“I’ll keep that in mind.Go take care of your emergency so you can get back to work.We miss you.William out.”
I tucked the secure phone back into my inside pocket, and reached for the controls on my seat, sliding it back to give myself more leg room.Two more hours until Kimberly would be free for dinner.I might as well stretch out and have a cat nap.
* * *
“Nice place.”I rested one hand casually on Kimberly’s back as we entered Rally’s Steak House and Pub.The physical contact helped to still the raging voice inside me, urging me to take her to some deserted side street and ravish her right there in the car.Besides the fact I was damn sure Kimberly wouldn’t take kindly to that kind of behavior, I was pretty sure there wasn’t nearly enough room in the zippy little sports car for everything I’d like to do to her.I made a mental note to choose one of those big SUVs the guy at the rental agency had been so keen on next time.Lots of room for hanky-panky in one of those babies.
Kimberly favored me with a smile that took my breath away.“Glad you like it.It’s my favorite but I wasn’t sure if you’d find it too low class.”
Wow, I’d actually said the right thing.Maybe my dating skills weren’t as rusty as I’d thought.“Not at all.Has a nice homey feel to it.”
Holding hands, we wound our way between the tables to an empty one near the back.The Friday night crowd was quiet, couples murmuring to each other in low voices.I pulled Kimberly’s chair out for her before moving around to take my own.
A waitress came bustling over with a friendly smile.“Welcome to Rally’s.What can I get for you folks?”
I raised a brow at Kimberly.“What’s good?”
She smiled.“Everything!But I’d recommend the T-bone steak.They do an amazing job with it.”
“Sounds great.”
Kimberly handed her menu back to the waitress.“We’ll take two T-bone steaks and a pitcher of beer.”
The waitress tucked both menus under her arm.“How would you like your steaks cooked?”
“Medium rare for me.”I looked over at Kimberly.
She nodded.“Same for me.”
The waitress took the menus and headed back to the bar area, returning quickly with a pitcher of draft and two glasses.
“Something else we have in common.”Kimberly grinned, resting her chin on her steepled fingers.“We both like our steaks medium rare.”
She looked so cute.Random wisps of her hair escaped from the ponytail she’d secured it in, and my fingers itched to smooth them back behind her ears.
“So we do.Definitely could be a sign.”I poured two glasses of beer, placing one in front of Kimberly and taking a long pull from my own.
“A sign of what?”Kimberly tilted her head in inquiry.
“You don’t see it?”
“Nope.”
I grinned.“A sign that the universe believes we belong together.After dinner, I think we should go find a jewelry store and get you a ring.”
“Sounds great and far be it from me to turn down a jewelry shopping expedition, but I can see a tiny problem with your plan.”
“Really?Sounds foolproof to me.”
“You’re obviously used to living in a much more cosmopolitan city.Here in the back of beyond you’re lucky if you can find a store that is open after six in the evening, let alone a jewelry store that sells the sort of high-priced rock I would expect from a prospective bridegroom.”
I laughed and reached across the table to take possession of her hand.“You might have a point there.I’ll settle for the steak for tonight.We can postpone the shopping trip to a later date.”
Kimberly turned a delightful color of pink and extricated her hand.“On the island you told me you chase poachers for a living?That must be exciting.”
I laughed at her obvious attempt to steer the conversation into a less personal direction.As if I were going to let that happen.“Most of the time it’s mind-numbingly boring.I waste time chasing leads that go nowhere and watch people who don’t do anything worth watching.Then, when I’m sure it’s all a waste of time and I should go apply for a job at the closest fast-food joint, some idiot shoots me with an arrow, a snow-white bear who shouldn’t exist leans over to breathe on me while I pass out, and the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen rescues me and binds my wounds.”
Kimberly giggled, the sound tinkling softly in my ears.I could listen to that sound all night.It really didn’t matter if she was laughing because she thought I was an idiot or because the image I painted was too absurd for words.
