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waistline, and when she walked she did it with her head held high. Her hair…he found himself noticing how different it was from Jill’s: longer, redder, and thicker.
    A portly man at the door smiled brightly at Chris. “Hey, how are you? Where’s your brother?” The man was Italian, gray haired, probably in his sixties. He glanced up at Jake curiously with a flash of something mischievous in his eyes.
    “Not sure,” Chris said. “This is Jake Wilde, the new wide receiver for the Cardinals, showed up just in time for the end of the season. We’re here for a late lunch if you’re still serving?”
    Jake wondered as he took in the empty restaurant. It was small with maybe twenty tables. And not a soul in sight.
    “Of course, for you. Come on, I have a nice table by the window, and I think there’s still some of Rosa’s special grilled halibut with linguine.” He guided them over to a table by the window and put a menu in front of them. “Can I get you something to drink to start, a glass of vino or beer?”
    “Diet coke for me,” Chris said as she glanced up from her menu.
    “Water, please,” Jake said, although he would’ve preferred a beer.
    Chris was staring at her menu when the man left them.
    “Nice place. The food good?” Jake asked, but if the spicy aroma wafting from the kitchen was anything to go by, the food was going to be mouthwatering.
    “The best—and I’m not kidding about that. I’m a foodie and have always said there’s too many really good restaurants out there to waste your time on the ones that are just average, you know?” She shut her menu and rested her hands on the table. He hadn’t even had a chance to look at the menu when the waiter returned with their drinks.
    “Are you ready?” he asked.
    “Jake?” Chris prompted him. “I know what I want.”
    “What are you having?”
    “Caesar salad.” She glanced up at the waiter, who frowned down at her much like a father would.
    He tsked. “Your brother would make you order more than that. How about some meatballs?”
    “Order her the meatballs, too, and I’ll have the special,” Jake said. “The halibut’s good?”
    The waiter kissed his own fingers in reply. “You’ll love it.” He scooped up the menus and left.
    When Jake glanced across the table, he realized Chris was frowning up at him. “Everything okay?”
    “Why did you order meatballs for me? All I wanted was a salad. You’re just like Myles, thinking you know what’s best for me.” She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
    “Well, you don’t have to eat it all. I’ll finish it for you. Besides, you can’t just live on lettuce.”
    “I also can’t eat like a football player or I’ll be two hundred pounds.”
    He couldn’t help smiling at her comeback. He realized she’d probably never let herself go, not that he knew much about her. “Got me there. So, Chris, what do you do for fun?”
    She stretched out her foot and bumped his leg. “Sorry.” She pulled her foot back, but he didn’t mind in the least.
    “Yeah, I’m a big guy, take up my share of space and then some.”
    She had a lovely smile that showed off straight white teeth. He hadn’t noticed before, but she had a mole on the side of her lip that he found extremely attractive. Her face wasn’t painted up with all that goop many women plastered on their faces. She looked clean and wholesome. Her eyes were like nothing he’d ever seen before. The blue…he’d swear a man could get lost in it. She cleared her throat, but he didn’t look away. He was staring, but he liked what he was looking at.
    “Movies, old ones,” she said.
    “Pardon?”
    “You asked what I do for fun. I like old movies, the classics, Jimmy Stewart, Rock Hudson, John Wayne.”
    Well, that he didn’t expect. “Seriously, no bars, clubs, dancing, biking?”
    “Not much into the party scene. Would rather rent one of those old movies and sit and watch with a tub of popcorn. That’s a night of fun