Page 58 of The Wish List
“Honey, I’ve seen a lot of couples have dinner over the years. When a man looks at a woman like our police chief is staring at you, he’s got more on his mind than a plate of gnocchi.”
“I’ll remember that.” Trinity could feel her face heat as she walked toward the booth. It still felt a bit ridiculous to be dating at seven months pregnant, but there was no denying the butterflies flitting across her stomach as Ash stood and took her hand.
He gave it a gentle squeeze. “You look lovely.”
She wanted to deny it. She wasn’t used to receiving compliments. Even before Dave’s outright cruelty, she hadn’t exactly picked men who were known for their sweetness.
“Hello, Chief. Nice to see you out and about for a change.” The waitress who approached the table looked to be in her mid to late forties with a short bob and bright red lips. “A few of the ladies around town wondered whether you were in the right line of work. Not that you aren’t a great police chief. I appreciate how you got my Michael on the straight and narrow. But there was talk...”
Trinity leaned forward. “What kind of talk?”
“Don’t encourage Abigail,” Ash warned.
Trinity imagined petty criminals and mischievous teens cowed by that tone, but she was made of sterner stuff.
“Someone suggested that our strapping, virile police chief might be better suited for a monastery.” The older woman winked at Trinity. “I can see our fears were unfounded.”
“Oh.” Trinity wasn’t sure how to respond, although the woman’s gaze was approving. She sat back and patted her stomach. “I hope I’m an okay dinner companion, but I’m not exactly in the market for virile at this point.”
Ash choked out a laugh. “Why are we having this conversation?” he asked, sounding genuinely confused. “Because it’s awful.”
“I like teasing you, Chief.” Abigail chucked him on the shoulder. “What can I bring y’all? Probably not a bottle of wine.”
“I’ll have water,” Trinity told her.
“Same for me,” Ash said. “I’m picking up Michaela after this.”
“Can I put in an order of calamari as well?”
Trinity nodded. “That sounds delicious.”
“It also happens to be the chief’s favorite,” Abigail said. “I’ll be right back with those waters and some fresh bread.”
“Did you bring me here so you could show off your fan club?” Trinity asked when they were alone again.
Ash covered his face with his hands. “We should have gone to the next town over. The next state over—someplace where they don’t know me.”
“I think it’s cute. This is how it should be in a small town, but my family never fit in the right way. I guess May does now, but that didn’t help us back in the day.”
She held up a hand when he would have responded. “I don’t want to talk about how things used to be tonight. Not for me anyway. I feel like you know so much about me.”
He shook his head. “I think there’s a lot I don’t know about you, Trinity Carlyle.”
She did her best not to squirm under his assessing gaze. “Be that as it may, I’d like to talk about you. Tell me what inspired you to go into law enforcement. Was your father a police officer?”
Ash shook his head, his gaze taking on a hard glint. “My father was a petty criminal who took on jobs for the kingpin in our neighborhood because he always had some gambling debt or another to pay off. Eventually, he was killed during a raid.”
He said the words without emotion, but Trinity could feel the anger rolling off him in waves.
“Ash, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Your father’s difficulties inspired you to become a cop? It’s noble.”
He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Thank you, but I feel like I need a do-over on this whole night. One where I’m smart enough not to take you to someplace the staff knows me or to start the conversation with my father’s murder. I wanted this to be light and easy, Trinity, a break for both of us.”
Abigail returned to the table with two ice waters and a basket of fresh bread that smelled divine. “We have both regular and our homemade garlic butter,” she said as she placed two ramekins on the table. “The garlic butter is fantastic as long as you share it.”
“Why?” Trinity asked.
“Because then you won’t notice if he kisses you good-night and you both have garlic bread breath.”
