“Yes, you did.” He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “You love me. Just like I love you. It’s probably all the spell’s doing right now, and that’s okay. We’ll soon see if it’s real or not. But Alice told us to stop fighting it. How about for what might be our last night under the influence, we give in and let go and see what happens?”
“You’re asking a lot.”
“One night. That’s not so much.”
Her brows arched with the skepticism he’d come to expect. “What exactly are you proposing with this one night?”
“Oh, I’m talking about the big D.” Grinning, he tugged her back toward Howler’s. “A date. You know, dinner, maybe some ice cream after, along with a stroll through town enjoying the evening air, doing a little window-shopping. Holding hands. What couples all over the world do when they’re out together.”
She was smiling now. “We do need to eat.”
“See? Fun and practical. Come on, Blythe, you know you want to. We can even sit on the same side of the booth again.” He’d liked that. Being close to her was nice.
She gave in, no longer resisting his attempt to move her. “All right. I’m in. But how about we don’t eat at the restaurant your sister owns? Not that I don’t like Howler’s, but it’s sort of home-court advantage for you. Plus, you know Bridget will probably be texting Birdie updates every five minutes. That’s if Birdie doesn’t show up before our drinks arrive.”
He stopped in his tracks. “Yeah, that’s true.” And neither of them needed the added pressure of being watched by his family. “So where do you want to go?”
Her mouth pursed coyly. “Somewhere else.”
She wanted him to make the decisions. His idea, his plan. And if it all went south, he’d have to take the blame. Fine. But tonight was going to be great. He’d show her just how perfect things could be for them as a couple. “We aren’t dressed for anything fancy. How about barbecue, then? Big Daddy Bones. You said I should try it.”
“I did. Okay, let’s go.”
Twilight was fast approaching, dinner was in full swing, and the place was packed, meaning there would be a wait even for the outdoor seating, which was primarily what the restaurant had. But the smoky goodness permeating the air made both of their stomachs growl.
Jenna put her hand on her belly. “I don’t know if I can wait. I’m starving all of a sudden. I really want barbecue, but forty-five minutes seems like an eternity.”
“I’m right there with you.” He would have been happy to go to Howler’s, but Jenna wanted barbecue, and he wanted to make her happy.
A thought came to him.
“I have an idea.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
She followed. “If you can get us dinner without the forty-five minute wait, you’re my hero.”
That was all the motivation Titus needed. He took them straight to the takeout window. There weren’t many people in line, since seating was reserved for table service. Customers getting food at the window weren’t eating it on the premises.
She nudged him. “I don’t want to rain on your parade, but barbecue is messy enough to eat sitting down. Standing up to eat it seems like a disaster waiting to happen.”
He winked at her. “We’re not going to eat standing up.”
Their turn to order came up, and hunger drove their decisions. They ended up with two sampler platters, an extra rack of dry-rub ribs, baked beans, green beans, coleslaw, cornbread, banana pudding for dessert, and drinks.
Titus paid, then turned to her. “Can you wait here for the food to come up? I’ll just be a few minutes. I need to go do something.”
She gave him a curious look but nodded. “Sure.”
He went out to his truck in the parking lot, keeping an eye on the time as he worked. He really hoped she liked his efforts, but the possibility existed she might think he’d lost it.
When he got back, their order was just being called. They each took a bag.
“Okay.” She looked at him. “Where are we sitting?”
“You’ll see. Right this way.”
He led her to the back of his truck. “What do you think?”
After putting the tailgate down, he’d set up his cooler in the center of the truck bed as a table and draped it with the old plaid blanket he kept on the back seat. With no candle or flowers to use as a centerpiece, he’d gone with the small emergency lantern that was part of the kit he kept with him at all times. He’d used two stadium cushions, left over from his nephew Charlie’s last soccer game, for seats.
“You just came up with this?”
He nodded. He’d done it for her. To impress her, sure, but also to show he was willing to go the extra bit for her. To do whatever it took to make her happy.
She smiled, eyes sparkling with delight. “I think it’s perfect. It’s better than perfect. Well done, Merrow.”
He exhaled the breath he’d been holding. “Thanks. I’m glad you like it.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “My hero. Now let’s eat.”
He laughed as he set his bag down and climbed into the truck bed. He reached for her. “Let me help you.”
She put her bag next to his, then took his hand. He lifted her straight up until she was standing next to him. A few stars twinkled in the purple sky. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss.
He kept it short and sweet but did nothing to tame the possessive need coursing through him. He wanted Jenna. He thought maybe he’d wanted her for longer than he’d realized. No spell needed.
She leaned against him even after the kiss ended. “You’re pretty good at this dating stuff.”
“I’m glad you think so. I am really out of practice.” He gestured to one of
