“What shoes should I wear?”
“Your black kid-skin boots or a pair of ballet flats.”
Paige scrunched her nose. “I lost my only pair of black flats and haven’t replaced them yet.”
“How’d you lose a pair of shoes?”
“Remember that conference we went to in August?” She waited for Missy’s nod, then continued. “The only thing I can figure is that I left them in the hotel although I called the lobby once I realized they were missing and no one turned them in.”
“You can borrow mine if you’d like.” She turned back to the closet and emerged fifteen seconds later with the shoes. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She grabbed the shoes, shirt, and leggings from Missy and tucked them under her arm. “Boots are more practical in this weather, but Wes probably thinks that’s all I own.”
“You’ll look great in whatever you wear.” Missy’s gaze traveled to the clock radio on her nightstand. “I have to get back to work, but you better call me tonight and tell me all the details.”
“I will. Thanks for your help and letting me borrow clothes.” She hugged her sister, then left the room, hurried down the stairs to run home.
She was experimenting with hairstyles when her phone rang. With one hand still holding her hair in a faux ponytail, she glanced at the screen. Wes was calling. She let her hair fall to her shoulders and answered his call.
“Hi there.” An automatic smile curved her lips. “I’m looking forward to tonight.”
“Me too, but there’s a slight change of plans.” A hint of nervousness touched his tone. “Mom won tickets for a show tomorrow. One of those kid-geared live shows with cartoon characters and such.”
“That’s exciting. You’re taking Myla?”
“No. Mom and Dad are taking her, but it starts at nine-thirty and is an hour away. Rather than wake Myla early to get her ready, she’s spending the night at my parents’ house.”
Was he rescheduling? Her heart sunk, making her realize she’d wanted tonight more than she’d thought. “Did you want to take her to the pizza buffet another night?”
“We’ll do that soon, but I’d still like to go out with you tonight if you don’t mind it being only you and me. No kid.” She heard him take a deep breath and release it. “A real date.”
Happiness bubbled within her, returning her heart to its rightful place—maybe a little higher. “I’d like that.”
***
Several hours later, she sat at a corner table in a small bistro located in downtown Covington. A few bites of her Cobb salad remained on her plate, but she couldn’t eat anymore. She’d made the mistake of eating an entire mini-loaf of bread that was baked daily on the premise. Carbs were her weakness, and she didn’t regret the indulgence once bit except not being able to finish her main meal.
Wes laid down his fork, indicating he’d finished as well. “How was your salad?”
“Delicious. I was leery of trying the house dressing, but I’m glad I did.”
“What does it taste like?” He tilted his chin to the small dish it had come in. “I’m not much of an adventurer and stick with thousand island.”
“A mix of ranch and blue cheese, which surprised me that I liked it.”
“You don’t like those two?”
She shook her head. “I love ranch, hate blue cheese. Whatever they did to combine the flavors worked though.”
“Maybe I’ll try it next time. The office orders lunch from here at least once a week.”
“I’ve never been before, but I foresee more stops in the future.” She drank a sip of her water.
“I eat out way more than I should, but not so much since getting Myla.”
“Learning to cook now?”
A sheepish grin appeared. “Do I lose points if I confess my mom brings meals for me to freeze? But only since I took in Myla.”
