“And before.” He leaned back in his chair, allowing the waiter to remove his empty plate and replace it with a thick slice of apple pie and a cup of steaming coffee.
Faith eyed his slice of pie and began to chew a little faster.
Reese smiled in spite of himself. “You’ll get your piece. I promise.”
Faith finished the last bit of roast beef and pushed her plate aside once again. In a matter of seconds, the waiter whisked her dinner plate away and brought her a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee. Faith tasted her dessert. It was heavenly.
Reese couldn’t keep his eyes off her face as she ate the apple pie. He sucked in his breath as she licked a speck of cinnamon-coated crust from her bottom lip.
“Aren’t you going to eat yours?” she asked
Reese looked at his own dish. He’d barely touched his pie. “Why don’t you finish it?” he suggested, replacing her empty plate with his.
He forced himself to look at other things as she finished off his pie, positive he wouldn’t be able to withstand another assault on his senses if he watched. He was damned uncomfortable as it was. He pulled his watch out of its pocket and flipped it open just to have something to do.
“What time is it?”
Reese turned his attention back to his companion. She had eaten the second slice of pie and was enjoying her cup of coffee. “Time to talk.”
“What about?”
“About the job you applied for.”
“I didn’t apply. I stood in line all day waiting to apply.” Though her words were carefully chosen, her bitter disappointment was apparent.
“There’s always tomorrow,” he reminded her.
“Not for me.”
It would be better to keep his mouth shut, Reese told himself, better for both of them if he ignored her obvious disappointment and let her go back to Richmond. He should choose someone else. Anyone else. Someone who was less innocent.
“Do you want the job?”
“Yes, very much.”
“Then tell me about yourself.”
“Why?” She knew why, but she wanted him to admit he had seen her standing in line.
“Because I’m the man doing the hiring.” Reese fixed his brown-eyed gaze upon her.
She lifted her cup of coffee and cradled it in both hands, savoring the warmth. Her left hand covered her right. Reese stared at the sight.
She wore a ring on the third finger of her left hand, a thin gold band. He noticed it immediately, a tiny slash of gold marring her pale hand. He drew his brows together in a frown as he studied it.
Faith followed his gaze to the wedding band. Hannah had cried when she took it her own finger and handed it to her. Faith hadn’t wanted to accept it, but she was supposed to be a widow. Aunt Virt’s ring was too big and Agnes couldn’t get hers off her arthritic hand.
“You’re married.”
“Widowed,” Faith murmured. Her expressive gray eyes were shadowed, unreadable. She wished she hadn’t worn the ring.
“The war?” Damn the ring. He wished she hadn’t worn it. He didn’t really want to know.
Faith nodded to keep from lying outright.
“Children?”
“There’s only Joy. She’s five,” Faith hedged.