Page 23 of Make Me Swoon

“Where are we headed?” I ask him as he starts up the SUV.

“I thought that we would head over to Lilac Harbor and check out the restaurants there.”

“Oh, I see. Is this a research mission or a date?”

“A date. Definitely a date.”

I lean back in my seat, smiling as Hudson reaches over and picks up my hand.

“How was work?” he asks and I shrug.

“Slow. We had like two tours the whole day. I got all of the stocking done though and I got to hang out with Teller and Bandit for a bit, so still a good day.”

“Sounds like it,” Hudson says with a smile as he squeezes my hand.

“What about you? Create any new culinary masterpieces today?”

“No, not quite. I did inventory today too. We got our produce delivery this morning and I spent the morning helping with that and the afternoon balancing books and finishing up some paperwork.”

“Being a chef sounds boring,” I tease and he laughs.

“The business side can be sometimes,” he admits as we head out of Destiny Falls and farther down the coast to Lilac Harbor.

“I’m not a businesswoman but it seems to me that not opening more restaurants might help with the business side a bit.”

“Smartass.” He laughs and I grin at him, smiling wider when his thumb rubs against the back of my hand.

Lilac Harbor isn’t far from Destiny Falls and it doesn’t take us long to pull in front of the Blue Plate. The Blue Plate is a casual restaurant right on the water. It’s a two-story restaurant with a deck on the lower and upper level so that diners can sit and enjoy the water.

“I’ve heard about this place. Iris loves it. She said that she and Madelyn always come here for her birthday.”

“I’ve heard that it’s good, but I don’t get over to Lilac Harbor that often. I’m always working at night, so I don’t eat out that much.”

“Well, I’m glad that you made an exception tonight for me.”

“Always,” he says as he hops out and I open my door, hopping out and joining him at the sidewalk.

I take his hand, interlacing our fingers as we head inside and up to the hostess stand.

“Table for two?” a pretty brunette asks Hudson and he nods. “Would you like to sit inside or out?”

I don’t know how she manages to say that and make it come across like a pickup line, but she does.

“Inside,” Hudson tells her, turning to me to make sure that that’s okay and I nod.

“Yeah, with the breeze off the water, it’s a little too chilly out there for me.”

She gives me a tight smile and I roll my eyes at her antics. That earns me a glare and Hudson wraps his arm around my shoulders, laughing as the waitress continues to glare at me as she grabs our menus.

“Look at you. Making friends all over the place.”

“She started it,” I sass back and he laughs, tugging me closer to his side.

“You don’t have to worry. I only have eyes for you,” he whispers in my ear, and I bite back a grin as we reach our table.

“Here you go,” the hostess says, batting her eyes at Hudson, but he doesn’t even look at her.

He pulls out my chair and I sink down, picking up a menu. Hudson sits across from me and we’re quiet as we look over the menu. Our table is right by a window overlooking the water and I watch as the sun starts to set.

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