Page 94 of Chasing the Sun

“May I interest you in our house wine?” a waiter asked.

“Yes,” they answered simultaneously and then laughed.

The waiter proceeded to rattle off the dinner specials and then left to get their drinks.

A white candle in a glass jar flickered in the middle of the table, and next to it stood a crystal bud vase containing a single red rose. Glancing around the restaurant, Bryce noticed that they were one of many couples who’d come there to enjoy the food, the ambiance, or both.

Chloe opened her menu and began perusing it, so he did the same.

“Everything sounds so good. I’m not sure what to choose,” she said.

Since he was having trouble concentrating, he went with the easiest choice—steak and vegetables.

“I guess I’ll have the fish,” she said and closed her menu.

The waiter returned with their wine, took their orders, and left again.

Finally, they were alone, minus the other diners in the room. At least their table was tucked away enough to afford some privacy.

“Thanks again for arranging all this. I don’t deserve it.”

She shook her head. “I’m the one who messed up.”

“You?”

“I never should have said we should just be friends when I didn’t really mean it.”

“What made you say it, then?”

“After we ran into Dr. Johnson that day, I realized how different our worlds are. You live here, and I live hundreds of miles away.”

“Yes, but…”

“You have a successful career, and soon I’ll be out of a job.”

“But…”

“Your life is settled, and mine is still in a state of flux.”

“Chloe…”

She leaned forward. “But in spite of all that, I still fell in love with you.”

Wait, what?! His mouth gaped open, and the temperature in the room suddenly shot up a thousand degrees. He froze, everything he’d wanted to say stuck in his throat, yet she continued undeterred.

“I tried not to, but not hard enough, and it happened. Now I can’t imagine leaving here and never seeing you and Molly again. Not to mention Elle, Jamie, Seb, Victoria, your parents…”

“Chloe. Stop!”

He’d finally found his voice, but he hadn’t meant to sound so harsh.

She clamped her mouth shut and stared at him, eyes wide.

“Can I say something please?”

“Of course. Sorry.”

He chuckled and reached his hands across the table, palms up. She glanced at them and then gently placed her hands in his.