2. Well, that was it, basically. For now. She was certain to come up with something else next time.

He stroked his beard and looked away, shuffling from foot to foot. He felt the weirdness between them, too, she was pretty sure. “I didn’t realize you were doing any work in the kitchen.”

“I wasn’t going to since it’s not a public part of the inn, but the tiler I got for the bathroom had this extra backsplash tile he wanted to get rid of, so he made me a great deal.”

Was it her imagination or was Sawyer suddenly trying to suppress a smile? “What’s with all the pies?”

“Pearl. She’s bent on developing a signature pie for the inn. I keep telling her there’s no point. I’m not going to be here once it reopens.”

“Right. You’ll be back in Toronto. Doing collections development.”

She wasn’t sure if he was asking a question or making a statement. She decided to treat it like a question and answer it, even if only for herself. “Yes. I will be back in Toronto.” She pointed to the calendar she’d bought the day she’d accepted she was staying. It was now mounted on the wall by the door, and she’d kept crossing off the days.

He looked at it for a long time before transferring his attention back to her. “You like Toronto? I mean, besides your job.”

Did she? She didn’t not-like it.

Kind of like she and Sawyer were not not-friends?

“I’ve been trying to get my landlord to let me set up a Little Free Library in the lobby of my apartment building.” Which, she was aware, went exactly zero percent of the way toward answering his question. “Do you know what those are?”

“Those little boxes where people leave and take books, right?” She nodded. “Yeah, there’s one near my house.”

“But none here downtown.”

“I guess not.”

“I think some Little Free Libraries are exactly what this town needs. I mean, I don’t think Main Street, with its cascades of moonflowers and its charming little stores, is cute enough.”

She had been trying to lighten the mood, but he squinted and examined her face so intensely that it started to heat up.

Gah. She had to get him out of here. “So you want to escape out the front door?”

He shook his head like he was trying to rouse himself from a trance. “Good thinking.”