After a moment’s consideration, I shove the idea aside. Ronan is arguably one of the best-looking men in all of Bliss. He could have pretty much any single woman in town if he wanted, and probably some of the married ones, too. So it wouldn’t make sense for him to go through all this effort with me if all he wants is to find someone to hook up with.
“Angel?” Ronan looks at me with concern. “Are you sure this is alright? We can leave?—”
Crap. I need to stifle my insecure imagination before it ruins our date. With a bright smile, I answer, “I’m sure it’s alright. Ijust—” I cast about for a new topic and settle on, “I was thinking about before we left my house. When you smelled me?”
Faint spots of pink rise in his cheeks. “Did I?”
“I’m pretty sure you did.”
A moment passes before he smiles sheepishly. “I was. Smelling your hair, that is. Or at least, I think it’s your hair.”
I only just stop myself from grabbing my hair and sniffing it. “What about my hair?”
“It smells like cupcakes. Actually, everything about you does.”
Warm fizzes fill my chest. “You think I smell like cupcakes?”
“Yes. That’s the best way I can think of to describe it.” His thumb rubs across the back of my hand. “You smell amazing. Maybe it’s weird to say that, but you do.”
I make an immediate mental note to order more of my shampoo. Possibly a dozen bottles of it, in case it goes out of stock. “It’s called Buttered Vanilla,” I say. “It’s my shampoo.”
“Buttered vanilla.” Ronan nods thoughtfully. “That makes sense.”
A brief silence follows as we just stare at each other. My pulse speeds. A tingly heat starts in my belly and spirals out. My focus narrows on his lips, and I wonder if it would be inappropriate to kiss him right here.
“Angel,” he starts.
“Hi!” Our server arrives at our table, bearing a water pitcher and a basket of bread. “Good evening. How are you tonight?”
Tearing my gaze from Ronan, I look up and immediately recognize her. Vienna is new in town, but pretty much everyone knows her. It’s not just because she’s nice—which she is—but she went through some terrible stuff when she first moved here. Months later, things have settled, and she’s happily living with her fiancé, Caleb, and their rescue dog, Zeus.
“Hey, Vienna,” Ronan replies with an easy smile. “How are things going?”
“Oh, good,” she replies. “How about you?”
Ronan glances at me. His gaze softens. “I’m very good.” Then he shifts his attention back to her. “I ran into Caleb the other day and he said you’re taking classes now. Training to be a paramedic, right?”
She nods. “Yup. The classes are going really well. In another year?—”
The pager at her waist buzzes, and she jolts a little. “Oops. That thing still startles me. But I’d better check on my order. Can I get you two something to drink while you’re looking at the menu?”
“A glass of Pinot Grigio for me, please,” I say.
“A light beer for me,” he says. “Whatever’s on draft. Thanks.”
As Vienna hurries away, I watch her, thinking.
Vienna’s my age; give or take a year. Her now-fiancé, Caleb, is almost twenty years older. Things are working out for them, obviously, since they’re due to be married this coming Valentine’s Day.
Ronan’s only eleven years older than me. Compared to Caleb and Vienna, that’s nothing.
“So,” Ronan says after taking a sip of his water, “I was thinking, after dinner, we could take a walk through the park to look at the decorations. Or we could go back to your place and you could show me some of your artwork. What do you think?”
“Both sound good,” I reply. “Maybe we could do both? I told Miranda I wouldn’t pick up Haley until ten. So I think?—”
From my purse, my phone chimes with an incoming text.
As much as I’d like to ignore it, that’s something a single mom can’t do. Chances are, it’s nothing more than a spam caller trying to sell me on an extended warranty, but if something’s wrong with Haley…
