Pavlovian blonde?”
His jaw tightened. “I’m really sorry about saying that. It was rude and uncalled for.”
“I thought it was pretty funny.” She leaned her hip against the breakfast bar. “ In my sorority, we’d have called you a FE-PWAPP.”
He seemed to relax a little. “You do know I’ll have to bite on that.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“What’s a fee-pwap?”
“It’s an acronym. Stands for Four-Eyes, Probably-Wears-a-Pocket-Protector.”
“I don’t wear a pocket protector.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not blonde.”
His eyes softened to smoke. “I guess we could call it even.”
“You feed me a burger, you can call me anything you want.”
Something smoldered in the depths of his eyes. Before she could identify it, he lifted the tray of patties in one hand. “Coming right up.”
She took the stack of cheese and followed him outside under the patio awning.
There, he flipped open the lid on the gas barbecue. Smoke wafted up as he brushed off the grates. Then he laid out a row of four patties and adjusted the temperature.
“I’ve been invited to a high school reunion,” he unexpectedly told her.
It took Amelia a moment to put his words in context. “That was your mom’s phone call.”
“That’s what it was.”
“Well, that’s good news. Ten years?”
“Ten years.”
“When is it? Where is it?”
He pulled down the heavy lid and set the cheese slices on the side shelf next to the barbecue utensils. “Pine Valley Collegiate, Sacramento, California.”
“That’s doable. When? I assume it’s on a weekend?”
“ It’s on a weekend. Three weeks from now.” He reached over-top of her and pushed the door open.
“So, what’s the problem?” she asked as they moved inside . She tried to figure out how a reunion invitation could possibly have sparked tension between him and his mother, whom he obviously adored.
“No problem.”
“Good.” Though the answer didn’t explain why he’d been upset.
She took up the same spot on the sofa. “You’re going to impress the heck out of your old friends.”
He took a drink of his merlot. “What makes you say that?”
“ For starters, you’re a rocket scientist.”
He choked on a laugh. “Nobody calls themselves a rocket scientist.”
“But you really are a rocket scientist.” When Eddie had asked today, Morgan had told them he was a researcher in the aerospace department at Caltech. His job sounded very impressive.
“ It’s still a bloody pompous thing to say.”
“ You don’t have to be quite that blunt. But they’ve got to be impressed by what you’ve accomplished.”
He gave her a look that questioned her intelligence. “ Impressed? It’s high school, Amelia.”
“ It’s real life now, Morgan. High school was ten years ago.”
“I don’t think they’ll be remotely impressed.”
“Well , I do. We should make a bet. If they’re impressed, you cook me another dinner. If they’re not, I’ll bake you a batch of my famous button cookies.” She raised her wineglass in a mock salute. “I trust you to be honest about what happens.”
“That’s very magnanimous of you.”
“You will let me know how it goes? ” she asked.
“ No problem.”
She smiled , her gaze going past him. “There’s a lot of smoke coming from that barbecue.”
“Damn.” Morgan jumped to his feet.
He rescued the patties just in time, and they laughed their way through building their burgers. Since the table was cluttered with work, they perched on two padded, rattan chairs at the breakfast bar. Amelia moaned in satisfaction at the first bite, then they both ate in silence for a few minutes.
“ So, this job you have,” she opened.
He nodded for her to continue.
“Was it hard to get?” She had figured out he was in a very prestigious position at a top-notch school. It made her feel slightly insecure about her own career path.
“Normally, yes. But the department head said he’d heard about me, so he called
His jaw tightened. “I’m really sorry about saying that. It was rude and uncalled for.”
“I thought it was pretty funny.” She leaned her hip against the breakfast bar. “ In my sorority, we’d have called you a FE-PWAPP.”
He seemed to relax a little. “You do know I’ll have to bite on that.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“What’s a fee-pwap?”
“It’s an acronym. Stands for Four-Eyes, Probably-Wears-a-Pocket-Protector.”
“I don’t wear a pocket protector.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not blonde.”
His eyes softened to smoke. “I guess we could call it even.”
“You feed me a burger, you can call me anything you want.”
Something smoldered in the depths of his eyes. Before she could identify it, he lifted the tray of patties in one hand. “Coming right up.”
She took the stack of cheese and followed him outside under the patio awning.
There, he flipped open the lid on the gas barbecue. Smoke wafted up as he brushed off the grates. Then he laid out a row of four patties and adjusted the temperature.
“I’ve been invited to a high school reunion,” he unexpectedly told her.
It took Amelia a moment to put his words in context. “That was your mom’s phone call.”
“That’s what it was.”
“Well, that’s good news. Ten years?”
“Ten years.”
“When is it? Where is it?”
He pulled down the heavy lid and set the cheese slices on the side shelf next to the barbecue utensils. “Pine Valley Collegiate, Sacramento, California.”
“That’s doable. When? I assume it’s on a weekend?”
“ It’s on a weekend. Three weeks from now.” He reached over-top of her and pushed the door open.
“So, what’s the problem?” she asked as they moved inside . She tried to figure out how a reunion invitation could possibly have sparked tension between him and his mother, whom he obviously adored.
“No problem.”
“Good.” Though the answer didn’t explain why he’d been upset.
She took up the same spot on the sofa. “You’re going to impress the heck out of your old friends.”
He took a drink of his merlot. “What makes you say that?”
“ For starters, you’re a rocket scientist.”
He choked on a laugh. “Nobody calls themselves a rocket scientist.”
“But you really are a rocket scientist.” When Eddie had asked today, Morgan had told them he was a researcher in the aerospace department at Caltech. His job sounded very impressive.
“ It’s still a bloody pompous thing to say.”
“ You don’t have to be quite that blunt. But they’ve got to be impressed by what you’ve accomplished.”
He gave her a look that questioned her intelligence. “ Impressed? It’s high school, Amelia.”
“ It’s real life now, Morgan. High school was ten years ago.”
“I don’t think they’ll be remotely impressed.”
“Well , I do. We should make a bet. If they’re impressed, you cook me another dinner. If they’re not, I’ll bake you a batch of my famous button cookies.” She raised her wineglass in a mock salute. “I trust you to be honest about what happens.”
“That’s very magnanimous of you.”
“You will let me know how it goes? ” she asked.
“ No problem.”
She smiled , her gaze going past him. “There’s a lot of smoke coming from that barbecue.”
“Damn.” Morgan jumped to his feet.
He rescued the patties just in time, and they laughed their way through building their burgers. Since the table was cluttered with work, they perched on two padded, rattan chairs at the breakfast bar. Amelia moaned in satisfaction at the first bite, then they both ate in silence for a few minutes.
“ So, this job you have,” she opened.
He nodded for her to continue.
“Was it hard to get?” She had figured out he was in a very prestigious position at a top-notch school. It made her feel slightly insecure about her own career path.
“Normally, yes. But the department head said he’d heard about me, so he called
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