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supper, I plan on cooking grill cheese and soup. But I don't want you to think you are obligated to stay to put wood on the fire."
    He didn't answer right away and she could tell he was in deep thought. Maybe he didn't like soup or grill cheese, or maybe she overstepped her boundaries.
    After a long thirty seconds h e finally spoke. "I feel bad that you fixed lunch and now your offering me supper, and I know you wanted to get away to be alone."
    Maybe he didn't want to stay and he didn't know how to tell her . Panic knotted up in her throat and her body stiffened. Rarely did she make such offer's especially to a man she hardly knew. She glanced up to meet his eyes and he looked like he was trying to think of the right words to say. She decided if he wants to stay, she offered, if he doesn't want to stay he could move on…um…no big deal.
    He turned away from her and picked up his tools.
    Her emotions felt vulnerable because s he just made a fool out of herself. She fought back the tears and turned away from him. Her weak legs would n't allow her to move. She grabbed hold of the edge of the countertop. She was hurt and mad at herself because she totally misjudged him.
    He walked out the door.
    She felt bewildered and foolish.
    With in a few seconds, he walked back in and walked over to the TV cabinet in the living room and pulled out the game Scrabble. He then spun on his heels and said. "I'll stay if you play me a game of Scrabble, maybe two or three, but I forewarn you I am the best in Massachusetts."
    Sudden relief inundated her and she reciprocated his enthusiasm by throwing her hands on her hips and said. "Well I'm the best in Tennessee, so t his could be a long and challenging game."
    A great big beautiful bright smile crossed his face as he set up the game.
    She went to the kitchen to start supper. With in a few minutes, he joined her and started helping. They chattered up a storm. She never dreamed in a million years she could talk so freely about nothing and everything with a virtual stranger.
    They took their time as they cleaned the kitchen and Lana relished every minute. While she did the dishes he walked past her every chance he got. There was n't much room between the bar and sink and she noticed he took the long way around to the refrigerator. He did t his so he would have to squeeze by her . She also noticed he put everything away, one item at a time.
    Finally Mike laid down the kitchen towel, put his arm around her waist and asked. "Are you ready to lose?"
    "You sound confident," she coyly answered. But her heart fluttered and her mind dwelled on how nice and inviting his arm felt around her waist. Every touch sent shivers throughout her body. And with each passing minute it seemed to intensify. If he stayed very long t his evening, she didn't know how her heart would make it.
    After he finished putting a few more logs on the fire, he sat on the couch. She sat on the floor acros s from him, near the fire. The S crabble game was in the middle on the coffee table. They drew their tile letters and Mike said. "Ladies first," he said with a grin. He looked squarely into her eyes and that showed he permeated confidence.
    She panicked. "No, I insist you go first." If the truth be told, she didn't have the best letters and sh e hoped she could play on his . Plus she needed more time to think.
    "If you insist," he said and with out delay he played the word nastier up and down on the board . She couldn't believe it. The first word and he played all seven tiles.
    Her stress level shot out the roof. She could already tell t his game was probably the most challenging scrabble game she ever played. No one ever played all seven letters the first play. She looked at her tiles, and she arrange d them, then rearrange them, and then came her eureka moment. She played diamond of the 'I' in nastier. She looked over at him and he stared right at her , grinning. "Take that Mike."
    He was n't going to be outdone, not Mike. He pulled