Capri spewed out her coffee in shock, then quickly grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her shirt. “What? He kissed you?” She gave her friend an elbow jab. “You slut—giving yourself to a man on the first date.”
Reva rolled her eyes a second time. “It was a kiss, Capri.”
Capri’s hand went to her chest. “What did you do?”
She watched the steam rise from her mug. “I did what any woman would do in the situation—I kissed him back.”
It was too much. Capri pivoted and set her mug down. “I can’t believe it.”
Reva enjoyed her friend’s reaction. “I know! I was as surprised as you are. One minute we were talking about past loves?—”
Capri stared. “As one does.”
“Exactly,” Reva said. “And the next, he just leaned in and…kissed me. It was like the world stopped, except for the birds singing.
Capri sighed. “Just like in a Disney movie.” She paused. “Did fireworks go off?”
Reva sipped her coffee. “The kiss was truly amazing. No fireworks. Though, I did hear a crow cawing off in the far distance. That counts, right?”
Capri lifted her mug, and they clinked cups. “Of course, it counts.”
28
When Reva showed up at Kellen’s front door, he was wearing jeans and a white button-down shirt, along with dark brown leather boots like some she’d seen in an L.L. Bean catalog. She leaned in to greet him with a hug and noticed he was also wearing cologne—a smell of cedarwood and clary sage similar to what her dad used to wear on special occasions.
“You look great,” he said, motioning her inside.
When she’d dressed earlier, she’d rifled through her closet and finally settled on a pair of black slacks with an off-the-shoulder cashmere sweater and drop earrings to match. A little sexy but not too forward. She had spent additional time applying her makeup. And she, too, had spritzed on a favorite scent—one with the delicate smell of magnolia. Her mother often recited her cherished quote from Coco Chanel: “Wear perfume whenever you wish to be kissed.”
On the way out the door, she’d caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked good. And was glad to hear Kellen thought so, too.
“Thank you for letting me bring Lucan,” she said, leading the toddler inside.
Kellen smiled. “I plan to spend a lot of time with you, Reva. Time I know you won’t want to neglect spending with this little guy.” He beamed down at the toddler who was fascinated with the dog heading their way.
Kellen bent down. “This is Max. Do you want to pet him?”
Lucan looked up at Reva as if to ask if he had permission. She nodded. “His fur is soft. Feel it, baby.”
Lucan did as Reva instructed and reached his dimpled hand into Max’s gorgeous coat. Delighted, Lucan then plunged his wide-eyed face against the dog’s coat and let out a happy giggle. “Dog. Dog,” he said.
Max emitted a joyful bark and wagged his tail.
Kellen’s face broke into a wide grin. “Looks like those two are going to get along just fine.”
He led them into the kitchen and motioned for her to take a seat at the counter where he put a drink in front of her. “That’s cucumber mint lemonade,” he said, pouring himself a glass.
Reva took a sip. “Oh, wow. That’s really good.”
Her compliment seemed to please him. “I hope you like beef stroganoff. It’s one of my signature dishes.”
She lifted her nose into the air. “Smells delicious.”
“Yeah, and I figured the kid would like the noodles better than my beef Wellington.”
Reva looked at him over the top of her glass. “So, you cook?”
He nodded. “I do. And from what I hear, like me, you love good food.”
