The compliment filled his chest with pride, and the nervousness in him settled.
“It’s my special recipe. I smother the fish with a fifty-fifty mix of yellow mustard and butter, and use fin and feather seasoning.” He shrugged. “Nothing too difficult.”
They ate slowly, making small talk at first. Then, the conversation moved to what he’d hoped. Emma talked about her business and how much she loved doing graphics. It was clear she enjoyed seeing her artwork being used by customers. She also talked about her parents and her friends. She asked tons of questions about his parents and siblings.
After dinner, she helped him clear the table and load the dishwasher.
He filled their wineglasses, and they ended up on the couch sitting close enough that the side of her body warmed his.
They continued their conversation about family, work, and what they liked to do in their spare time. He discovered she enjoyed hiking, and he liked that they had that in common. Outside of hiking in parks, she hadn’t done many other outdoor activities, but asked about learning to kayak. He said he could teach her how to do that, and the perfect place would be his Uncle Lee’s property up north. Surely, she’d fall in love with the place like everyone else did. At least he hoped so.
When she spoke about her parents and mentioned things like the country club they belonged to, he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he felt a little intimidated by the family wealth. More scared than intimidated, he supposed. Would her parents like him? Approve of him?
Emma leaned forward and turned her head, looking at him more closely. “Where did I lose you to?”
“Huh?”
“You got quiet.”
“Just thinking.”
“About what?”
“You. Us. I’d like to meet your parents.”
“You would?” Emma’s surprised tone matched the expression she wore.
“Of course. You speak so highly of them, but…”
“But what?”
His pulse pounded. He wasn’t usually this unsure of himself.
“I’m probably not the type of guy they expect you to bring home.”
She turned her body to face him more directly.
“Why on earth would you say that?”
“Well, you come from a different side of the tracks.”
“Money? You’re worried you don’t have enough money?” Her tone bordered on offended, which was the last thing he wanted.
Her body went rigid.
He needed to realign this conversation before it went any further south.
“I’m sorry, I just. I don’t want to disappoint them.”
The tension in her shoulders eased. She placed her warm palm on his cheek.
“You could never disappoint them. They’d be proud to know you. The man who nearly died to save their daughter’s life. I think they’d give you a lot of credit for that. As a matter of fact, they already have, and they want to meet you as well. I just didn’t know how to bring it up yet. Meeting the parents is kind of a big deal where I come from.”
Meeting the parents was a big deal to him, too. A blanket of relief washed over him. It was good to know he and Emma were on the same page. Still, meeting her parents and being accepted as a match for their only daughter were two different things.
Emma gripped his hand. Her dark gaze bore into him.
“They are going to love you as much as I do.”
