Page 44 of The Christmas Lodge
“Let ’em look.” He was grinning from ear to ear and he made sure to give the girl working the front desk a polite nod, pretending that it was completely normal to carry a woman over his shoulder.
“Derek!”
“All right, all right,” Derek conceded.
He swung her off his shoulder and into a cradled position in his arms, about to set her down on the snowy sidewalk when Lacy paused, resting in his arms. “What?”
“Well… the snow. Maybe you can hold me a little longer, at least until we get to your truck,” she said, looking up at him with twinkling mischief in her eyes.
Derek rolled his. “Sonowyou want to be carried. At your service, my queen.”
Lacy gave him a regal nod that made him laugh and he began carrying her across the snow-piled parking lot. Soon enough he had her settled on the passenger seat of his truck. They talked and listened to oldies while they drove to Bella Notte, and he discovered that she loved Etta James and Frank Sinatra just as much as he did. She was just telling him about why she’d never been able to get into Bing Crosby when they pulled up to the restaurant.
“Wow, this looks like a really nice place,” she commented, taking it in.
“I know it’s probably nothing compared to the places you go in St. Louis—”
“Hey,” she said, cutting him off and laying her hand on his arm. “Don’t sell Snowy Pine Ridge, or yourself, short. This looks beautiful.”
Derek smiled. “Wait until you see inside.”
When they walked through the double doors of Bella Notte and Derek had given his name, the host walked them through the intimate dining room to a cozy booth at the back. Lacy looked around as she slid into the booth, and Derek hoped she liked what she saw. White tablecloths covered the tables that dotted the checkerboard floor and candles burned on each one, emitting a soft glow. A man in a tuxedo played quiet dinner music on a grand piano in one corner of the large room. Everything about Bella Notte felt at once intimate and elegant.
“This is really nice.”
“I’m glad you like it. You know, I actually brought my first ever date here, all the way back in high school.”
Lacy raised her eyebrows and glanced over the menu, her eyes widening. “Really? Seems like kind of a steep price tag for a high schooler.”
Derek laughed. “Oh, it was, trust me. I had no idea what I was doing and I thought going on a date meant spending a fortune every time. Blame it on all the old romantic movies I used to watch with my mom.” Derek shot her a look. “And don’t tease me for watching old romantic movies with my mom.”
Lacy laughed. “I wasn’t going to!”
“Oh, yes you were. I saw it in your eyes.”
“No, I wasn’t!” Lacy protested. “I think it’s sweet that you spent time with your mom when you were a teen. Not many do, and I’m sure she loved it.”
Derek shrugged. “I think she did. As for my dating life, I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing even now.”
“Hey, I get it. I feel that way sometimes too. The dating scene is rough in St. Louis. For the record, though, I think you’re doing a great job,” she said, giving him a little wink that made him grin.
A waiter came to the table then, asking if they wanted anything to drink. Lacy ordered a water and Derek asked for one as well, adding that he’d like a bottle of wine for the table. The waiter launched into a litany of the wines available and Derek panicked a little, ultimately choosing the first one the waiter said that he recognized.
This is just what I was telling Lacy,he thought as the waiter walked away,I have no idea what I’m doing.
“That’s my favorite wine,” Lacy commented.
Relief flooded through Derek. “That’s why I picked it.”
“Oh, come on.” Lacy laughed. “You had no idea when you picked it.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I’ll never tell.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh again.
Derek loved this, loved the easy way they could talk to each other, even when he felt a little out of his element. Being with her felt natural, and she never failed to lighten his spirits and make him laugh. Lacy toyed with her napkin and studied him.
“Derek,” she began, her voice a little hesitant now. “When we were talking about dating before, it made me wonder—have you ever found someone you were really serious about?”
Derek sat back in his chair, thinking about her question. It didn’t bother him that she’d asked. In fact, he’d been wondering the same thing about her.
