“Did you go to college?”
“No,” he said. When he didn’t immediately voice another question, Winnie waved her fork at him.
Ty got the message. “Uh, when did you get your cats?”
“That’s not a yes-no question,” she said.
Ty huffed at her and wanted to roll his eyes. He refrained, but he seriously couldn’t come up with a yes-no question he cared to know. “Can you drive a bus?”
“Can Idrive a bus?” Winnie blinked at him and then burst outlaughing. Pure humiliation ran through Ty, but soon enough, he joined his laughter to hers.
“Can’t we just talk?” he asked. “I’m no good at games.”
“The only thing I’m good at is games,” Winnie said.
“See? Now I know that about you,” he said. “What kind of games do you like?”
“Word games.” Winnie looked up as Davy arrived with their chicken dinners. A woman had come with him, and both he and Winnie were served at the same time.
“Anything else I can get you two?” Davy asked.
“This smells amazing,” Winnie said, and she grinned up at Davy, as if he’d prepared their food.
“I think we’re good,” Ty said, and the waiters left. He tucked into his food, noting that Winnie didn’t find anything with the black pepper too spicy. In fact, she exclaimed multiple times about how much she enjoyed the food, and Davy checked on them several times, finally boxing up their leftovers and offering coffee with their dark chocolate cheesecakes.
By the time the meal wrapped, Ty realized that the restaurant had quieted even more, and he and Winnie were a few of the last to leave. He’d managed to eat and chat, no games required, and he laced his fingers through Winnie’s as they stepped back out into the January night.
“Mm, it got cold,” he said.
“I hate to break it to you,” she said. “But it’s been cold for weeks now.”
Ty ducked his head and chuckled. “I don’t mind the winter. I mean, it’s not summer, but it has its own type of beauty.”
“Yeah.” Winnie sighed, and while Ty wanted to prolong their evening together, he led her back to the truck and got the heater blowing.
“So,” he said. “Do you want a tour of my childhood?”
She leaned her head back against the rest of the passenger seat,her smile barely there and oh-so-beautiful. “Yeah, that sounds amazing.”
“We’ll be seated and warm,” Ty said. “And if you’re lucky, I’ll find us a hot chocolate stand that’s open, and you can have a second cocoa fix.”
Winnie giggled, and Ty reached over and took her hand in his. “I really like holding your hand,” he said, his chest suddenly storming. “I don’t have a lot of human contact either, and it’s nice.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I’m….” Ty mentally cursed himself, but he just wanted tonight to be perfect, and if he tried kissing her…. “I’m not sure I’m ready to do more.”
“More?” Winnie spoke with the cutest uncertainty.
“It seems like everything I do lately,” he said. “Has to go slowly, and I think that’s going to include me and you.” He glanced over to her. “Is that okay? I mean, I want to kiss you, but I’m not sure I’m ready.”
You’re definitely not ready.
Winnie blinked at him and then released the cutest, lightest laugh. “Yeah, Ty, it’s the first date. I don’t evenwantyou to kiss me.”
Ty dang near drove up onto the curb as he stared at Winnie. Then he realized she was teasing him. “Well.” He huffed. “That was rude.”
She laughed again, and then they settled into comfortable silence. Ty made a turn and nodded out Winnie’s window. “There’s the elementary school. There’s only one in town, and we all went there.”
