“What do you have in mind?” I asked, already knowing what she would say.
“I want to see you. I know you’re over a thousand miles away, but maybe your father and I could come visit soon?”
I was right.
“I’d like that,” I replied in all honesty. It’d been a long time since I’d seen my parents. “In fact, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
My mother gasped with excitement. “Seriously? Tell me about her.”
I could feel the tension in my body leave. “Well, for starters, she’s a dentist.”
She laughed. “Oh wow. I didn’t expect that one.”
“Yeah,” I said, laughing with her. “And she’s feisty as hell. I’ve never met anyone like her.” Ihad no doubt that she and my father would think that, too.
Ayla: I’ll be ready by five if you want to come pick me up. We’re going to Cynthia’s.
Me: I’ll be there.
Linda was right about Cynthia’s.
I stared at the texts and then over at the microwave clock. Of course, the afternoon had to drag on slowly. Luckily, the time had finally come for our date. I grabbed the keys to my Toyota 4-Runner off the hook on the wall and opened the garage. It’d been a while since I’d driven anywhere since you could practically walk everywhere in Magnolia Grove. However, I had a feeling Ayla wouldn’t want to be covered in sweat during our nice dinner.
The 4-Runner roared to life, and I backed out of the driveway into Ayla’s. Before I could get out, she appeared on the front porch in a strapless pink dress, her chocolate-colored hair in waves down her back. The woman was the epitome of beauty, both inside and out.
I hopped out of the car and she beamed.
“You look very handsome tonight,” she announced, raking her gaze down my body.
I couldn’t help but do the same with her, only my thoughts were probably a lot more sordid than hers. There were so many ways I wanted to touch her, but that was the last thing I needed to be thinking about right now.
“And you look amazing,” I said, trying to reel in my thoughts.
I walked around to the passenger side of the car so I could open her door. She paused and kissed me before getting in, her lips tasting like strawberries. I wanted so much more, but I didn’t want to take things there yet. If she was ready for more, I was going to leave it up to her.
Once in the car, we headed to Cynthia’s, which took only two minutes. The restaurant looked like a white cottage with hanging plants and twinkling lights shining from the inside. It reminded me of a quaint bed and breakfast you’d see on the cover of a magazine.
“What do you think?” Ayla asked as I opened the car door for her. She pointed at Cynthia’s and smiled. “It’s cute, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I agreed. “I’ve never been to a place likethis in New York. Then again, I didn’t go on many dates or have a reason to go to fancy restaurants.”
She snorted. “You expect me to believe that a good-looking guy like you didn’t have your fair share of women?”
I shrugged. “I worked all the time. My life was a lot more complicated.”
Ayla stepped in front of me and took my hands. “Well, now you’re in Magnolia Grove. Life doesn’t have to be complicated here.”
I pulled her closer and kissed her, loving how it made her smile. “No, it doesn’t. I think I’m beginning to like a slower-paced life.”
She winked. “It has its perks.”
Ayla took my hand and we walked into Cynthia’s, where we were greeted by a young girl named Bailey, who had to be in her early twenties. Of course, Ayla knew her and they caught up while we were taken to a private table in the sunroom that overlooked the lake.
Bailey went over the specials and handed us menus before leaving to give us time to figure out what we wanted.
“Did you call and reserve our table beforehand?” I asked.
Ayla smiled slyly. “Of course. I wanted the bestseat in the house. It only costs a couple hundred extra to be seated here.”
