manliness?”
She laughed. “Not at all.” She scooted over on the couch, making room for him. “So, I noticed the table over there.” She gestured to the reading nook. “Do you play?”
“Yeah. As often as I can.”
“Chess. Wow. I hadn’t guessed that.”
“Checkers.”
“What?”
He grinned. “I use the table to play checkers.”
“Checkers.” She drew the word out, testing its sound before laughing. “Seriously?” He nodded, then took a huge bite of meat. “Unbelievable. Well, it fits more with your manly outdoorsiness.”
“Hey.” He pretended offense. “Checkers involves quite a bit of finesse I’ll have you know.”
“Right.”
“Want to play a round or two instead of the movie?”
He looked so hopeful, she could only chuckle her agreement. “Why not? But I warn you, I haven’t played since I was a kid.”
“That’s okay. The rules haven’t changed. Move diagonally, hopping over your opponent’s pieces to capture them. You can only move forward until you hit the opposite side of the board and get kinged.” He threw her a lopsided grin that had her feeling as if she were seeing a glimpse of the boy he used to be. “Or queened in your case.”
“Hey! I can be a king if I want.”
“Technically, you can’t.”
Her eyes narrowed playfully. “This is the day and age where women can be anything they want.” She laughed, unable to keep up the pretense. “It doesn’t matter in any case. I would much prefer to be a queen. Queen Elizabeth the First was amazing.”
“Touc hé . Red or black?”
“Red.”
He moved the table over to the couch, setting the pieces up with relish. She sat back against the cushions, enjoying a bite of rosemary flavored potato. She liked him like this. Carefree. Happy. She felt relaxed around him, enjoyed having her guard down.
She could be herself around him and he accepted that. Accepted her. It wasn’t often that she was fully at ease with others. Her grandmother and James had been the only two in her life whom she felt completely comfortable with.
“Ready? You take first move.”
They were several turns in when she realized that she was going to lose. He was shrewd, calculating while playing checkers. She wouldn’t have guessed that about him.
“Hey! You cheated.”
She looked at him innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, yes, yes you do. You completely jumped a row to capture that piece.”
“I admit nothing.” She speared a carrot and pointedly chomped. “Looks like I’m catching up though.”
His eyes narrowed before he threw back his head and laughed. “Wow. You really are something.” He looked at her with admiration. “I hadn’t expected you to cheat. I guess I’ll need to keep a closer eye on you.”
The way he said it had her stomach jumping in pleasure. It was whispered in a way that tempted closeness between them, a deeper connection.
But did she want that? Could she afford to get closer to him? Did she even have a choice?
She could protect herself. Caring didn’t equal dependence. There was nothing wrong with caring.
I already do , her heart whispered.
Finished eating, they put their plates aside and continued playing. One round bled into another as they laughed at her cheating attempts and his playful indignation each time she tried.
“Do you think our grandparents were like this?” she asked as Grant set up for another round.
He paused, playing with the pieces in his hands. “I am a lot like my grandpa, and from what you’ve told me, you seem a lot like your grandma. It would make sense.”
“I wish I knew what happened.”
“Why do you think anything happened? They could have drifted apart. That happens.”
“I know. I just…”
“Feel like something happened,” he finished for her.
“Yes. Do you think we’ll ever know?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll do whatever we can to find out. I plan to keep looking through his things when I get the time.”
“I
She laughed. “Not at all.” She scooted over on the couch, making room for him. “So, I noticed the table over there.” She gestured to the reading nook. “Do you play?”
“Yeah. As often as I can.”
“Chess. Wow. I hadn’t guessed that.”
“Checkers.”
“What?”
He grinned. “I use the table to play checkers.”
“Checkers.” She drew the word out, testing its sound before laughing. “Seriously?” He nodded, then took a huge bite of meat. “Unbelievable. Well, it fits more with your manly outdoorsiness.”
“Hey.” He pretended offense. “Checkers involves quite a bit of finesse I’ll have you know.”
“Right.”
“Want to play a round or two instead of the movie?”
He looked so hopeful, she could only chuckle her agreement. “Why not? But I warn you, I haven’t played since I was a kid.”
“That’s okay. The rules haven’t changed. Move diagonally, hopping over your opponent’s pieces to capture them. You can only move forward until you hit the opposite side of the board and get kinged.” He threw her a lopsided grin that had her feeling as if she were seeing a glimpse of the boy he used to be. “Or queened in your case.”
“Hey! I can be a king if I want.”
“Technically, you can’t.”
Her eyes narrowed playfully. “This is the day and age where women can be anything they want.” She laughed, unable to keep up the pretense. “It doesn’t matter in any case. I would much prefer to be a queen. Queen Elizabeth the First was amazing.”
“Touc hé . Red or black?”
“Red.”
He moved the table over to the couch, setting the pieces up with relish. She sat back against the cushions, enjoying a bite of rosemary flavored potato. She liked him like this. Carefree. Happy. She felt relaxed around him, enjoyed having her guard down.
She could be herself around him and he accepted that. Accepted her. It wasn’t often that she was fully at ease with others. Her grandmother and James had been the only two in her life whom she felt completely comfortable with.
“Ready? You take first move.”
They were several turns in when she realized that she was going to lose. He was shrewd, calculating while playing checkers. She wouldn’t have guessed that about him.
“Hey! You cheated.”
She looked at him innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, yes, yes you do. You completely jumped a row to capture that piece.”
“I admit nothing.” She speared a carrot and pointedly chomped. “Looks like I’m catching up though.”
His eyes narrowed before he threw back his head and laughed. “Wow. You really are something.” He looked at her with admiration. “I hadn’t expected you to cheat. I guess I’ll need to keep a closer eye on you.”
The way he said it had her stomach jumping in pleasure. It was whispered in a way that tempted closeness between them, a deeper connection.
But did she want that? Could she afford to get closer to him? Did she even have a choice?
She could protect herself. Caring didn’t equal dependence. There was nothing wrong with caring.
I already do , her heart whispered.
Finished eating, they put their plates aside and continued playing. One round bled into another as they laughed at her cheating attempts and his playful indignation each time she tried.
“Do you think our grandparents were like this?” she asked as Grant set up for another round.
He paused, playing with the pieces in his hands. “I am a lot like my grandpa, and from what you’ve told me, you seem a lot like your grandma. It would make sense.”
“I wish I knew what happened.”
“Why do you think anything happened? They could have drifted apart. That happens.”
“I know. I just…”
“Feel like something happened,” he finished for her.
“Yes. Do you think we’ll ever know?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll do whatever we can to find out. I plan to keep looking through his things when I get the time.”
“I
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