The rest of the week flew by in a happy blur. Every night after work, she sat with Ryder and Maggie and then Ryder walked her to her car and they kissed, for a long time. On Sunday were going to his favorite Italian restaurant in Riston, the next town over and she was looking forward to it. Though she didn’t really care where they went as long as they were together.

And when Sunday morning came, she and her mother went to the spa at the Quinn hotel for massages and then a long hot soak in the hot springs. They’d both been before of course, because how could you live in Quinn Valley and never visit the hot springs? But it had been many years since either of them had been. She knew it was supposed to have healing properties too.

“How does it feel?” she asked her mother as they relaxed in the warm water.

“Heavenly. It’s like nature’s hot tub.”

Bethany smiled. “We really should do this more often.”

Once they were done soaking and got dressed, they took a drive downtown and had a nice lunch at Phil’s diner. She’d been going there with her mother for as long as she could remember. And they almost always got the same thing. Chocolate shakes, cheese burgers and onion rings.

“I love all that healthy food you’ve had me eating, but sometimes a little grease is good.” Her mother winked as she took a big bite of her burger. A minute later she asked, “So, Ryder’s taking you out to dinner tonight. Will this be your first real date?”

“It will. In a way though, because I see him every day and night, it almost feels like we’ve been together longer.”

“Well, you do have some history.”

“That’s true. Though it feels like it was a million years ago.”

“You’re still the same people. Just older, and hopefully wiser.” Her mother reached for an onion ring and dunked in ketchup before taking a bite.

“I hope we’re wiser. We’ll find out I guess.”

Her mother frowned. “Well that doesn’t sound very optimistic. I think the two of you belong together. I always have. Don’t worry so much. Just enjoy every day as it comes. That’s something I’ve learned recently.”

“You’re right.” Bethany took a sip of her chocolate shake. It was rich and creamy and probably not at all what she should be having since she was going out to dinner later. “Your pet scan is tomorrow right? I can go with you if you like?” She knew her mother was nervous about what the results of the full body scan would be.

“I’d like that. I’ve been falling asleep with my crystals every night….I’m feeling hopeful.”

“I am too.”

Bethany tried on at least a dozen outfits before finally settling on her favorite faded jeans, a white top with a long, flowing caramel cashmere sweater over it and black leather cowboy boots. She ran a curling iron through her hair to add some soft, tousled waves and finished the look with a deep rose lipstick. She almost felt like she was back in high school as she waited for her date to come and pick her up. When she heard the knock at the door, the butterflies in her stomach went crazy. She told herself it was silly. It was just Ryder after all and she’d known him forever.

But when she came downstairs and saw him chatting with her mother, she just stared for a minute. She hadn’t seen Ryder all dressed up in a long time. He was looking sharp in a button-down shirt and tie and a navy blazer over jeans. His hair was lightly gelled and when he turned her way and smiled, his cute dimple and his eyes fought for her attention. The eyes won as they always did.

“Hi, Ryder.”

“Bethany. You look beautiful.”

“She does, doesn’t she?” her mother said proudly.

“Thank you. See you in a while, mom.”

“You two have fun.”

Bethany stepped outside and saw Ryder’s car at the curb. They drove off and spent the whole ride laughing about silly things they’d seen that week at the restaurant. There was no shortage of stories to share. The ride to Riston went by in no time and they soon arrived at Mamma Mia’s, the Italian restaurant Ryder liked so much.

She was glad to see that they were busy, but not too busy. There were a few empty tables, and they were led to a nice one by a cozy fireplace.

Their server appeared a minute or so later to take their drink order and they ordered a bottle of chianti.

Once the wine was poured, and they put their orders in, Ryder picked up his glass and tapped it against hers.

“To our first real date. First of many I hope.”

Bethany looked around the room, at the cheerful glow of the fire, the hum of conversation around them and the smell of garlic and tomatoes. Their server returned to their table and set down a basket of hot crusty bread and a dish of olive oil and spices.

“I can see why you like it here,” she said as she took a piece of bread and dunked it in the fragrant oil. And then she shared her big news.

“So, I got a call from my realtor today. She had two showings this week on my condo. And both people made an offer.”

“Wow! That’s good news. The market must really be hot there.”

“That’s what she said, but I didn’t realize it would happen that quickly.”

Ryder frowned. “Are you sure you want to sell?”

“Oh, I’m sure. I accepted one of the offers. We close in a month.”

“That’s great! Congratulations.” He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Did I tell you I’m thinking about building a house?”

“No. What kind of house? Where?”

“I bought a lot of land a few years ago as an investment. It’s on a lake and is a good size, over two acres. I thought at one point that I might want to subdivide and sell it, but it’s a really pretty spot and I think I want to keep it as is.”

“I’ve always thought it would be fun to build my own dream house. To get everything exactly the way I want it.”

“What would that look like to you?” Ryder broke off a piece of bread and dipped it in the oil.

Bethany thought about that for a minute. “Maybe a rustic contemporary style with lots of big windows that would overlook the water, and a big deck to sit outside and have coffee.”

“That sounds good. What else?”

“Three or maybe four bedrooms in case I have children at some point. A comfortable living room or family room and of course an amazing kitchen.”

“Of course.”

“What would you want?” she asked.

“Not too different. Most of what you said, plus a basement for a man cave and a three-car garage.”

“But you only have one car.”

“For now. I might want more and maybe I might live with someone someday and that person probably would have a car.”

“True. Where do you live now?” The last time they dated, Ryder lived at home with his family.

“I’m renting for now, a condo not far from the restaurant. It’s convenient but kind of vanilla. I’m looking forward to having a little more space. And the lake lot isn’t far, maybe a ten minute drive to Quinn’s.”

Their meals were delivered a few minutes later, chicken parmesan for Ryder and gnocchi with meatballs for Bethany. The potato based pasta was homemade and cooked to perfection, light and pillowy and the sauce was delicious. Ryder looked happy with his dinner too. As they ate and chatted, Bethany noticed the way Ryder’s dimple and the laugh lines around his mouth and eyes made his face so attractive.

He seemed more relaxed now than when she first started at the restaurant too. There was a nervous tension around him then that she knew was partly due to her sudden appearance but also his worries about the restaurants financial situation. She was relieved that sales were still trending upwards and that feedback so far on the food had been overwhelmingly positive.

“I had an interesting phone call before I left to pick you up,” Ryder began.

“Oh?”

“A buddy of mine works at the newspaper and told me to be sure to check the review page tomorrow. Evidently their lifestyles editor that also does the occasional restaurant review was in last week sometime for dinner.”

Bethany felt a pit in her stomach. She’d seen the damage a bad review could do to a restaurant before.

“Was he warning you? Or do you think it might be positive?”

“He didn’t say, probably couldn’t say until the review is live. But, he was in a good mood. And I can’t imagine anyone would give your food a bad review.”

“Well, I hope he liked whatever he had. A good review could be helpful.”

“Don’t be all worried now. I really do think this probably good news. Let’s toast to the possibility of it.” He raised his glass and Bethany laughed and tapped hers against his and took a sip.

“Now, let’s just hope you didn’t jinx us!”

He chuckled. “I don’t believe in jinxing. But I do believe in you. I wouldn’t say this in front of my mother, but you’re a better chef than she is.”

“Thank you. And no, that can never be said to her! Besides, I had the advantage of formal training.”

Ryder took his last bite of chicken and set his fork down. He’d cleaned his plate while Bethany still had more than half of her dinner left. She’d be taking the rest home with her.

“Did you save any room for dessert?” he asked.

“I’m pretty stuffed. But if you want something, I could probably take a bite or two to help.”

He grinned. “Let’s share a cannoli. ”

Their server cleared their plates and set a single cannoli between them along with two forks. It was one of Bethany’s favorite desserts and this one looked just like the ones she used to get in New York’s Little Italy restaurants. The ricotta filling was rich and creamy with a hint of sweetness and the edges were dipped in tiny chocolate chips. The shell was crisp and the perfect vehicle for the filling. She had two small bites and let Ryder finish the rest.

“Good, huh?” he said as he polished off the last bite..

“So good.”

Ryder reached for the bill when it was delivered and handed it back to the server with his credit card.

“Where should we go from here? Figs on Main Street usually has live music if you want to check that out. It’s not too far of a walk from here.”

“Sure. I could use a good walk.”

After Ryder signed the credit card slip, Bethany put her bag with her leftovers in the car and they walked over to Figs. The air was brisk and cool with a slight wind as they walked. Bethany snuggled into her coat to ward off the wind and was glad when they reached Figs a few minutes later. The restaurant bar was warm and lively as they stepped inside. It looked like a small band was getting ready to play a set.

There were no open cocktail tables or seats at the bar, but there was a spot against the wall where they could be out of the way and also have a good view of the music.

“What can I get you? I’m going to go up to the bar.”

“I’d love a coffee, with a little Frangelico in it.”

Ryder smiled. “And whipped cream?”

“Of course!”

While he was getting their drinks at the bar, Bethany watched the band get ready. There were two guys on guitar and a pretty woman with long caramel colored wavy hair. She looked vaguely familiar and Bethany wondered if she might have seen her somewhere before.

She noticed Ryder chatting with a guy at the bar. It looked like they knew each other. He returned with their drinks a few minutes later and handed Bethany her coffee. She took a sip. The hot coffee and nutty flavor of the hazelnut liqueur warmed her right up.

“What are you drinking?” Ryder was sipping something clear with a lemon floating in it.

“Just soda water. I’m too full for anything else and still have to drive us back.”

“True. Who was that you were talking to at the bar?”

“That’s Wade. Wade Weston. He’s the general manager of the River’s End Ranch resort here in Riston. I know him from college. He’s a great guy. He said that Lily, the singer in the band tonight, also works for him handling events.”

“Oh, I thought she looked familiar! I think my mother mentioned something about her a while back. There was an article about her in the local paper. She’s a songwriter too, right?”

“I think so. Oh, and I talked to Wade briefly about our discount coupons. He thought that was a great idea and said he might want to have some to give out at the ranch too.”

“Don’t they have a restaurant at the ranch too?”

“Yes, but he knows the guests won’t want to go there every night. And the hot springs in Quinn Valley is a perfect day trip for people staying at River’s End. And if they come to our town, we’re happy to feed them.”

When the band began to play, Ryder put his arms around her and she leaned into him, listening and enjoying the music. So far, it had been a perfect night and being in Ryder’s arms was exactly where she wanted to be. She sighed with happiness.

“Having fun?” he whispered in her ear.

“Yes. So much fun.”

They left after the band finished their set. The temperature had dropped even more and the walk back to the car was a cold one. Ryder turned on the heat as soon as they drove out of town and it didn’t take long to warm up. Bethany wasn’t eager for the evening to end, but it wasn’t long before Ryder pulled onto her mother’s street and stopped in front of her house. He jumped out of the car and came around to open her door, which made her smile. He was such a gentleman.

“Don’t forget tomorrow’s lunch.” He handed her the small bag that was on the floor of the car.

“Thank you. And thank you for a wonderful night.”

“It’s not over just yet. I still need to kiss you.” He pulled her close and brought his lips to hers. She inhaled his scent, the fresh wonderful smell that was uniquely his. It was addicting, and she leaned into him and deepened the kiss. If it wasn’t so cold, she could have kissed him much longer, but when she shivered, he pulled back.

“I think that’s our sign to call it a night.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“And you have a big day tomorrow. Big for your mom that is.” She’d told him about the scan her mother was going for and how they were hoping for good news.

“Yes. We’re all praying hard.”

“Well, let her know she’s in my thoughts and my mother’s too. And Maggie’s.”

“I will. Goodnight, Ryder.”