Page 19 of A Very Grumpy Doctor

“Are you hungry?”he asks, taking my hand and leading me out to his car.

“Yeah.What are you going to cook for me?”

“About that,” he says, opening my door for me.“Your first date should be special.Our first date should be special.Something more than dinner at home.”

“Just admit that you can’t cook,” I deadpan.

“Oh, I can cook,” he promises me cockily.

“Uh-huh.”

“I can.I’ll cook for you tomorrow.On our second date,” he says as I slide into the passenger seat.

“Getting ahead of yourself there,” I warn him.

I watch as he closes my door and walks around to the driver’s side.It’s not until we’re on the road that I turn to him.

“Where are we going?”

He reaches over, taking my hand in his.“Palmer’s Steakhouse.”

“Ah, the best restaurant in town.”

“Only the best for you, baby.”

I shake my head, grinning.I don’t want to pretend to be annoyed or not interested in Hugh anymore.He’s been nothing but honest and kind to me, and he deserves the same from me.I can’t contain all of my sarcasm, but I can stop fighting this thing between us.

“Did you go to Palmer’s a lot growing up here?”he asks as we pull into the parking lot.

“Sometimes.Usually for birthdays or big events.My parents always said it was a special place.”

He gives me an understanding look.“Will you be okay?”

I nod.“I miss my parents, but if I tried to avoid every place we ever went together, I’d never leave the house.”

His tension eases.“What’s your favorite restaurant in town?”

“I’m pretty easy.I like Salsa Supreme and Toasty Buns.Masterbeater’s has the best pastries and baked goods.Nosh’s Diner is good for everything.I think Palmer’s might be my favorite, though.Who doesn’t love a good steak?”

We climb out of his car, and he takes my hand, interlocking our fingers as we walk up to the front door of the steakhouse.

I let Hugh handle checking us in with the hostess, smiling as I look around the place.I have so many good memories at this restaurant.I remember coming for one of my parents’ anniversaries, remember the way they had looked at each other.They were so in love.

“Right this way,” the hostess says.

Hugh squeezes my hand as we’re led over to a table in the back.He pulls out my chair for me, and I slip in, taking my menu from the hostess.

“Your server will be right with you,” she says before turning and heading back up front.

“What about you?What’s your favorite kind of food?”I ask him.

“I love Greek.Back in Connecticut, we had this great restaurant.It was a hole in the wall, but it had the best gyros.They made their own pita and baklava.I used to go there to study and get away from my parents when I got too stressed out.”

“They stressed you out?”

He shrugs.“What they wanted for me and my life wasn’t what I wanted for myself.We butted heads more and more as I got ready for college.Things got really bad after medical school.They expected me to marry someone with the right pedigree and be perfect so that they could brag about me to all their friends.”

“And instead, you moved here.”