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“Petrified,” Zoe whispered.
“So? What now?” Dana asked.
“Still thinking about it,” Zoe said.
“Well, while you’re busy overthinking a simple thing, I booked us a table for tonight,” her mother said. “But it’s a surprise, I’m not telling you where. We’re going shopping this afternoon, my treat.”
*
“Nervous?” his motherasked and Dale shook his head.
“No, I’m not.” He smiled.
“Good, because I think they’ve arrived.”
Dale froze. This was it. He was going to see Zoe in a few minutes and…
“Go on, go get your woman,” Don teased and pushed him forward.
*
Dana had beentelling her about a book she’d read and Zoe hadn’t taken notice of where they were going for dinner. It was only when her mother stopped the car that she looked through the window.
She stared at the name of the restaurant.
Rosa’s. Dale’s mother’s restaurant.
“Mom,” she barely got out.
Her throat was dry, her legs felt like lead. This was too soon. She hadn’t worked out quite what she wanted to say to Dale, how she was going to say it.
There was no way she could face him now; she wasn’t ready.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Her mom smiled and got out of the car.
And then Dale came strolling out of the restaurant. He looked magnificent. In jeans and a dark blue shirt, he was drop-dead gorgeous and sexy as sin. Her poor heart skidded to a dead stop, did a backflip before it valiantly tried to work again so that she could breathe.
He smiled at her mom and at Dana, opened Zoe’s door, and held out his hand.
“Zoe,” he said, looking as if nothing could faze him.
Dumbstruck, and without taking her eyes from his, Zoe took his hand. And she felt the slight tremor under his skin. Her shoulders relaxed. He was as unsure of what was happening as she. She smiled for the first time in days and stepped out of the car and into his arms.
Dale cupped her face, his eyes nearly black with emotion.
“Okay, we’ll see you inside,” her mother called out, but Zoe couldn’t look away, couldn’t respond to anything else at this moment.
“I love you,” he said.
“I know,” she said. “I love you.”
A beautiful smile lit up his face. “I know. We have to go in but let me…” he whispered and kissed her.
*
Dale took histime and with his lips he tried to convey what he hadn’t succeeded in telling her yesterday—how deeply he loved her, how desperately he wanted her, how serious he was about making her his.
Her eyes were bright, her smile brilliant when he lifted his head. For the first time, he noticed what she was wearing. He groaned out loud and grabbed her hand.
