LITMIR.BIZ

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then Tuesday happened upon a storefront on Oak that she’d decided to run a business from and share half of Natalie’s house. Hood River had been a new start for both women.

      “All this time I’ve lived here, and I never bumped into him or caught sight of him. I guess I had just hoped our paths wouldn’t cross.”

      Tuesday made a dismissive sound. “Well, they have, and he’s clearly looking for a taste. I’m gonna guess he’ll eventually give up if you keep ignoring him. But what I’m saying is, why not see what he’s got to offer?”

      Natalie wasn’t ready to admit out loud that maybe she was curious.

      “Hand me the potatoes, and let’s change the subject please.”

      Tuesday rolled her eyes but passed the bowl. “You did a pretty good job with these, by the way.”

      Natalie’s cooking was an utter disaster, but over the years since she and Tuesday had roomed together in college, Natalie had developed a few not-awful dishes. Mainly easy stuff like sandwiches and soup, but she’d been working on mashed potatoes for a year or so, and she’d gotten to the point where nothing caught fire, and they actually tasted good.

      “Now I can make canned soup, ham sandwiches and mashed potatoes. Maybe that’s what Paddy is after. He’s been waiting for a woman to make him mashed potatoes his whole life.”

      They both cracked up.

      “At least between the two of you, you have enough money to get takeout every night. Or maybe he can cook. That would be a bonus to the good looks and success stuff.”

      “He’s probably spoiled. He lives up there on the ranch with his family. Maybe his mother cooks for him or something.”

      “Maybe. But somehow I doubt it. But you won’t know unless you let him in.”

      “I don’t need to know to mock him, duh. Just let me have my fun imagining him eating overcooked Hot Pockets or clinging to his mom’s apron strings.”

      * * *

      “SO HERE’S THE THING,” Paddy said as he sidled up to Natalie the next morning at the coffee shop. “I dig that you don’t have to be at work until nine.”

      “Why?” She handed some money to Bobbi, who took in the daily Paddy show with apparent glee. “So you don’t have to get up so early to come down here and pester me?”

      He laughed at that. “I’ll have you know I’ve been up since six-thirty when I helped my oldest brother deal with a fence problem. Have you ever dug a post hole? It totally sucks. Ezra is sort of insane because he seems to actually like it.”

      Natalie moved to grab some honey for her latte, but he kept talking. “It’s good because I can get my work done and come down here in time for you to actually have breakfast with me sometime.”

      “See you tomorrow, Bobbi.” Natalie waved and started for the door, which Paddy now held open for her.

      “I don’t like getting up early. Also, I don’t eat breakfast very often.”

      He took up beside her, and she didn’t stop him. “You have a muffin in that bag.”

      “That’s not breakfast. Bacon and eggs with toast and maybe hash browns, that’s breakfast.”

      “You’re serious about breakfast.”

      “Not really. If I was, that’s what I’d be eating. Mainly I have doughnuts or muffins or a toaster-pastry thing.”

      He wrinkled his nose. “Really? Those are like cardboard. Also, you don’t look like you eat doughnuts all the time.”

      “I’m serious about doughnuts. But my favorite kind I have to go to Portland for. Which is why I don’t eat them all the time. And my housemate is sporty. She drags me to hike and bike and windsurf. It’s gross, but it enables me to keep my doughnut habit.”

      “You cut your hair. It was long before.”

      “You’re good at the non sequiturs.”

      He snorted. “I’m not sure when you’re going to run off, so I’m trying to get in as much chitchat as I can before that happens.”

      She stopped, turning toward him. “Why are you so persistent? I’m not even that nice to you!” It was hard for her not to be friendly to him. She liked him, for heaven’s sake.

      “You don’t want me for my status.”

      She shook her head, trying to understand. “Status?”

      “The celebrity thing.”

      She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t have any status when I met you.”

      He grinned. “Nope. Just a shitty van that broke down a lot and some instruments my brothers and I played.”

      She paused for long moments and then started walking again. “I cut my hair years ago. Tuesday, that’s my housemate, she went through a phase when she wanted to be a hairdresser. It lasted half a quarter. But she cut my hair, and I liked it short. Plus, I look great in hats, and short hair works that way.”

      “Did that hurt? You sharing that little fact with me?” He winked, and it was cute, and she ruthlessly tried not to show how amused she was but probably failed.

      “So you two have been roommates since college?”

      “No. We shared an apartment in college, and then she got married and I went to grad school. But three years ago, she came to visit and wanted to set up a business here, so I offered her a place to live for a while. She never moved out. Which is good because I can’t cook, and she does and thinks it’s fun.”

      “Like hiking?”

      Natalie curled her lip. “Yes. Ugh.”

      “No husband?”

      “I would not be allowing you to walk me to my job if I had a husband, Patrick Hurley.”

      Paddy’s laugh made her tingle a little. It was a bawdy laugh. “You said that like you were going to paddle me or slap my hand with a ruler. You should know that’ll only encourage me.”

      She pressed her lips together and then gave up, laughing.

      He kept pace, but she noted his smile from the corner of her eye. “I meant your friend.”

      Duh. Of course he did. “She’s a widow.”

      “Oh, damn. That sucks. I’m sorry.”

      “Yeah.” They approached the library, and she handed him her coffee. “Hold that, please.” She rustled through her bag until she found her keys. “Thanks.” She took the coffee back and tucked the pastry bag into her purse.

      * * *

      PADDY REALLY DIDN’T want that moment between them to end, but he’d enjoyed a victory nonetheless, so he’d take that small step forward and get more next time. “Wow, I feel like we’ve turned a corner here, Natalie.” He bowed. “Thank you for letting me walk you to work.”

      She appeared to be looking for something to say, and he didn’t want her to say something about him not doing it again.

      “Will you let me take you to dinner?”

      She sighed, but it was a sigh of longing, so he pushed ahead.

      “I mean, I was aiming for breakfast since it’s the least datelike of the meals—unless you slept over, of course—and if that happens, I’ll make you bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast. Maybe even biscuits. But since we’re not at that stage yet, and you don’t eat breakfast, dinner is a good alternative.”

      “Not lunch?”

      Was she teasing him? That was a good sign. “I’ll take what I can get. But usually during the days when I’m here in Hood River, I’m working. Either on music or on the ranch. Summer

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