ice cream while he searched Chloe’s limited streaming options. The woman read way more than she watched TV. He didn’t find anything, so he signed into one of his own streaming services and found a couple of options.
By the time she came back, he’d finished his ice cream and had his arm draped across the back of the couch. Curious as to how she’d react, he didn’t move it as she approached.
She sat close to him. Not quite touching, but close enough that his whole body warmed at her presence.
She said, “Before we pick a movie, I have a strange request for you. The client I’m meeting tomorrow morning, Fred, wants to meet at the showing, rather than get together first at the coffee shop, which is my normal for feeling out new people. He just wants to see the one house. Would you be free to tag along, or do you have work?”
“We aren’t keeping normal office hours this week between the holidays, just on-call. And tomorrow’s not my call day, so I’m free. I’d love to. I have a crazy idea too.”
“Crazy? I like crazy.” She curled her feet up on the couch and turned toward him.
“Would you be up to going on a little hike too?”
“Maybe since Poirot has to take it easy, we can hit one of those no-dogs-allowed ones,” she said.
“Good opportunity for that. You up to driving all the way to Smoky?”
“I’ve really wanted to hit the Rainbow Falls trail.” Her eyes danced with excitement.
“Then that’s the one we’ll do. Won’t be as busy this time of year.”
“No, we’re the only crazy ones to go hiking when it’s forty degrees out.” She leaned against the couch and yanked the blanket off the back.
Josh’s arm came too and fell against her. He pulled it away, but she sank in closer to him instead of distancing herself, so he lowered his arm back around her.
Poirot snuggled in closer to Chloe too. They chose a movie, but Josh couldn’t focus on the story between the intense overwhelm of being so close to Chloe and praying that she would let him deeper into her heart.
Ten minutes before nine the next morning, Chloe pulled her SUV up to the curb in front of the house she was showing Fred.
Josh sat in the passenger seat. “You want me to come in with you or sit here?”
“I’ll be fine. You have a book?”
He laughed. “What kind of question is that? How can I be friends with Chloe Jacobs and not carry a book wherever I go?”
“I knew I liked you for a good reason.” Heat rushed into her face. How did that come across? How had she meant it? She wasn’t even sure.
He winked.
The heat increased. She turned away and fiddled with her phone. “I’m going inside to check things out before he gets here.”
“I’ll be here, reading my book.”
She met his eyes again, but their intensity made her rush out of the car. “See you in a bit.”
“I’m here if you need me.”
She closed the door and forced herself to walk calmly up the overgrown path.
A chill ran its course through her body, and she pulled her coat a little tighter. Was it something about the house, or was it just the below-freezing temperature of the December morning?
This house was in bad shape. Even worse than the pictures online had indicated.Dilapidatedwas probably the best word to describe it.
