"Since I know you shouldn't?" he teased. "I could lie and say your skill in the kitchen will come back," he half-offered out of the side of his mouth.

"I just picked them up. Benefits of small town life." He leaned in. "Even smaller than a certain town you can't remember." Leaning close, like this, reminded what it should be like. "How lucky am I that of the things you remember, I made it up there." He hand came up, fingers lightly touching her forehead, moving into her hair, thumb grazing near her ear. He moved from leaning down, to leaning in, bringing his lips close to hers. "To answer your question from before," he said quietly. "Not long."