medical equipment manufactures. I’m guessing those people really do read the whole manual.”
He leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “You do realize that no man is going to read the manual.”
She laughed. “I’m very aware of your gender’s many flaws.”
“Hey, that’s not a flaw. We’re born with intuitive knowledge.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?”
Their server returned with their drinks and the small plate of bruschetta they’d ordered.
“What’s the part you like least?” Steven asked.
“I’m by myself all the time. I didn’t realize how much I would miss people, but I do. I want to wander down the hall and talk to a coworker. When I was a teacher, I felt like all I did was talk to people, but now, there’s no one.” She sipped her drink. “Mason can be very charming, but he’s not much of a conversationalist.”
“I got that vibe from him. He’s the strong, silent type of cat.”
She smiled. “He’ll appreciate that you got that.”
“Any regrets on leaving teaching?”
She had plenty of regrets but they were mostly about Chad. “There are things I miss, but I’m not sure I want to go back. I like my job—I just wish it were different.” She looked at him. “What about you? Do you like what you do? You’re in the family business, so I’m not sure you could leave, but still.”
“I’d always known I was the heir apparent and I was okay with that. I just didn’t expect to have to take over so soon.”
Right. Because his dad had died. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. I miss Dad every day. He was a great guy. For a while I wasn’t sure I could do it—run the company like he did. Then I figured out I wasn’t supposed to. That I had to run it like me. Either we made it or we didn’t.”
“You made it.”
His dark gaze settled on her face. “You can’t know that.”
“I kind of can.” She held up one finger. “Jen would have mentioned if you were destroying the company.” A second finger went up. “You don’t strike me as the kind of man who would let himself fail. Not with something so important. It’s more than your family’s business. The company has what—a couple dozen employees? You certainly weren’t going to put all those people out of work.”
He looked both proud and a tiny bit uncomfortable. “Yeah, well, things are moving in the right direction.”
“Your dad would be proud of you.”
“That’s what my mom tells me.” His expression turned serious. “When he died, it was a shock for all of us. I wasn’t surprised by that, but I didn’t expect his passing to change me as much as it did. I guess I’d taken him for granted.”
“It’s a kid thing,” she pointed out. “We assume they’re always going to be there for us.”
He nodded. “When I was little, I was happy that my parents were so connected. They were a unit. There was no playing one against the other. As a teenager, I was embarrassed by how close they were. It wasn’t cool. But later, it was the best. How they loved each other. Jen, Brandon and I worried that Mom wouldn’t be able to go on, but she’s pulled it all together.”
“She has. Pam is amazing.”
“If I agree, you have to promise not to tell her.”
Zoe laughed. “Because she can’t have too much power?”
“You know it.”
“I will keep your secret, but you owe me.”
“Will fixing the stairs make us even?”
“It will.” She lightly touched his arm. “I really appreciate you helping out with that. I have to tell you, when I got locked in the attic, I totally freaked out.”
“Sure. Who wouldn’t?”
He was nice, she thought happily. Honorable. When his family had needed him, he’d stepped up—even though he’d been suffering himself.
“Handyman skills and you like cats,” she said, her voice teasing. “Why isn’t there a Mrs. Steven Eiland waiting for you somewhere?”
He sipped his drink. “Charming answer or real answer?”
“Real answer.”
“I was pretty popular in high school and college.”
“Ah. Why have one when you can have them all?”
“Pretty much. It got to the point where Mom wouldn’t let me bring a girl home. She didn’t want to start to like her only to have us break up in a week or two.”
“You lasted a week? That is so impressive.”
“You’re mocking me. Here I am, baring my soul, and you’re making fun of me.”
“I am.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Deal with it.”
He chuckled. “My folks kept bugging me to settle down. Or at least go out with someone for a month, but I never saw the point. Then my dad died and everything changed. At first I didn’t have time to date the way I had, but when things calmed down at work, I found I didn’t want to. I want what my parents had. The kind of love that lasts.”
He looked at his mostly untouched drink. “Sorry about that emotional dump. I want to blame the vodka, but I haven’t had enough. Either you’re really easy to talk to or I’m turning into a woman.”
“Do I get to pick?”
“Sure.”
“You’re not turning into a woman.”
“I’m glad,” he told her.
“Me, too.”
For a second they simply stared at each other. Zoe found herself wanting to scoot her chair closer to his. She certainly wanted to keep talking to him. He was nice, kind, funny and he had a heart. Oh, yeah, there was the really sexy thing, too. Talk about the perfect guy. Was it possible her luck had changed?
“I’m having a—”
“Would you like to—”
They spoke at the same time. “You go,” Steven said.
“I’m having a barbecue this Sunday. A few friends, nothing too formal. Want to come?”
“I would.” He smiled. “I was going to ask if you wanted to stretch drinks into dinner.”
She smiled back. “I would.”
They
