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“Tuck! Maren!” Gina, Stede’s hostess, greets us with big smiles. “We’re so glad y’all are here. We have the chef’s table ready. Y’all are in for a treat tonight.”
I glance at Tuck, my heart swooping. “Chef’s table?”
“I know the owner,” he replies with a shrug. “I called in a favor.”
Of course he did.
Sliding a stack of menus off the hostess stand, Gina says, “The chef’s table is a special experience that books out months in advance. Y’all will do a six-course tasting menu, complete with wine pairing.”
“Wow.” Mom says it out loud this time.
Dad looks at me and grins. “Glad I came hungry.”
Gina leads us to the best table in the restaurant. It’s a high-top that overlooks the open kitchen on one side and the marina on the other. Candles glimmer in mercury glass votives, and each place setting is crowded with crystal wine glasses.
“Well, this is inviting,” Mom says.
I squeeze Tuck’s hand.Thank you.
His eyes are warm as he squeezes back.You’re welcome.
Tuck and I sit on one side of the table, Mom and Dad on the other. When the server comes to fill our glasses with the first drink of the evening, a sparkling wine from Italy, my stomach bottoms out.
It’s going to be very obvious very soon that I’m pregnant. Ordinarily, I’d never turn down a fancy drink at a fancy restaurant—a fact of which Mom and Dad are very much aware, having treated me to dinner out when I lived with them in Wilmington.
Tuck must know what I’m thinking, because he puts a hand on my thigh underneath the table.
Dad picks up his champagne flute. “So how long have y’all been dating?”
“Well.” Tuck clears his throat as he cuts me a glance. “I think we both knew something was there the moment we met.”
Nodding, I roll my lips between my teeth. “I had a crush on him from day one, yes. And then we just started hanging out with Katie together—Tuck makes us dinner every night—and we became friends pretty quickly.”
Mom smiles as she sips her champagne. “That sounds nice.”
“We had a lot of fun together.” Tuck’s eyes dance when they catch on mine. “Still do. Maren’s taught Katie and I some killer cheer moves.”
“Did she?” Dad asks. “I’m glad to see that side of you come out again, Mare. We miss watching you.”
Tuck nods. “I bet. I would’ve loved to see Maren in all her cheer glory. You know, my daughter was a cheerleader for Halloween.”
“How cute is that? Oh!” Mom claps her hands. “Don’t let me forget, Maren, I have your other pom-poms in my bag.” Ihave several sets of pom-poms, and since Katie loved the first ones I got from Mom so much, I asked Mom to bring the others tonight.
“Katie is going to lose her damn mind,” Tuck says.
I manage a smile. A real one this time. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“I want to seeyouin action.” Tuck takes his hand off my thigh to rest his arm on the back of my chair. Leaning into me, he puts his other hand on my leg. “Maybe we all do a weekend in Chapel Hill. Go to a football game, see if you can still chant along with the squad.”
“We’d be in for that,” Dad says.
“We haven’t been back since Mare graduated,” Mom adds. “Going to a game would be such a treat.”
Tuck looks at me. “What do you think?”
I think your charming side is unbearably cute.
“I think that would be great, yeah.”
