Hours We Keep

She'll cook for a chef. She won't do his books.At forty-eight, bookkeeper Ruth Keene has work she values, friends who get her dry humor, and evenings that belong to her. She likes the life she's made. Then an off-duty chef at Friday supper catches her board-game joke—and asks her to breakfast.Owen Price likes the small smile that warns him Ruth is about to win. She likes his attentive warmth and the way he looks at her across a table. Soon they're trading film opinions over noodles, lingering over kisses, and discovering the pleasure of having another date to anticipate. When Ruth cooks, Owen is delighted to be the one getting fed.They've each chosen a lifelong child-free future. Now they want to find room for each other.But Owen hopes expanding his restaurant will eventually give him more freedom. Ruth wants the afternoons they've already planned. As work crowds out their dates, he keeps promising more time—and she starts asking for proof.Neither wants love to become another obligation. Can they make a lasting place for each other while keeping their independence—and being honest about the hours they can give?