Page 55 of Lorcan
Of course, I would never.
“Just… I’ve spent a lot of time being cold, and sometimes it’s nice to be toasty.”
I was trying to parse that as we approached Fifties. The lineup was halfway down the building. Even in this chilly morning, people were willing to stand out in the cold. “Do you want to get on the reservation list, or do you want to go elsewhere?White Spot? Or we can just go back to A&W or McDonalds. Or Starbucks? Timmies?”
He squeezed my hand. “I’m happy to wait. We can get to know each other better.”
My insides warmed. “That sounds great.”
We approached a young woman who sat on a stool at a high-top table with a clipboard and a pen.
I offered my widest smile.
“For two?” She eyed us.
I nodded.
Even as I spoke, an older couple exited the restaurant.
The young woman at the table stuck one finger in the air, then headed into the restaurant.
A blast of warm air hit us—making me realize how cold the outside temperature really was. “We should’ve worn gloves.”
“But holding your hand wouldn’t be the same.” Lorcan offered a shy smile.
“I have a booth for two at the back.” The young woman held the door open for us.
A quick glance around showed every other party was three to six people.
“Oh, fantastic.” Again, I smiled. “We’re mighty appreciative.”
“My pleasure.”
We walked into the diner and pivoted, heading to the back booth which was, luckily, empty. The ambient noise was high today—with plenty of kids, families, and just a general happy atmosphere.
After sliding into the little booth, we both removed our jackets. I snagged the menu—even though I was pretty certain I knew what I wanted.
Lorcan was slower to snag his.
I grasped his hand. “This morning is on me, and you can cook dinner tonight.” I wasn’t certain of the extent of his culinary skills, but I had plenty of easy meals.
“Oh.” He shifted a couple of inches before meeting my gaze.
Is he uncomfortable because I grabbed his hand? We were holding hands outside—
“I thought we’d eat leftover spaghetti.”
“We can. I just figured those would be my lunches and we could cook something else tonight. I have some chicken breasts. I think some ground beef as well. We could make tacos.” A smile spread across my face. “I love tacos.”
“That would make you happy?”
“Something simple and hearty? You bet.”Please believe me. Just because I have a bit of money in the bank, doesn’t mean I need expensive things.Anda bit of moneywas relative. I had a rainy-day fund. The rest of my money went to paying down my mortgage.
“Thank you.” He ducked his head.
But didn’t let go of my hand.
“Good morning.” Sarabeth stood by the edge of the booth. “Lovely to see you both.” She spotted our entwined hands and her grin grew. “Oh, I hope this is a long-term thing. You make the cutest couple.” She snagged her pen and notepad. “Have you decided?”
