The following Thursday morning, Candice arrived at work a few minutes earlier than usual. She put her purse in one of the desk drawers and turned on her computer before stealing a glance at the clock on the wall. David would be there soon if he wasn’t running late, and the thought of seeing him again filled her stomach with butterflies. She’d spent every morning that week anticipating his arrival like some lovesick teenager waiting for her prom date, and after battling her inner critic for weeks over the status of their relationship, she knew one thing for certain. She really liked David Maxwell.

Candice knew better than to try and convince herself it was just friendship that kept them seeking each other out during the day and talking on the phone during all hours of the night when they weren’t together. She finally accepted it for what it was, and she was amazed at how freeing that could be. Instead of dissecting every aspect of their "friendship," she let go of the what-ifs and allowed herself to feel true joy for the first time in months.

"I would love to know what's going on inside that pretty little head of yours right now."

David's voice jolted her from her daydream, and she blushed when she caught him standing in her doorway with a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and a cup of orange juice in the other.

"I swear, you're as quiet and stealthy as a church mouse sometimes. Were you some kind of spy in a past life?" she quipped.

David smiled mischievously as he walked over to the desk and handed her the juice. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's classified information."

Candice laughed when he gave her a wink and sat down in one of the chairs across from her. She took a sip from the cup and tried not to let her eyes roam too long over the dress shirt that was stretched taut against his muscular upper body or the rugged sexiness of the five o'clock shadow on his face. "Thank you for the orange juice."

David nodded. "My pleasure. So, are you going to share what you were so deep in thought about when I showed up?"

Candice put her elbows on the desk and leaned in close so she could whisper. "I'm sorry, sir. That's classified information."

David slapped his knee and laughed. "Touché, Miss Hollins."

They drank in silence for a little while until their coworkers started filing through the front door entrance one by one. A couple of them waved to her as they walked by her door, and she didn't miss the curious glances from some of the women when they spotted David in her office. It used to bother her but not anymore. Let them talk if they wanted to. She was happy, and that's all that mattered.

"Do you have an open mind, Candice?" he inquired, keeping his voice low so none of the passersby would overhear.

It was a mysterious question with some intriguing connotations, and she was almost afraid to answer. "I like to consider myself an open-minded person, but I guess it just depends on what you're referring to."

He laughed softly, and the deep rumble made the butterflies in her stomach do somersaults. "There's somewhere I would like to take you and Sarah this weekend, but you need to have an open mind about it because it's kind of different from the other places we've been to. I think you would both enjoy it, though."

She had to admit she was very curious. "Where is it?"

He waggled a finger at her. "That's a secret, and I don't want to spoil the surprise. You'll just have to trust me. Are you in?"

In the not-so-distant past, it would've taken her a lot longer to answer and only after she'd thoroughly weighed the pros and cons but not now. "Yes, I'm in. Is there a dress code for this secret place?"

David stood and made his way to the door. "I don't believe so. Just dress comfortably and wear your boots. That goes for Sarah too. Oh, and it takes a while to get there, so we'll need to leave early." He turned and smiled at her. "I should get to work before Aaron comes looking for me. Talk to you later?"

She nodded and smiled at him, and when he walked away, she relaxed in her chair and took another drink from her cup. Dress comfortably and wear boots. That could describe numerous places to visit in Lehi, but beyond the city limits, she had no idea where he could be planning to take them.

Every day was a new experience with David, and that was one of the many things she loved about him. His zest for life was contagious, and it was so good for her soul and Sarah's having something to look forward to. She couldn't wait to get home and tell her the exciting news.

"I like it when your face shines, Mommy."

Candice gave Sarah a puzzled look as she tucked her into bed that evening. "What do you mean, sweetie?"

Sarah touched one of her cheeks. "When you smile super big, your face shines like the sun. I like that."

The precious sentiment melted her heart, and when Candice lay down beside her, she put her arms around Sarah and hugged her close to her body. "Thank you, doodlebug. It makes me happy when your face shines, too, and I have something to tell you that I hope will make you very happy."

Sarah looked up at her, and her gaze widened with anticipation. "Tell me! Tell me!"

Candice laughed. "Mr. David asked me today if he could take us on another adventure this weekend, and I told him yes. I don't know where we're going, though. He said it's a surprise."

Sarah's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "I love surprises!"

Candice turned over onto her left side and propped her body up on her elbow so she could look at her more closely. "Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want to ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable or unhappy, and if you don't want to go, I want you to be honest with me. Okay?"

Sarah looked befuddled. "I know that, Mommy, but I like Mr. David. He's a nice man, and he's fun to be around. I want to go."

Candice felt relieved as she kissed Sarah's forehead. "Good, because I like him, too, and I'm excited about this surprise."

The house phone rang and interrupted their conversation. Candice tucked the bedsheet under Sarah's chin and kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep. I love you."

She jumped off the bed and raced to her bedroom to answer the phone on her nightstand. "Hello?"

Candice sat down on the side of her bed. David usually called on her cell phone, so she guessed it wasn't him.

"Hey, honey. How are you?" her mother asked. "I haven't heard from you in a while, so I thought I'd call and see how you're doing."

Candice lay down on the bed and positioned the phone between her ear and the pillow. "Hey, Mom. I'm doing good. Just staying busy with work. How are you?"

She could tell by the tone of her voice that she had something on her mind, and she was almost certain it had something to do with David since he had been the main topic of conversation during their last phone call.

"Oh, doing okay, just staying busy with work too. Sam finished his semester at the university this week, so he's out for the summer now. He'll be helping me at the library the next couple of months to earn some extra money."

She smiled as she listened to her mom talk about her brother and work and everything else under the sun for the next several minutes, everything except the one subject she knew she actually called to discuss.

"How are things going with this new gentleman you were telling me about the last time we talked? What's his name? David?"

And there it was.

"Yes, it's David," she replied. "I decided to go out with him, and we had a good time. We enjoy each other's company."

There was a brief pause before her mother spoke again. "That's wonderful, honey. I'm so glad you changed your mind. What about Sarah? Have they met yet?"

Candice smiled. "David adores her, and she likes him too. He's taken us to dinner, to Antelope Island, to the aquarium in Draper, and we're going somewhere this weekend. He's very nice, Mom. I have a feeling you'll like him too."

Candice grabbed the bed comforter and pulled it up over her body. She stifled a yawn and tried to stay awake, but the soft bed and warm cover kept trying to lull her to sleep.

"Well, you sound very happy, so I'm sure I’ll like him. When do we get to meet him?"

The thought of introducing David to her mom and siblings was enough to jar her awake. Barry was the only man she'd introduced to her family, and even though her mom sounded confident, that didn't mean her brothers and sister would feel the same way. They were close to Barry and had grown accustomed to him, so bringing a new man into the fold was daunting, to say the least.

"I don't know," she replied. "Things have been going so well, perhaps too well. What if you met him and liked him and then something happened between us?"

Her mother laughed. "Oh, Candice, stop being such a Negative Nelly. I know it's been a long time since you've dated someone, but he sounds great, and I'm positive things will work out for the best."

Candice relaxed against the pillow and closed her eyes. "I hope so, Mom. I really do."