“You look great,” he said, taking my hand across the console of his car.
“Thank you. You look great yourself.”
He chuckled. “Better than my usual paint-splattered work outfit, I bet.”
I squeezed his hand. “I like you in that outfit. So, how are the new recipes coming along?”
On the way to the restaurant, we talked about new things he’d discovered and others he wanted to try. Ube and coconut sorbet. Yuzu cheesecake ice cream. He spoke of flavors from all over the world.
“Have you ever thought of traveling? To find new flavors?”
He parked the car and shrugged. “I’ve never thought about it. I had two big dreams, and they’ve both come true since moving here. Didn’t think too much in advance after that.”
Auburn asked me to stay put, and he came over to open the door for me. He was the sweetest man on the planet and as Iwatched him walk in front of me, I would ask him to take me home with him.
He was my mate and my alpha. There was no more doubt about that. But sometimes, he was so shy and almost unsure of himself. I knew I would have to be the one to suggest it.
We were seated at a cozy table near the fireplace. The spring nights still had a bit of a chill at night, and the warmth coming from the fire was perfect.
“This place is fantastic.”
I picked up the menu after we ordered drinks and realized what I already suspected to be true, given the fancy place and the tablecloths, plus the ambience.
This place was expensive.
“I can see what you’re thinking,” Auburn said. I looked over the top of the menu to see him. The light of the fire danced in his eyes as he smiled at me.
“Is that right? What am I thinking?”
“I can afford this. I’m careful with my money, and I spend less than I thought on a lot of things. I’ve got plenty to pay for a date with my mate. More than plenty.”
I sighed. “That’s not fair. I can’t tell what you’re thinking at all.”
He chuckled and rubbed his foot against mine under the table. “I’m sure you have ideas, Oakley. I’m not that hard to read.”
We ordered our food. There were other couples having dinner around us. The waiter lit the candle at the center of the table and brought us the most fantastic rolls.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “You mentioned two dreams. You came here, and two dreams came true. What were your two dreams?”
Auburn’s cheeks turned a beautiful shade of rose. “I came to Oliver Creek to open the ice-cream shop. That was my main objective. But I also had the dream of finding my mate here.”
“Are you sure?” I had to ask.
“About you?”
I nodded.
The tall, gorgeous man in front of me, extended his hands and took mine. “Oakley, I’m sure you are my fated mate. I knew it from the first day I saw you.”
“At the nursery.”
“No. Before that.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I didn’t tell you. I saw you walking down the street while I was signing the paperwork for the shop. I tried to run out and find you, but you were already gone.”
I was stunned. “I hid from you,” I said, taking his offered hands. “The first day you came into the nursery to get a plant, I hid in the office and listened to you talk to Tim.”
The alpha laughed, and so did I. “I was wondering about that. I saw you and thought buying plants would be the only way to see you. A good investment if you ask me.”
“You must have an apartment full of plants by now.”
