Daddy in the Making

She gripped the counter even tighter with her free hand. Thing was, she didn’t trust herself around this man. Whenever he was within range, her blood heated, her heart twirled, her body urged her to do things she shouldn’t even be dreaming of repeating with him.

Ground rules. Maybe she should just make some for him and for her.

“If we had dinner tonight,” she said, “it wouldn’t be anything …”

“Romantic?” He nodded. “I understand.”

She couldn’t decipher his expression, but the sinking sensation in her chest was real easy to read. Had she actually expected him to beg her to take up where they’d left off? He had to be just as wary of coming back to face her as she was to see him, and just because he was here didn’t mean he …

Well, that he remembered that night and the connection she’d thought they had, even just after several hours together.

He backed away from the counter, seemingly satisfied now. While putting his hat back on, he said, “What time’s good for you?”

It’d been a long while since she’d gotten ready to go out socially after work, so she calculated quickly. “Six?”

“Six it is.”

“There’s a good fish shack by Dempsy Lake, south of town. The Levee, they call it.” It was very public, although a little bit off the beaten track in St. Valentine itself, and usually populated by families during the afternoons she’d been there.

“Sounds good.” He sent her that grin again.

As he tipped his hat to her and went out the doorway, she held her breath.

And, for the rest of the day, it felt as if she never let it go.