“Oh … okay. Just give me a second to put my shoe on.”

Matthew raised an eyebrow when she closed the door. What the fuck? Does she think I’m going to jump her if she lets me inside?

Moving off the steps, he waited for her to come out.

She’s just nervous, like I am, he thought to himself, giving her a reassuring smile when she came out.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, I had trouble sleeping. I kept hearing things moving around outside. I live in a high rise, so being out here in the wilderness will take some getting used to.”

She considers this the wilderness? Maybe it was, and he was so used to it that he was wrong.

“You’re good. We can get started at Silas’ home, and I can show you the chores there then move along to the rest of the places.”

“Okay.”

“I brought you some coffee.” He started to hand her the thermos.

“No, thank you. I don’t drink coffee.”

Since when?

Alanna reached out to take it from him. “I can carry it, though.”

“I can.”

So, she quit drinking coffee. He mentally shrugged. Why did he care? Because he had counted on knowing every one of her likes and dislikes to further getting her comfortable with him. He had waited so long for her. He had hoped being familiar with things she liked would be sort of a shortcut for him.

Silas had done him a favor by stopping him from walking her home. He could have fucked himself over by saying the wrong thing.

Seeking to put her at ease, he started talking. “The sounds you heard were probably raccoons or possums. They come out at night. Don’t worry; they are more afraid of you than you will be of them. Just bang a pot, and they take off.”

“Can they get inside the trailer?”

“No,” he assured her, seeing the worry in her gaze.

Reaching Silas’ house, he held the door open for her. Seeing her hesitation, he stepped back from the door so she wouldn’t have to brush past him. The woman was more skittish than a cat around a pack of dogs.

Going inside, he directed her to the kitchen, letting her go first, keeping a couple of steps behind her.

“Your sister cooked the huge meal we ate yesterday in this kitchen?”

Matthew frowned at her shocked expression. “Yes. Why?”

“Nothing. It’s just smaller than I expected,” she said, looking around the kitchen.

“Silas has been wanting to redo it, but he decided to wait and let who he marries do it the way she wants.”

Alanna gave him amused smile. “He’s dating someone?”

Does she think I was lying yesterday?

“No.”

“He’s waiting for his soul mate, too?”

Matthew could tell she didn’t believe him for a hot second.