"I take it you're single too and have had your share of failures in the dating department." Damon's face was wary as he spoke.
Grace scowled.
Have I ever.
The last guy she fell in love with—the guy she thought she’d marry—turned tail and ran the moment he found out she'd given a child up for adoption.
"Okaaay, I see that's a sensitive topic." Damon straightened, hands out in surrender. "Let's agree that men are clueless, because we usually are. And let's acknowledge that being a wife and mother belongs on your list. What else are you going to put on there?"
Feeling defensive and riled up from old memories that had surfaced, Grace opened the bag of expensive chocolate truffles from the basket. She didn't bother picking her phone up again until after she'd offered Damon a chocolate and eaten one herself.
"Keep it simple. What's something new you'd like to learn to do?" Damon chewed his chocolate then swallowed. "You said you just moved. Is there something you'd like to do in your new neighborhood to get to know people or help yourself settle in?"
That's easy.
Ever since she and Gabe started the paperwork of buying the duplex in Providence, she'd been making a mental list of the advantages of moving to a small town, mostly to convince herself living in the country wouldn't be all bad.
Grace started typing: 3. Learn to drive a stick shift. 4. Ride a horse. 5. Shoot a gun.
Damon leaned toward her again as she typed. "Really, you've never done any of those things?"
"I'm a city girl who has neverneededto do any of those things."
"Good point." He nodded thoughtfully. "You should put 'get your Doctorate in Radiology' on there."
"Mm...I'm not sure if I want to do that yet." She'd only just started to think about it. She wouldn't have time to even consider it while she helped care for her mother, but after her mom... Well, she'd need something to occupy her time and help fill the void.
"If money wasn't an issue, what's something you'd like to do?" Damon helped himself to another chocolate. "Is there something you'd buy yourself? Would you travel?"
Grace added: 6. Visit Holland when the tulips are in bloom.
"I inherited my love of flowers from my mother, and visiting Holland was something we've always dreamed of doing."
It felt wrong to put it on her bucket list, though, knowing her mom couldn't go with her.
"Visit Holland. That's a good one. I almost went there once. No idea if the tulips were in bloom or not, but my orders changed at the last minute." He scrolled through his list. "I have visited the Eiffel Tower and the Vatican though."
Grace leaned closer to him to see his list as he scrolled. His was broken into sections labeled Skills, Destinations, Unforgettable Moments, and Dumb Things I've Done.
"May I?" She held out her hand for his phone.
He handed it over with a shrug, and she scrolled through them again, noting all the check marks. The man was very skilled, well-traveled, and had done a lot of things; both unforgettable and dumb. She slowed as she scrolled through the Dumb Things I've Done section.
"Skateboard while holding onto a car?"
Damon nodded. "On the Dumb List for obvious reasons."
"Rode a bull?" Grace looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"My best friend in high school convinced me to participate in a rodeo with him. Yeah, that didn't last. I sang soprano for a week."
Grace busted out laughing. She couldn't picture the tough soldier beside her singing let alone in a high voice.
"Polar plunge? Eat a ghost pepper?"
"I would not recommend the pepper."
"Get tazed? Sprayed with pepper spray?"
