Chirp(22)

Within a couple of minutes, he took a seat, and she joined him. The pasta dish was one of her favorites, and by the way Rance lit into it, one of his, too.

She pushed noodles around with her fork, and her chest tightened as her promise to Hanna pounded in her head. Blaze took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “I couldn’t use my word today.”

“What?” Rance asked.

“My word of the day. I didn’t use it.” Her heart sped up. “Never mind. How was your day? How is the building going? Can I help with anything? Are you interested in going to a banquet?” The last question squeaked out because her mouth had gone dry. She reached for her glass of water and gulped.

He laid down his fork and half smiled. “What’s the word?”

She looked away. “Uxorial.”

“Hmm. What’s it mean?”

“Befitting of a wife.”

“Can’t help you there, but even if I could, it wouldn’t count, would it? I mean, you have to come up with the sentence on your own, right?”

“Yeah.”

“They got the john working in the new bathroom, so I won’t have to use yours anymore. As for you helping, maybe when the rooms are ready to paint, I’ll let you pitch in. And this spaghetti is delicious.”

He took another bite, and she thought he was finished talking. Better he ignored the banquet question. She shouldn’t have listened to Hanna.

He leaned back and rested his hands on the chair arms. “Hey, look at me.”

She raised her eyes to his and braced.

“Is talking to me making you nervous?”

She wanted to answer but couldn’t get the words out, so she nodded.

“You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

That was a good question. She had been when he’d had the nightmare. But not since then. She lowered her head. “No, but talking is hard.”

He reached over and placed his finger under her chin and tilted it up. “I want to understand, so explain it.”

His gentle touch and the tenderness in his tone surprised her. A little jolt of electricity caused her cheeks to warm. “I don’t always say the right thing.”

“Well, you can say anything around me. If I don’t get it, I’ll tell you. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Now, about this banquet.”

“It’s a work thing. Golden anniversary.”

“And the dress code? Date? Time?”

“Oh, it’s not a date. It’s a plus one.”

He laughed out loud. “I meant the date of the event.”

Blaze’s face flamed, and she turned away again. “See what I mean?”

“I wasn’t laughing at you. Your answer was cute.”

“Oh. Two weeks from Friday. Dressy casual. Seven in the evening.”

“I’ll have to check my social calendar.”

“All right.” She scooted her chair away, but before she stood, he caught her wrist.

“That was a joke. You know I don’t have a social calendar.”

She pulled her hand free. She appreciated his attempt to let her down easy, but she’d been right. This was a bad idea. “I know you don’t like me, so you don’t have to go.”

“Whoa. I’ve never said that.”

He frowned, and an odd sensation churned in her stomach. Longing. Desire for his approval. What was that about? She searched for something to say but came up short. An awkward silence hung between them, until finally she found her voice. “I’m not dumb. I know I’m odd, and people don’t like different.”

“Look. When I got here, you were a surprise. I didn’t handle it well. But I’m past that now,” Rance said. “It isn’t that I don’t like you, it’s I don’t know you. We should fix that. I’ll go first.”

Panic rose in her chest. She didn’t want to play this game because she wasn’t sure what he’d ask.

“What’s your connection to Dessie?”

After a few moments to consider her answer, she decided it safe enough. “My dad knew her.”

“How?”

“He and your mom were friends in college.”

“Interesting. Your turn to ask me something.”

“What are your nightmares about?”

In the blink of an eye, his expression turned grim. “That’s the one thing I can’t talk about.”

“Why?”

“I just can’t. Ask something else.”

“Why do you call your grandmother Dessie?”

“Good question. When it was the two of us, I called her Gran. But Seth and Nick called her Dessie, and I thought it was easier to do the same. Back to my mom. Did she and your dad date?”

“No. Why do you have to bring women here? Why don’t you go to their houses?”

“Here, I’m in control. Somewhere else, I don’t know who has a key or who might show up unannounced, and sometimes the chick has kids. Besides, it’s been at least two weeks since the last one.”

“Nine days.”

“What?”

“The last one was here nine days ago. Not two weeks.”

He ran his hand over his jaw. “Damn. Sure seems longer.”