Paul smiled. “Definitely.”
“And we’re both terrified.”
“That’s true.” Paul pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “But I’m more scared of not telling you how much you mean to me. You’re an amazing person, Susan, and I’d like to spend a lot more time with you.”
Susan squeezed his hands. “Me too. So we try. We work on the menu and the Christmas events, and we see where this goes. We won’t make any promises we can’t keep. All we need is to be honest and be there for each other.”
“Especially when it’s difficult,” Paul said as he hugged her close. “That’s when it matters the most.”
Susan stood in the shelter of Paul’s arms, not wanting to break the magical spell surrounding them.
Finally, Paul stepped back. “We’ll get frostbite if we stand out here for much longer.”
Susan sighed. “I should go home. I still have to prepare for tomorrow’s cooking class.”
Paul kissed her cheek. “Drive safely and text me when you get home.”
“I will.” Susan reluctantly let go of his hand. She climbed into her truck and waved to Paul after she’d reversed out of her parking space.
As she drove home along the darkening lakeshore, Susan touched her fingers to her lips, still feeling the warmth of Paul’s kiss. Everything had changed in the parking lot, and yet somehow it felt like the most natural progression in the world.
She thought about second chances and new beginnings, about lace dresses, and friendships found in the unlikeliest of places. She thought about Paul’s gentle hands and his grandmother’s French cooking, about cardamom and dark chocolate, and all the ways people showed care through food.
But mostly, she thought about the way Paul had looked at her before he kissed her—like she was something precious he’d been waiting his whole life to find.
Maybe, she thought as she stopped in her driveway, this was exactly where she was supposed to be. Not rushing toward anything, but allowing something real to develop at its own pace. And now, that something had blossomed into a first kiss under the Montana sunset.
Susan gathered her things and headed inside. She pulled out her phone and sent Paul a quick text: Home safe. Thank you for today. For everything.
His response came almost immediately: Thank you for saying yes. To BioTech, and to everything else. Sleep well, Susan.
She smiled at the screen, reading between the lines of his message. Tomorrow she’d email Paul and ask him to send her a copy of the menus for the BioTech events. And after that she’d finish Lynda and Matt’s menu, pre-order the ingredients she’d need, and continue building this new life, one careful step at a time.
But tonight, she’d simply sit by her window and remember the warmth of Paul’s embrace, the way he’d held her face in his hands, and when everything had shifted between them with a single, perfect kiss.
Chapter 12
Two days later, Susan pushed open the door to the Starlight Café. With a smile, she breathed in the familiar scents of freshly baked bread and Andrea’s signature roasted chicken soup. The midday crowd filled most of the tables, creating a pleasant hum of conversation punctuated by the clink of silverware against plates.
Isabel waved from a corner booth, already settled with a menu open in front of her. Susan made her way through the maze of tables, returning greetings from several cooking class students who said hello.
“Sorry I’m late,” Susan said, sliding into the booth across from Isabel. “I got caught up at the Welcome Center. Pastor John wanted to discuss expanding the kitchen facilities for next year’s classes.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Isabel said with a smile. “I’ve only been here a few minutes myself. I already know what I’m ordering—the grilled vegetable wrap. Andrea’s been perfecting it for weeks, and I’m dying to try the new herb combination she mentioned.”
Before Susan could respond, Andrea appeared at their table, her apron covered in pictures of Christmas elves. “Ladies, it’s wonderful to see you both. Can I start you off with something to drink?”
“Iced tea for me,” Isabel said.
“Make that two,” Susan added. “You make the best sweet tea this side of Georgia, Andrea.”
Andrea grinned. “That’s high praise from you. I’ll be right back with those drinks and to take your lunch order.”
As Andrea headed back toward the kitchen, Susan studied Isabel from across the table. With her hair pulled back in a casual style and wearing a comfortable sweater that suggested a day without bookstore duties, she looked relaxed. “It’s nice to have an afternoon off, isn’t it?”
“Frank insisted,” Isabel said. “He said I’ve been working too many consecutive days and need a break. I tried to argue, but you know how he is when he gets a bee in his bonnet about something.”
Susan smiled. “That man adores you.”
