“Not at all.” If anything, the defensive admission only endeared him to her. Clark prowled around Miller’s Point with all of the arrogant attitude of a demigod. Liking cookies made him more human in her eyes. She tried to imagine Clark sitting on a beat-up couch somewhere eating a plate full of cookies for Santa. The picture never came into focus. “It’s just surprising, I guess.”

“Why?”

“You don’t like anything other people like. I just assumed you usually eat nothing but plain yogurt and protein bars. And water.”

Given that he didn’t know she’d been accidentally spying on him, she couldn’t tell him she’d seen him order a plate of pancakes and bacon at Mel’s, so she stuck with gentle teasing instead. As someone who ate almost every breakfast at a greasy diner in the town square, Kate couldn’t think of anything more disgusting than plain yogurt and protein bars. She preferred her pancakes like Emily preferred her men: rich and sweet.

“There’s nothing wrong with plain yogurt,” was his weak defense.

“Yeah, if you enjoy things that don’t taste good.”

Clark reached for the cookies, stopping himself short in a “where are my manners” way.

“May I?”

“No, I’m sorry. They’re all for me.”

“You’re gonna eat all…” Sweeping the cooling rack with his eyes, Clark gave a quick whispered count under his breath. “All twenty-four of these?”

“I’m hungry.”

“Seriously?”

“No, not seriously,” she huffed. “Eat as many as you want. Are you sure you want to though? I wouldn’t want you to spoil your precious diet.”

A diet program never came up in their conversations. It didn’t have to. Despite those pancakes at the diner—which could have been explained away by a cheat day or the fact that Mel didn’t serve healthy food—Clark was the kind of man whose tight belts screamed, “I had exactly 1.1 ounces of cashew nuts today as a snack. That’s exactly 143 calories and lots of good fats to fuel my crossfit workout later this afternoon.” The tips of his ears went red and he reached for the cookies anyway, taking one into each hand. Kate followed his lead.

“It’s a holiday, right? I can afford the calories.”

“Then you admit it. A holiday is happening.”

“Just because I don’t celebrate it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Besides…” They shared a meaningful look. What kind of meaning, Kate wasn’t sure. But it meant something. Her insides churned. “I promised someone I’d give it the old college try.”

On the surface, she liked the sound of that. He’d come down here not to fight with her or start another argument, but because he wanted to honor his promise to her. His absence until now stuck in her craw.

“Then why were you hiding?”

“I wasn’t hiding,” he retorted, mouth full of cookies.