Chill Out by Jana Richards Read Free Book Online

warmth, caring, and humor, the same way he was. Instead he said, “I think he’s smitten. He’s forgotten all about me.”
    “I don’t know about that.” She stroked Spike, avoiding his gaze. “He knows where his kibble comes from. As soon as I leave he’ll forget all about me.”
    “I doubt it.” Noah didn’t think either of them would forget Renata any time soon.
    ****
    Renata set the dining room table with the best dishes in the cottage, which wasn’t saying much since most of the things in the cottage had either been handed down from generations of previous owners or were secondhand items from Caroline’s house in the city. Still, she managed to find some pretty bowls for the soup Noah had made, along with a couple of long-stemmed wine glasses. She’d brought a bottle of wine with her to celebrate her liberation from her family, or perhaps to drown her sorrows at being almost thirty and alone. She wasn’t clear on her motivation for purchasing the wine, but in any case it was chilling in the fridge.
    She’d also found a couple of crystal candleholders and several long tapers but had decided not to use them. The last thing she wanted was for Noah to think she was trying to set the mood for a romantic dinner.
    There was nothing romantic going on. They were having homemade soup, for goodness’ sake, not a dinner of gastronomical aphrodisiacs. Still, she wanted to do something a little bit special. She found a couple of pretty teacups with saucers in the back of a cupboard, and poured some of the candy hearts into each one.
    Noah ladled the soup into the bowls and brought them to the table.
    “I hope you like it,” he said as he took his seat.
    Renata skimmed her spoon over the top and blew on the steaming contents for a moment before tasting it. The flavors exploded in her mouth, rich and flavorful and comforting.
    “Mmm, this is delicious, Noah. Well done.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Oh! I forgot the wine.”
    She brought the wine to the table and made a show of pouring the same amount into each wine glass. When she was done, she lifted her glass.
    “To good food and good company, both the human and the canine kind.”
    Noah touched his glass to hers. “I’ll drink to that. Cheers.”
    “Cheers.”
    When they were finished with the soup, she took away the bowls and brought the teacups with the candy hearts to the table.
    “Since we didn’t have a dessert, I thought I’d share some of my stash.”
    “If I’d known when I’d stopped for groceries that you were going to be here, I would have bought ice cream and cake.”
    “Be honest. If you’d known I was going to be here, you probably would have booked yourself into a hotel someplace, even if it meant smuggling Spike into your room again.”
    “You’re probably right.” He raised his glass. “Let’s drink to not knowing what the future holds in store. I’m glad I didn’t know, or I might not have met you.”
    Renata held up her glass, touched by his toast. “To the future and all its surprises.”
    “To the future.”
    Their gazes met across the table, and Renata simply couldn’t look away. His blue eyes pinned her in place with their intensity. But then he averted his gaze, reaching for the teacup with the candy hearts as if looking for something to do with his hands.
    “I’m not a big candy person, but I don’t mind these.”
    “Yes, they’re very good.” She reached for her own teacup and pulled out a candy. Why had their conversation suddenly turned so banal?
    She turned over the candy. Stir My Heart. Noah had certainly done that to her.
    “What does yours say?” she asked.
    “ Cheer Me On. I wonder what that means?”
    “It doesn’t mean anything. You do know they’re just candies, right?”
    “Very funny.”
    Despite her cheeky words, the candy heart sayings were freaking her out. She was relieved that Cheer Me On had no real meaning to their situation.
    Renata drained her glass and then reached for the wine bottle.