“That guy’s a jerk,” Aurelia said under her breath, glaring at Alex’s back.
Chase flashed her a grin. “That’s politics, kid.”
Arthur leaned closer to Dani. “You all right?”
She tilted her head just enough to meet his eye. “Didn’t burst into flames,” she said. “I’m counting it as a win.”
“You did well,” he said. Pride slipped through before he could dress it up.
Something in her shoulders eased.
They stayed. Chips appeared. Aurelia stole half of Arthur’s portion. Chase told a wildly inaccurate story about Arthur being attacked by a squirrel as a teenager, Dani cheekily adding embellishments that only served to make her giggle.
Arthur glared at his brother. It only made her laugh harder.
For a few minutes, everything narrowed to sticky tables, hot drinks, and the sound of his daughter trying not to snort cocoa up her nose.
He didn’t want to break it.
He also knew if he didn’t speak now, he’d bottle it and hate himself later.
“Dani,” he said.
She’d just wiped a marshmallow mustache off Aurelia’s lip. “What?”
He cleared his throat, suddenly conscious of Chase tilting an ear their way. “I’d like to take you to dinner tonight.”
She blinked. “We’re eating now.”
“I mean properly,” he said. “Just us. Somewhere that isn’t full of people staring.”
Her brows lifted. “You’re asking me out.”
“Aye.”
“Like…a date.”
“That’s usually what dinner, just us, means,” he said, heat creeping up his neck.
She looked at him wide-eyed.
“I don’t expect you to forget anything,” he added quickly. “Or forgive all of it. I just—he forced himself to be plain—“want an hour with you that isn’t about…all of this. That’s all.”
She studied him. “Where?”
“Up by the ridge,” he said. “Past the south trail. There’s a hollow that looks over the bay. No lights. Good sky. I can steal a basket from the kitchen and bring blankets. We sit. Eat. Look up. Talk. Or don’t.”
Her mouth parted, surprise flickering into something like reluctant warmth.
“Picnic under the stars,” she said. “Didn’t have you down as a picnic person.”
“I’m not,” he said. “I’m improvising.”
Her lips tugged. “You’re bad at this.”
“I’m trying,” he said simply.
Her gaze dipped to his mouth, then back up.
