And suddenly he couldn’t look away.He wanted—needed—to know her kiss.And if tonight went the way he’d prayed it would, then he’d finally know the feel of her lips on his again.
Their waters arrived, they perused menus, ordered drinks and meals, and chatted about inconsequential things.He wanted to know everything about her, how she’d managed to go from trailer park to Seattle General, and all she kept saying was it was all thanks to hard work and her mom’s sacrifice.
“Do you think your mom will ever come around to liking me again?”Once upon a time she had.Well, accepted things at least.When he’d proved himself to be a faithful friend, her trust had been begrudgingly given.He could understand how she might not wish for that now.
“Maybe.Give her a thousand years and there’s a possibility.”
“That long, huh?”
She forked in a piece of ravioli.Swallowed.“She’s always had trust issues, I’m afraid.”
He nodded.That was fair.After catching them after, ahem,that, he understood why Minnie Rivas would find it hard to trust him again.He must’ve looked like a rich jock befriending the brainiac to take advantage of her.“I’m sorry.If I could go back and do things differently I would.”
She smeared her piece of pasta through the creamy prawn sauce.“What would you do differently?”
“I wouldn’t have decided to go without discussing things properly with you first.”
She shook her head.“You had no choice.What were you going to do?Tell the NHL no?”
Yeah.That wouldn’t have flown.“Still, I hate that you might resent me for not discussing things properly.I’m sorry.”
“It’s done.It’s in the past.We can’t change that.”
“No, but I hope it makes a difference for you to know it’s not been easy for me, that I’ve thought about this a lot over the years.I just didn’t want to be the person who held you back from doing all that you were capable of.”
Her chin dipped.“It’s not been easy, I admit that.But I’m surviving okay.Mom and—” she swallowed, “Mom and I are doing fine.”
“Do I dare ask for you to say hi to your mom from me?”
“No.I haven’t even told her that I’ve met you again.”
“So what did you say about this?”
“I told her I’m meeting a friend.”
A friend.That was all?Still, he sensed this was his moment.He reached across and gently grasped her hand.“You know, one day, when you’re ready, I’d really like to be more than friends with you, Gen.”
She drew in a breath, her gaze sliding up again to not quite meet his.“I’d like that too, but—”
“You would?”
She nodded.“But Kyle—”
“No, don’t give me a ‘but’.Let me just savor this moment.I thought you’d hate me forever so this feels like a miracle.”
He brushed the back of her hand with his thumb, and she finally met his gaze.Twin pools of dark uncertainty met him.He smiled, saw her lips curve, the way her shoulders eased down, the intensity as she held his gaze and attraction throbbed between them.
Their waiter approached and asked if they’d like the dessert menu, and he glanced at Gen who shook her head.
“Thanks but I think we’re both full.”And Gen’s comment about wanting to be more than friends suggested that she might not be opposed to finding out if their lips remembered what to do.
Unspoken tension arose, as Gen continued to eye him, and he eyed her, and his heartstrings pulled tight.He had to get her alone.Now.He paid and escorted her outside.The waterfront was lined with piers and seafood shacks and restaurants, and nearby, the Seattle Great Wheel was illuminated with hundreds of twinkling lights.The night was mild enough for strolling, and he took advantage of Gen’s shiver to wrap an arm around her shoulders.
“Is this okay?”
She nodded, and tucked in closer, and he matched her pace as they strolled toward the park.This section of downtown didn’t have much green space along the waterfront, so he’d take what he could find.And he sensed he needed to find something living, something that reminded her of former days, in their old small town surrounded by trees, before life and change and regrets had gotten in the way.
He paused in a shadowed corner, shifting to face her, to hold her hands, as the illuminations of the wheel drew shadows and glimmers of light over her face.“Gen, I meant what I said before.I’d really like to be more than friends with you.At the wedding yesterday, I was surrounded by all these happy couples, and all I could think about was how much time we’d wasted.We could’ve had ten years together, but I didn’t trust us at the time to think we could have coped with being apart for so long.But we could’ve, couldn’t we?”
