Hailey winced. “That was a little crazy, which is why I’m bringing him shepherd’s pie.”
She glanced toward the oven, feeling a rush of pride at the way the top of the mashed potato layer had formed a perfect buttery brown crust. It would have to cool a bit before she could carry it next door, even with dry oven mitts.
“You should invite him out to dinner,” Tori said.
“Why would I do that? I want to welcome him to the neighborhood, not date him.”
“Because this is the only place to eat, so you’ll have to come here and I’ll get to watch the two of you together because I bet you should date him.”
“That’s a little weird.” She wasn’t going to date Matt. She also wasn’t going to let him near her neck again, because that made her think about a lot more than dating him. Unless dating was a euphemism for sex.
“I have a feeling about him.”
“Then you date him.”
Tori laughed. “Not that kind of feeling. I think you and Matt the hot game warden would be a good match.”
“When you give up designing book covers and waiting tables to become a successful matchmaker, I’ll believe you.” Hailey paused. “No, I still won’t believe you.”
“I have a sticky note on my computer reminding me to tell you I told you so when the time comes. So, anyway, we need to plan our next adventure.”
“Our next adventure? You don’t think we had enough adventure last time?”
“Are you ever going to let that go?”
“Not until the blisters heal, at least.”
Tori’s sigh came through her phone’s speaker loud and clear. “If we were Thelma and Louise, the movie would have been ten minutes long. Adventures, Hailey. We’re supposed to be celebrating being single.”
“I can leave my cookies right out on the counter instead of hiding them behind the lightbulbs in the cabinet over the fridge. Isn’t that celebration enough?”
“No. You’ve probably eaten them already, since you’re hanging around your house instead of going out and having fun with me.”
Tori paused, but there was no way Hailey was admitting she’d thrown away the empty package not ten minutes before her phone rang.
“I have to go change so I can bring this next door and be done with it.”
“You’re getting dressed up to bring him shepherd’s pie?”
She was incorrigible. “No, I spilled coffee on my light peach shirt two hours ago and it looks like I have an abstract brown Ohio on my chest. Then, after I put the dish in the oven, I was dusting my ceiling fans so I’m going to change. Big deal.”
“Sure. It has nothing to do with him.”
“I have to go. Bye.” Hailey hung up on Tori and went upstairs to change her shirt.
She deliberately avoided her makeup basket while she was in the bathroom, but she did take her hair out of the clip and brush it into a sleek ponytail. Not because of Matt, of course. Just because the oven had heated her kitchen and all the escaped wisps were driving her crazy.
Then she swore under her breath and pulled the elastic out. As a shield went, it wouldn’t keep a determined man from touching that sweet spot, but at least her neck didn’t feel so exposed. And since his determination had been about first aid and not turning her on, she was probably safe.
When she couldn’t put it off anymore without risking him already having eaten, she used dry oven mitts to pick up the glass baking dish and went out her back door. She could hear him talking to Bear, and she followed the sound to his backyard.
He was sitting at a small, wrought iron patio set that had gone with the house, while Bear ran around the yard with a knotted length of rope. When the dog saw her coming, he dropped the rope and loped toward her.
She couldn’t pet him, but she spoke to him and praised him for not jumping on her before walking the rest of the way to Matt. She set the baking dish on the table and lifted the towel she’d draped over the top.
“I made you shepherd’s pie,” she said. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
He leaned close enough to smell it. “Thank you. It looks delicious, and I love shepherd’s pie.”
“Of course you do. It’s meat and potatoes.” When he arched an eyebrow at her, she put up her hands. “That wasn’t meant to be a dig. I swear there’s something about you that makes me say stupid things.”
“It happens. It might be the eyelashes.” He batted them at her and she laughed.
“I’m not crazy. And I really don’t think you’re a stalker, which is why I brought you dinner.”
“I don’t stalk a lot of women, but you’re the first to ever reward me with food. I was going to nuke a pizza or make a couple of sandwiches, but this is better. Do you want to join me?”
She looked into those pretty eyes and said yes before she thought it all the way through. Really, it was the neighborly thing to do.
SEVEN