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Ted shook his head. “I had a great lunch, but nothing since then.”

“Why don’t I get us some wine and pull one of the small frozen casseroles I made for Lauren and Rick out of the freezer? It’s late, but I imagine we’re going to stay up later than usual.”

“Yeah, we’ve got a lot to talk about.” He winked at her.

Emmie laughed. Like it or not, they had to talk before thinking of anything else. She needed to know much more about his situation and feelings before becoming too entangled in a relationship with him.

She poured each of them a glass of pinot noir and slipped the casserole into the microwave.

“I like your house,” said Ted.

“Thanks. C’mon. I’ll give you a tour. Earl and I bought it when the girls were small, and we upgraded individual rooms through the years. Lauren and I just redecorated Earl’s office into the baby’s nursery.”

Ted was quiet as Emmie showed him her home. For Emmie, it was a tour filled with tender memories.

After they returned to the kitchen, Ted said, “I like it. It’s classic and inviting. You and Marylee have similar tastes.”

“Are you planning to stay in yours?” Emmie asked.

“It’s too big for one person, but it’s a peaceful place to return to after work. I’m sure I couldn’t find anything to compare to it.”

“I feel the same way about my house,” Emmie said. “I’ve thought of downsizing, but I’m not ready.” She plated the heated casserole, put a serving in front of him, and sat beside him at the kitchen bar counter with hers.

“In Florida, Cinda was unhappy with the idea of you dating me,” said Emmie. “Have you gone out at all since you’ve been home?”

“A single man my age gets asked to parties and such. I’ve gone to dinner with someone I thought I’d enjoy being with, but nothing felt right.” He took hold of her hand. “Since spending time with you in Florida, no one else seems to measure up to you.”

“I feel the same way. My lawyer friend and I go out to dinner and have a nice time, but that’s it. He’s desperate to get away from the women wanting to date him and uses me as an excuse to say he’s busy. Believe me, I understand. The poor guy was besieged with invitations when he first moved into town before the holidays.”

“At least you’ve kept busy,” said Ted. “You’re right, Cinda isn’t encouraging me to date. I talked to her about it in Florida. I guess I need to talk to her again.”

“I don’t want to do anything to cause a rift in your family,” Emmie said.

“I won’t allow it,” said Ted. “Cinda is going through a hard time. Just before the holidays, she thought she was pregnant. It turned out to be false, and she’s deeply disappointed. She wants a girl.”

“I’m sorry that happened,” said Emmie. “You’ve met Gemma and Tony at the restaurant, but you haven’t met Lauren and her family. I think my girls are ready to think about my dating. It’s been over three years since Earl became very ill and died.”

“And it’s over two years for me,” said Ted. He focused on her. “I want to see where a relationship with you could go. Are you okay with it? Enough to tell your daughters that this is what you want?”

“Absolutely,” said Emmie, with the strong conviction she felt. She stood. “Let’s take a glass of wine to the living room. I’ll turn on the gas fireplace. We can talk there.”

They sat on the couch and quizzed one another on a variety of questions, some of them silly, like what their favorite colors were. Other questions were more meaningful.

“Do you own a dog?” Emmie asked Ted at one point.

“No, but I like them,” said Ted. “Why? Do you want one?”

“Eventually. And when that happens, I want a Dachshund.”

Ted chuckled. “Okay. Not a problem. How much longer do you want to work?”

“I don’t know,” said Emmie. “Do you want to travel?”

“Yes and no. I’d like to take several trips, see different places, but I like my lake home. It’s my peaceful place.”

Their talk continued, bringing surprises and laughter to both of them.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Ted drew Emmie to him. “Enough talk.” He lowered his lips to hers, and she let out a soft groan of pleasure. There was definitely magic between them.