to spot the boat tied up there, an antique wooden Chris-Craft.
She gasped, looking at him. “Is that Adam’s boat? How’d you pull that off? He won’t even let me drive it.”
“I gave him my extensive list of boating credentials and signed over my firstborn.”
“This is so great. I’ve only been in it once.”
He sensed her relaxing into the date. With another woman a fancy dinner and theater tickets might impress. Grace was different. She was comfortable outside, comfortable on the water. And, of course, he’d taken all that into account because he wanted her to relax and enjoy their evening.
They made their way down the grassy slope, no longer holding hands. She preceded him down the wooden dock, which shimmied under their weight.
When he pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them over to her, her eyes widened. “What? I can drive it?”
“She’s all yours for the evening. Got Adam’s permission and everything.”
She gawked at the boat, then back at him. “What kind of magician are you? How did you do this?”
“I enlisted your sister’s help, that’s all. Seems she has a lot of sway with her husband.”
“She didn’t say a word.”
“We’ve been texting back and forth the past couple hours.” Wyatt had planned to rent a boat for the night, but when he asked Molly what Grace’s favorite type of boat was, she went on a mission to make the date a success. God bless her.
He helped Grace into the boat, untied the lines, and stepped aboard. As Grace sank onto the bench seat behind the wheel, her wide smile was contagious. Once he was seated she started the engine and it roared to life, making the boat vibrate beneath them.
Wyatt pointed across the lake. “Head that way, Captain.”
Grace beamed at him. “Aye, aye, sir.”
He’d thought it might take a while to arrive at their destination. Grace had obviously taken time with her hair, and he knew by now women didn’t like having their hard work undone.
But once Grace cleared the no-wake zone, she went full throttle, her hair waving behind her like a flag. And Wyatt thought it might be the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
* * *
“That was so fun.” Grace settled across from Wyatt at a patio table behind Clem’s Lake Shack where they could keep a close eye on Adam’s boat.
“She sure rides like a dream.”
Grace used her fingers to unsnarl her hair. She probably looked all windblown, but it had been worth it. “And I love this restaurant. Have you been here before?”
“No, but I’ve heard great things. Some hikers were telling me I shouldn’t miss it, and Molly confirmed that you liked it.”
“I do. It’s been a while though.” The restaurant wasn’t fancy, but it wasn’t quite the “shack” it claimed to be either. The shaded outdoor patio overlooking the lake made it popular with tourists, and the tasty dishes made it one of the Bennetts’ top restaurant recommendations.
The temperature was pleasant tonight, around seventy, and a light breeze blew in off the lake. All in all, a perfect night for patio dining.
“I have a confession to make,” Grace said after the server took their drink order and left. “I don’t usually like surprises.”
“People who say that usually mean they fear the surprise will be a bad one.”
“Hmm. That might be true. So you went out of your way to make sure this was a good surprise.”
“It wasn’t that much trouble.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “You deserve better than putt-putt.”
Though he said it lightly, she could tell he meant it. For someone who’d initially been so mysterious he was certainly up front with her. She’d expect a man like him, so good-looking and confident, to be a bit of a player. He was anything but.
“You’re certainly full of surprises.”
The server set their waters down. “I’ll be right back to take your orders.”
After she left Wyatt leaned his elbows on the white tablecloth. “How so?”
“Shall we start with the Secret Service job or go straight to our soul-baring camp conversations? Please. You’ve done nothing but surprise me since we met. It even surprised me that you asked me out.”
“After that kiss?”
She cleared her throat and twisted her hands in her lap. “Yeah, well, that was a surprise too.”
His eyes pierced hers, and the cord of tension pulled tight between them. “I think we can agree on that.”
The server stopped to take their order, but they hadn’t even opened their menus. They took a moment to peruse the options. Grace settled