Page 119 of Here & Now

“Good idea. I told Marco that you might want to interview Tessa. I thought the four of us could have dinner together.”

“What did Marco say to that?”

“He doesn’t think she’ll say yes. He’s such a chicken when it comes to Tessa.”

“That doesn’t sound like him.”

“He’s different with her.” Like I am with you.

“I’d love to meet her.”

“You will.” He wanted to introduce her to all his friends, but now he knew he had plenty of time.

The waitress returned with their drinks, and they placed their food orders: shrimp tacos for her and mahi-mahi for him.

While they waited for their food, they sipped their drinks and talked easily about a variety of topics. Bree seemed lighter and happier than ever, and he took pride in knowing he might have had something to do with it.

Before long, the waitress returned with their food, and she asked if they wanted another drink. Bree said yes, but as the designated driver, Zane declined. He hadn’t always been this disciplined, but now he had someone else to worry about besides himself.

“Oh my gosh, this is delicious!” Bree declared after biting into a shrimp taco. “We have to come back here.”

“We will.” He loved that she liked to eat, though he was a bit worried about her getting taco sauce on her dress.

“I get why writers would want to live here,” she said, switching back to one of her favorite topics.

“Why is that?”

“There’s inspiration everywhere you look.” She flailed her hands around with a taco in one of them.

He tried to follow along and keep an eye on the taco at the same time.

“The sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking, not to mention the ocean, palm trees, seabirds, and—”

“Uh, sweetheart.” He pointed at the taco, but it was too late. A splotch of taco sauce landed on the bodice of her dress.

She followed his gaze, and her reaction was the complete opposite of what he’d expected. First, she frowned at the stain, and then she burst out laughing. It wasn’t a quiet giggle, either; it was full-out laughter that gained momentum with every breath.

Once he knew she was okay with it, he joined in, ignoring the curious stares from those sitting nearby.

The waitress came rushing over. “Oh no. I hope your dress isn’t ruined.”

“It’s okay,” Bree said as her laughter abated. “It’s just a dress.”

The waitress looked unconvinced, but she nodded and wandered off.

“You’re becoming a true islander,” Zane said proudly.

“I am?”

“Um-hmm. You’re a lot more easygoing than when we first met.”

“You deserve some of the credit for that.”

“Well, thank you.”

Once they’d finished eating, he said, “Are you ready to get out of here?”

There was no need to rush, as they had all the time in the world, but he couldn’t wait to peel her out of that dress.

“What about dessert?” she said, her voice catching on the last word.

“You’re my dessert.”

Her eyes sparkled, and a smile split her face. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

When the waitress returned with their bill, he had the money in hand, including a generous tip.

“Thank you so much. Have a great night,” she said as she pocketed the bills.

“Oh, we will,” he said.

Bree’s cheeks turned pink, and he liked that he had that effect on her. With his hand on her back and her sun-kissed skin beneath his fingertips, he ushered her outside.

He couldn’t wait to get home—his or hers. It didn’t matter which because Sanibel Island was home to them both now, and he hoped it would be forever.