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She burst out laughing. "Really?"
"He's a German man with a strong accent and a sense of humor you won't forget."
"Okay." Her eyes sparkled.
"Then Lady Liberty, another law office. Next to them is Bloomin' Lovely, the flower shop and Squeaky Clean the laundromat. There are other businesses here and there, but this is the heart of Glen Hollow."
"Okay. It's a great little town. Everything is so clean. I can see why you like it here."
"The people here are very nice too. It's a slower pace here, and now that much of the trouble from the BRR has stopped, it's settling in to be a great place to raise a family."
She turned to look at him. He saw her swallow. She nodded. "I can see that." She filled her lungs with air and slowly let it out and he wondered why that affected her.
He liked the mood better a few minutes ago, so he turned onto the county road and headed toward Porter's. "See that tree right there? The big one?"
"Yep."
"When Aidyn and Elena were still getting to know each other, he wasn't allowed anywhere near the mountain or the BRR in general. But he saw Elena one night and I think he fell in love with her right then and there. She wasn't allowed to come down to town. But, at the base of the tree in all those plants, she'd leave him a basket with notes tucked inside, and he'd come and get it and leave her notes and gifts in return. One of the gifts he left her was Lara's cookies."
He laughed.
Everleigh's head whipped around and she stared at him. "Really?"
"Really."
She laughed too. "Wow, what a cool story they have to tell their kids."
He cocked his head to the side and nodded. "I guess they do."
He pulled into Porter's. "We can eat inside or outside. Which do you prefer?"
"How about outside. The heat has lifted a bit."
"Sounds good." They walked into Porter's together, he held his hand at the small of her back and her perfume filled his nostrils. She smelled fresh and clean and slightly citrusy. It was a great smell.
10
His hand pressed slightly against the small of her back and her pulse quickened. It had been years, literally years, since she'd been on a date. Not that this was a date, but it sort of felt like one. She'd missed this. Dating. Feeling like you wanted to spend time with someone else. He made her not feel so lonely. He was kind. And, handsome. And, gentlemanly. He was so much.
The hostess brought them through the restaurant and out the back door to a cute patio area that overlooked the woods. It was peaceful and there was only one other couple seated at a table. It felt semi-private.
He held her chair out and she brushed his arm slightly as she sat. He smelled so good. She'd noticed him this morning and the way he smelled. Musky and spicy. Such a manly smell and he was definitely all man.
As he sat across from her, her eyes again landed on the way his t-shirt stretched across his biceps. It stretched across his chest too. Her hand shook slightly as she picked up her glass of water and sipped.
The hostess handed them each their menus and walked away.
"What have you had here that's good?"
He grinned. "I always eat steak. They have the best steaks here, and a lot of it. Just like Homemade in the Hollow, you'll get plenty to eat here."
She chuckled and silently chastised herself for letting her thoughts go to a date. To think Henry would be interested in her in that way was foolish. As soon as negotiations were over, she'd be gone. He was buying a farm here and talking about raising a family. They were in different places.
"Did Carson Simek, the town board president, call to confirm your appointment for tomorrow?"
"Oh, I'm glad you asked. Yes, I'm meeting him at the town hall at eight-thirty tomorrow morning. Will that work for you? If not, I can go myself."
He laughed and she couldn't stop staring at him. "Whatever you are doing is what I'm doing."
