“Why don’t you wear dresses?” he whispered.
Winnie’s expression shifted, something vulnerable flashing in her eyes. But she didn’t push him back, and she didn’t sigh, and she didn’t look away either.
She took a breath, swallowed, and then all of her anxiety dissolved into a softness that Ty really liked. “Carver told me once that he preferred me in a dress. So I wore one every time we went out after that. Every single date, every church service, every family dinner. I wore what he wanted me to wear.”
Ty’s jaw tightened, and he felt something spark down in his ribs.
“After he broke up with me and left town,” Winnie said, her voice steady despite the pain flowing through it. “I burned them in my backyard, my wedding dress included.” She laughed, but it came out hollow and made Rocky yowl again. “I haven’t worn a dress since.”
She reached up and wiped the corner of her eye. “I know it’s stupid, and I shouldn’t let him have that power over me, but it’s actually how I’ve taken back some of the power I gave him.”
“Good for you, Win,” Ty said fiercely. “Because this?” He indicated her jumpsuit, and brushed his fingertips along the hem of the single sleeve. “This is perfect. You’re perfect, and I don’t want you to be anyone—or wear anything—but exactly what you want.”
Winnie’s eyes stayed bright with her unshed tears. “Thank you, Ty.”
“I mean it, sweetheart. Dresses, jumpsuits, those bright purple scrubs with trains—I don’t care. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
She rose on her toes and kissed him again, this one softer but no less meaningful. When she pulled back, she whispered, “But you did say tonight was more formal, right?”
Ty’s mind had gone a little mushy, but he opened his eyes and came back to reality. “Yeah, I did say that.”
“So the scrubs with trains wouldn’t have worked.”
“But you could’ve worn them,” he said.
Winnie gave him that playful,I-want-to-kiss-youlook again and gently pressed against his chest. “Let me put the roses in water, and you better behave yourself.”
Ty couldn’t quite make himself remove his hand from her waist as she fiddled with the blooms. She didn’t swat him back, and in fact, her smile stayed etched right there on her face.
Rocky meowed again, and Ty leaned in close. “Does he need to be fed?”
“No, he’s just begging, and he knows you’ll cave.” She gave him a pointed look and stepped back. “How cold is it outside? Do I need a jacket?”
Ty’s eyes swept her bare skin all the way from wrist to earlobe. “I absolutely forbid you from wearing a jacket.” He took her hand. “I’ll blow the heater in the truck.”
She grinned at him. “You’ll keep me warm is what I’m hearing.”
Heat flamed through Ty right now. “That’s right, sweetheart. I’ll keep you warm.” He took her hand and led her out to the truck. Once he got behind the wheel and got the engine growling and the heater going, he met Winnie’s eye.
She watched him with obvious curiosity. “So where are we going? You’ve been very mysterious about tonight.”
“I told you to dress nicely.” Ty grinned as he backed out onto the street. “Link and Mitch told me about this place. Apparently, it’s where all the Glovers go when they want to impress someone.”
“The Glovers have a secret romantic restaurant?” Her eyes widened. “Is it on their ranch?
Ty laughed and shook his head. “No, it’s not theirs. It’s just thisplace they know.” He aimed them north and west, like they’d go to Amarillo.
As he drove toward the setting sun, the landscape opened up into rolling hills dotted with cattle and the occasional farmhouse. After only about ten minutes, Ty turned left down a long, tree-lined drive that opened up to reveal a stunning stone building that looked like it had been transplanted from Tuscany.
Relief painted through him, because he hadn’t had time to come scope this place out himself. They were only open on weekends, and Ty hadn’t been in town long enough—with the need to take someone on a very romantic, very expensive date—to know about it.
He honestly wasn’t sure he was fancy enough to dine at a place like this. How many forks would there be? Ty’s mind whirred as he tried to remember his teenage etiquette lessons, which his momma and daddy had insisted he take since he’d have to go to banquets and galas as a rodeo star.
“Wow,” Winnie breathed out as she leaned forward and looked up and out the windshield. “What is this place?”
“Bellissima,” Ty said, proud that he’d managed to pronounce it correctly after practicing with Link. “It means ‘most beautiful’ in Italian.”
The honey-colored stone stood two stories tall, with arched windows and wrought-iron balconies. Soft golden light spilled from inside, a fountain bubbled in the courtyard, and the whole place had an air of quiet elegance that made Ty glad he’d dressed as well as he had.
