“It’s okay,” Susan murmured.
“Would you and Susan like to ride with us?” Julia asked.
“That would be great,” Tyler said. “I didn’t bother with a rental car since I figured I wouldn’t get much use out of it this weekend. Where are we having dinner?”
“At the Grant Hotel.”
“That’s where I’m staying,” he said.
“How convenient,” Julia said, wriggling her eyebrows at Susan.
A hostess showed them to a private table at the rear of the restaurant. Tyler trailed Susan, noting both the stunning night panorama out the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and the way several diners recognized her. Maggie had been right to remind him of observers in public places. Public shenanigans might create an unfavorable backlash.
His mind circled back to his brother. Damn, he wished he knew why Nolan had suddenly stepped out of his good-boy good-son persona. It wasn’t his normal behavior.
“She’s a charming and sexy woman,” Nolan had told Hailee during an onscreen interview. Although they didn’t talk much these days, Tyler knew his brother. Something else ran beneath his glib public reasons.
Undercurrents.
Tyler pushed aside his unease to focus on the woman who’d brought him to Auckland. “What are your favorite foods? We haven’t covered food likes and dislikes yet.”
“I love roast beef with all the trimmings, but since I started dancing I’ve cut back on red meat. I eat mainly fish and lots of vegetables and fruit with an occasional foray into the naughty stuff.”
Tyler paused to accept the menu from the waitress. “No huge sweet tooth?”
“I have a fondness for anything lemon and chocolate. What about you?”
“I like cinnamon and spices,” he said and reached over to tug a lock of her glossy brown hair. “Your freckles remind me of cinnamon drops.”
“Cut out that flirting,” Connor said in a stern voice. “We don’t want to attract attention.”
“Hell no,” Ryan said with a quick glance at Julia. “That’s the last thing we want.”
“I guess I should behave,” Tyler said.
Susan winked, leaned closer. “We can play footsie under the table.”
Her casual manner quashed Tyler’s stirring apprehension, made him relax and enjoy the treat of adult company his own age.
The dinner was full of spirited conversation and laughter. Tyler liked Susan’s friends, but he craved alone time with his lady. He’d never talked to a woman before, not like he did with Susan. Their frequent emails seemed to have cut through the awkward getting-to-know-you conversations. Now Tyler was impatient to get to the physical stuff—if Susan agreed.
He caught her frequent glances, shared smiles and under the table they held hands for an all too brief moment.
“Hello.”
Tyler glanced up to see a young couple from a neighboring table. They looked straight at Susan.
“You look like the girl on the farmer reality show. Are you Susan?” the female of the couple asked.
“Yes, I am,” Susan said with a smile. “Are you enjoying the show?”
“It’s great. We hope Nolan chooses you,” the woman said. “Can we have your autograph?”
Tyler bit his tongue, bit back his protest, bit back his inner fears. Nolan bloody better not pick Susan again, not now that Tyler had met her in person.
“Sure.” Susan smiled again and accepted pen and paper from the woman. Tyler watched her scrawl a message and a signature before she handed back the autograph.
“Thanks!”
