Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
T he festive decorations in Chipping Campden kept a smile on Anna’s face – and her nerves at bay – as she ambled along the main street later that day. Sadly, spotting Warren approaching his car outside the hotel wiped out her Christmas cheer.
When his gaze snagged on her, he paused with one foot in the car. “I’m not sure you could look less pleased to see me,” he said lightly.
“Sorry.” She shook her head, pulling herself together. “I was upset to see you leaving. I was hoping I might catch you.”
“Me specifically?” he asked with a grin. “Or someone to cook for you?”
“Specifically, you to cook for me.” She’d also been hoping to coax him into having a drink at the hotel bar with her after his shift, but apparently she hadn’t timed it well. “I assumed the restaurant would still be open.”
“It is, but it’s quiet, so I thought I’d head out early. Liam’s still there and will no doubt rustle you something up.”
“I didn’t think you trusted Liam to leave him in charge of the kitchen unless absolutely necessary,” she teased .
Warren rolled his eyes. “He might not be as useless as I made out. But I can’t imagine there will be much for him to do anyway.”
Anna looked at the hotel, rubbing her hands together against the cold as she contemplated whether she still wanted to hang around, or give up and go home. “Is Lewis here?”
“No. He’s still in London.”
“Ivy?”
He shook his head. “She left an hour ago.”
Disappointment tugged at Anna’s belly. “I’ll probably just find food at home then.”
“Want a lift?” he asked, tipping his head at the car.
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded her acceptance and moved to get in the passenger seat.
Once the engine was on, Anna held her hands in front of the air vent to warm her chilly fingers.
She inhaled deeply. “Why does your car heater smell so delicious?”
He chuckled as he put the car into gear. “It’s not the heating. It’s my dinner.” He indicated the back seat, and she turned to see a shopping bag. “I take dinner from the hotel sometimes so I don’t have to cook at home.”
“That smells amazing,” she said, inhaling the delicious aroma. “What is it?”
“Beef stew and dumplings.”
She groaned. “Heaven.”
He laughed properly now. “Now, you’re making me feel as though I should offer to share.”
“Oh, no,” she said automatically. “I wasn’t hinting at that.” Though maybe she should. If she wanted to spend time with him, it wouldn’t hurt to be more proactive.
“Can you stop drooling all over my car, please?”
“I’m not…” She trailed off when she caught the playful glint in his ey es. “Don’t tease me.”
He concentrated on the road for a moment. “There’s enough for two if you want to eat with me.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I can provide drinks and possibly rustle up dessert,” she offered.
He turned onto the side road. “Sounds good.”
Apparently, her timing hadn’t been bad after all. Warren had just stopped the car outside Anna’s flat when he swore under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He looked thoughtful. “I just remembered I have dinner for my neighbour too. I messaged to tell her I was bringing food, so she’ll be waiting for it.”
Anna’s smile felt insincere. “If you need to go, it’s fine…”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can grab myself a sandwich.” Swallowing her disappointment, she reached for the door handle.
“Hang on,” he blurted. “I could drop her food off and come back…”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“It’s not a problem.”
“We could also eat at your place,” she suggested. “But you’d still need to drop me home again later. Let’s just leave it, shall we?”
“You could come to my place,” he said slowly.
Her lips stretched into a full smile. “That was an extremely half-hearted invitation.”
“I was just trying to think what state I left it in this morning.”
“I’ve never been to your place,” she said. She also couldn’t recall Lewis ever mentioning hanging out there. “Has Lewis ever been?”
“No. ”
“He’s your best friend, and he’s never been to your home?”
He pursed his lips. “We tend to hang out at the hotel. Maybe the pub if we’re feeling adventurous.”
“I’d actually like to come to your place. I’m intrigued now.”
“It’s nothing impressive.”
“I want to see,” she said.
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Okay.”
Once they were on their way again, Anna took in the serious set of his features and could have sworn he was nervous. Which only made her more curious.
“Do you often take dinner for your neighbour?” she asked eventually.
“A couple of times a week.” His eyes snapped to her. “Lewis knows about it. He said it was fine.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you were stealing or anything. I only wondered.”
“She lives on her own. I know how annoying it is to cook for one person, so I bring her food sometimes. She cooks for me on Mondays when it’s my day off.”
“Every Monday?”
“Yeah.”
“So you eat together as well as bringing her food?”
“Most of the time. I can just drop it off today, though. She won’t care.”
Anna smiled weakly, surprised once again at how little she knew about him. And by how much she disliked the thought of him regularly sharing meals with his single female neighbour.