A Hickory Ridge Christmas by Corbit Dana

Author:Corbit, Dana
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
Published: 2006-04-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“Are you sure this place isn’t too expensive?” Hannah glanced around nervously, first at the crisp, white tablecloths and crystal stemware and then at the candles that cast the whole restaurant in a golden glow. At least he’d warned her the place would be dressy, or she might have worn jeans instead of the long, black-velvet skirt, cream sweater and the dress boots she’d chosen.

This place—maybe her accepting Todd’s invitation altogether—might have been a mistake. He’d made reservations less than twenty-four hours after she’d agreed to have dinner with him, not even giving her time to change her mind.

“Well, I might be a little short. Do you think you can pick up the difference?”

Todd gave that mischievous half smile that had always made her feel light-headed and made her stomach tickle. “I can afford it. Maybe not every week, but I can afford it. I have a job now, remember?”

“But Five Lakes Grill? It’s so extravagant.” She glanced out the restaurant’s front window that faced Main Street. Garlands still wrapped the streetlamps and holiday lights still glimmered in the store across the street, but she could see a few signs in the windows that read After-Christmas Sale.

“You finally agreed to go out with me. I wanted to impress you. Did it work?”

Hannah glanced around the room again and then back at Todd. He’d impressed her, all right. Dressed all in black, from his wool sport coat to his turtleneck and trousers, he’d never looked more handsome. Even the candlelight seemed to give him special attention, dancing over the blond highlights that remained in his hair.

She cleared her throat. “You didn’t have to impress me.”

“But I did, didn’t I?”

She nodded, pressing her hand over the flutter in her stomach. Though she glanced away from his intense gaze, she could still feel him watching her. Why was she so nervous, anyway? During the short span of their friendship, she’d gotten to know this man better than most people ever knew each other. They’d shared their deepest thoughts, their failures and their fears.

Todd had borne the pain of her mother’s death as if the loss had been from his own heart. How could she have forgotten all those stolen hours of intimacy that had nothing to do with the physical and everything to do with why she’d fallen in love with him?

Then the idea struck her that although they’d shared food and conversation together so many times, they’d never gone on a real date before. Dating had seemed extraneous to the relationship they’d already built together.

“Can you believe this is our first date?”

Hannah stiffened at his words, and her cheeks warmed. She shouldn’t have been surprised that his thoughts had traveled the same path as her own, but she was.

Either the candlelight hid her discomfort or he pretended not to notice, but he continued as if she’d already answered him.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m really nervous.”

An ironic chuckle bubbled inside her throat. “It doesn’t seem right, does it?”

He shook his head.

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