Special night?” she asked in a too-high tone before I could slip past the kitchen.
“Nothing too exciting.” I tried to blow off the question, but she was like a dog with a fresh, meaty bone.
“Is that so?” She quirked a single brow in my direction, making me wonder what she knew.
Rather than risk being caught in a lie, I gave a half-nod. This prompted her to say, “Hmm. Mimi mentioned seeing that handsome, young veterinarian walking out of the men’s store this morning with a new tie. Is that timing a coincidence?”
“Perhaps,” I answered before running out the door. Leave it to the older generation of women in this town to know what was going on, even at the men’s store. Secrets were not something that could survive any length of time in this town.
I got to the small Italian restaurant early, but Noah was already there waiting for me. He was prompt, too. It was starting to appear that the man truly was perfect.
He stood when I approached the table. I gave him a genuine smile in greeting before sitting down.
“I love your tie,” I commented as soon as I was settled in my chair, silently thanking my mom for the tip.
“Oh, this old thing?” He gave me a knowing smile, making me wonder if he had already figured out that seeing Mimi outside the store meant that I already knew he’d purchased it this morning.
He asked my permission before ordering a fancy bottle of red wine, cheesy garlic bread, and lasagna for us both. If we ended up going on additional dates, I would have to let him know I prefer to order my own food. For tonight, I decided to take it as a chivalrous, if slightly old-fashioned, gesture.
I was disappointed when I heard him order the garlic toast. That didn’t bode well for our chances of sharing a fantastic goodnight kiss.
Once the wine arrived, I took a big gulp. My nerves could use a swift kick in the pants, and I was hoping the alcohol would be just what was needed to liven up our conversation.
He showed me how to swirl and sip the wine to properly appreciate the ‘nose’ as I tried not to comment on how pretentious he sounded as he schooled me.
I forced myself to let that slight annoyance go, and soon, we were chatting about everything under the sun. He told me about the frogs and snakes he used to sneak into his room as a child. Caring for them was what helped him decide to study to become a veterinarian. I told him about my constant need for justice, even in playground disputes, that led me to a career in the law.
“But you didn’t finish law school?” I tried not to notice the judgment that edged his tone.
“Not yet,” I answered, doing my best not to sound defensive.
“Hmm.” I’m sure he intended for it to sound noncommittal, but he ended up just seeming like a pompous ass.
I was ready to toss down my napkin and leave in a huff, until he added, “I’m sure you’ll finish and pass the bar exam. You seem like the type of woman who can do anything she puts her mind to.”
The compliment and subsequent raising of his glass in my direction blew me away. I had been starting to become convinced that he didn’t like me at all, and that we were all wrong for each other, but then he knocked it out of the park with his kind, sincere-sounding words.
“Thank you,” I said, even as I felt my cheeks flush with heat.
To shift the subject back to him, I asked, “How are you liking our little town?”
“Oh, I love it!” he enthused.
I gave him a wide smile because I couldn’t agree more with his glowing assessment of the picturesque location that we called home.
He seemed to be lost in thought when he said, “My Grammy brought our family here on vacation a couple of times when I was a kid. Those trips are some of the best memories of my childhood.”
Something about the wistful way he uttered the words made me think that he didn’t have a lot of happy memories from growing up, but I decided not to ask him about it just yet. We had plenty of time to discover all of each other’s secrets.
The conversation flowed naturally after that, and soon it was time for dessert. I was stuffed, so I suggested we go for a walk downtown, instead. Noah readily