said you wanted to talk about the kids,” she reminded them both. “That was the whole point of this lunch. Wasn’t it?”
“Which you ate very little of,” Garrett pointed out.
“It was enormous.” She’d dutifully poked and prodded at the elaborate mound of chicken and lettuce and fifty other ingredients because Garrett expected her to, not because she’d had any real appetite. The day’s activities had taken care of that. “The children…?”
Garrett’s large hand eclipsed the delicate china coffee cup as he lowered it to the saucer. “You heard the judge,” he said as he signed the credit slip and pocketed his gold credit card. “He’s not happy at all that I’m single. That I show none of the makings of a ‘family’ man.
“My only edge over Caldwell is that I’m not old enough to be their grandfather. I’ve only been awarded temporary custody. Six weeks to prove—or disprove, as Caldwell over there obviously hopes—my suitability as a guardian.”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.”
His lips twisted. “So you think I’m a bad bet, too.”
“I didn’t say that. Garrett, honestly, I don’t think that at all.” Stunned, she sat forward, pressing her hand over his. “Do you?”
He was looking at her hand on his. Which made her look at her hand on his. Swallowing, she sat back in her chair, pressing both her hands against the twisted cloth in her lap. “Do you?” she asked again.
“I didn’t plan to be in Fisher Falls that long,” he said instead of answering.
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure where the flood of disappointment came from, but she knew she didn’t like it. “I didn’t realize. I, um, I thought you’d moved here. You know, permanently. To run that construction company.”
“I own that construction company. And I’m only here to get things up and running. Once that’s underway, I’m gone, leaving one extremely competent team behind.”
“Own?” She blinked. “Well. Don’t I feel the fool.”
“Why?”
“Ah…because. I didn’t know.”
“We could feast on all the information we don’t know about each other.” He stood. “I asked the hostess to call us a taxi. I imagine it’s here by now. You ready?”
Her stomach clutched a little. She dropped her napkin on the table and rose. He took her elbow, and she started.
“I thought you’d relaxed over the lunch you didn’t eat.” He guided her through the dining room toward the entrance.
It was only because she was no longer accustomed to a man escorting her around, she told herself. Not because it was Garrett’s hand on her arm. “I did relax. And I did eat. I just didn’t eat as much as you.”
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