Page 38 of A Cup of Autumn
His mouth quirked. “Knew you’d say that.”
“But I’m glad you did.”
Surprise flashed on his face. “You’re welcome.”
Catching him off guard felt better than it should. She let go of the door. “I’d be an even bigger fool to say no to something from Lawson’s.”
“You’re not a fool.”
She motioned him inside. “Where are my manners? Come in.”
He did. “Nice place. I like the wood floors and crown moldings.”
“Thanks. I had them redone before I moved in, but I fell in love with all the built-ins and little touches.”
“Lots of character.” He glanced around. “No dog?”
“Nope.” She motioned him inside. “Callie and Anna keep telling me to get a dog or a cat, but I’m not at home enough.”
“Surprised they accept that answer given they could look after your dog at Wags and Tails. Callie’s been on me about it too.”
“Considering it?”
“A Norwegian Elkhound is in my future. I thought perhaps this Christmas, but I need to push out the date.”
Raine wanted to know why the timing mattered so much, but it was none of her business. “Norwegian Elkhound? You’re really into Norway stuff, huh?”
“Scandinavian studies is my specialty, and those dogs are amazing.” Excitement brimmed in his voice. “Perfect disposition for a family.”
“I haven’t investigated breeds yet, but I can’t see adopting a pet, only to put them in doggie daycare seven days a week. Callie’s is the only one in the area, and even if I wanted to use them, they aren’t open late enough anyway. Or at least they won’t be until they start their overnight boarding service.”
The way he studied Raine made her want to take cover. “Sounds like you’ve done some research.”
Raine shrugged. That was better than admitting she’d found the perfect dog, but when she asked Emmett to go to the rescue shelter with her, he broke up with her instead. Now she didn’t have him, and some other family had provided a forever home for that sweet dog. “A little. Before…”
Uh-oh.She didn’t want to talk about that.
Keaton set the dessert on the counter. “Before…”
“Before my ex-boyfriend and I broke up. He lived in an apartment, but I had this house with a fenced yard. He didn’t work as much as me, so we’d discussed getting a dog, but then…”
“He decided Silver Falls wasn’t the place for him, and he moved to Seattle.”
The words seemed to float between them for a long moment. Raine hated every passing second.
Keaton leaned against the counter and crossed one ankle over the other. “So, no dog and no relationship.”
It wasn’t a question, but Raine felt the need to answer before she changed the subject. “Yep.”
That was all Raine would say. Her dating history had nothing to do with planning the Boo Bash. Besides, all he had to do was ask Callie, Taryn, or Margot if he had any questions. Everyone in town knew about the breakup. Margot must know the most, maybe even more than Raine, given the quilt owner’s friendship with Mrs. Wilson, Emmett’s mom. The fact Raine was never told to call her Teresa probably should have been a warning sign that the relationship would never last. If only hindsight equaled premonition. That would stop a lot of heartache.
Raine opened a drawer, pulled out an oven mitt, and put it on. She pulled the pizza box out of the oven. “I got half a meat lover on one side and pepperoni and olives on the other.”
“Excellent choices. I like both.”
Keaton’s approval made her feel as if she’d earned a gold star. His students must feel the same way when they scored well on a paper or exam. She wondered if some had crushes on the handsome professor. None of her instructors at the community college had caught her eye, but she’d also been working two jobs so didn’t have much time for romance.
She placed the box on a trivet. “I just need to get plates.”
