Page 36
Eleanor’s smile shifted easily to Mara. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“You too. I have a reservation. Benton.”
“I saw it.” Eleanor picked up two menus and tucked them under her arm without looking at them. “Come on. I’ve got a table by the window for you.”
Of course Mara had made a reservation. Gabe smiled at the back of her head as they followed Eleanor across the room, past the bar and the photographs, to a table where the glass reflected the candlelit room back at them.
Mara took off her jacket and hung it over the back of her chair before sitting opposite him. Eleanor put the menus down and left them to it.
When Gabe looked up, Mara was already watching him. Neither of them looked away until she smiled, caught out and not the least bit sorry.
This, his bear said quietly. This is what we wanted.
Oh yeah, Gabe agreed. He reached for his menu, smiling, but found it was hard to drag his gaze away from Mara long enough to read any of it.
A server appeared before he had made much progress. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Wine?” Mara asked Gabe.
“Definitely.” Gabe nodded.
“Then can you recommend something?” Mara asked the server. “I’m told the local Thornberg wine is good.”
“It is,” the server agreed eagerly.
They settled on a Thornberg red, and Mara waited until the server had gone before she said, “I’m doing a tasting at the Thornberg vineyard tomorrow, so I ought to know what I’m drinking before I get there.”
“You are?” Gabe asked.
“It was one of the things I booked before I came. I’d read about it and thought it sounded like a good afternoon, and then I very nearly canceled along with everything else.” She turned her glass a quarter turn on the table. “I decided not to.”
“Good.” Gabe was glad she hadn’t. “Then tomorrow you can tell me whether we picked the right one tonight.”
“I’m not going to become an expert in a single afternoon,” she replied.
“I have every confidence in you.” He smiled at her, and she smiled back, looking relaxed and happy.
And that made him happy.
The wine arrived, rich and dark and smelling of the fall. After they had both tasted it, Gabe finally managed to pay attention to the menu. Mostly.
Mara caught him looking at her instead and raised her eyebrows. “Having trouble choosing?”
“It all sounds so good.”
“That is a terrible problem to have,” she said gravely.
“It’s one I’m willing to live with,” he said, just as gravely.
She laughed, and they ordered, and once the server had gone, Mara lifted her glass. “Should we make a toast?”
“To what?”
Us, his bear replied.
She considered it. “To tonight?”
Gabe picked up his own glass. “To tonight.”
