“Admit it, the man said. You like him,” she told her reflection.
She gave herself another appraisal. Was the little black dress overkill? Didn’t matter. It felt good on, and she looked good in it. The modest halter affair showed off her bare shoulders—one of her best assets—and the fabric graced her slight curves, amplifying them. A row of simple pearl buttons adorned the front from her collar bones to the hemline that skimmed her knees. Simple, classic, and hopefully whistle-worthy.
Maybe she was being silly, but all of her wanted to wow Quinn. She wanted to know she still had that effect on a man when she put her mind to it. Besides, the poor guy had been subjected to her sloppy, bitchy side since he’d met her, and it was time to flip the switch and show off the feminine version of herself that had been MIA for far too long.
One last look in the mirror, and she pulled on her strappy black high-heeled sandals and snagged her leather jacket. As she came out of her room, Liz and Archer were waiting for her. Liz’s eyes danced with delight.
“Oh, doll, look at you! You are stunning!” She wrapped her hands around Sarah’s arms and pulled her in for a better look. “It’ll be a miracle if your datecan keep his tongue in his head.”
Sarah grinned. “You heard, huh?”
“Yes, and I told Quinnie I need rest and some ‘me’ time. I’m turning in early tonight, so you kids will have the house to yourselves.” She sent Sarah a conspiratorial wink.
A blush raced up Sarah’s neck and spread from her cheeks to her scalp. She felt like a seventeen-year-old going to the prom with the school’s hockey team captain.
“Thank you, Liz. Um, do you need anything?”
“All set. Don’t you worry about me. Just enjoy yourselves.” Liz pecked her cheek, catching Sarah by surprise. Sarah hugged her back, then headed for the family room, where Quinn was waiting for her, rocking on his heels, his back to her, his hands in the front pockets of his black dress slacks as he looked somewhere beyond the newly repaired glass. She paused for a moment, taking in his broad back in a fitted white shirt before her gaze roved over the rest of him, appreciating all she saw—down to his mouthwatering tush. Her feet hit the stone floor, and the click-clack of her heels had him pivoting toward her. And dropping his jaw. A most gratifying reaction indeed.
He swallowed, and his eyes swept over her. “Hey, uh, you look … you look … amazing.”
She could feel the blush intensify and heat her face. “Thank you. You cleaned up rather nicely yourself. So I didn’t overdress?”
His short hair was combed back, and he was freshly shaved. The combination of the dressy-casual clothes and the impeccable grooming made him devastatingly handsome. Did he do this for all his dates? He hadn’t for Dory. Sarah put the thought out of her head because it didn’t matter. Tonight, he’d done it for her, and that’s what counted.
A slow smile spread over his face, brightened by his dimples. “Not at all. You’re perfect.” He held out his hand to her, and she took it. The warmth of his big hand as it captured hers was reassuring, like coming home to a safe haven. Interlacing their fingers, he drew her beside him. “This way.”
In the garage, he pulled the cover off a dazzling white Mercedes AMG GT coupe, opened the passenger door, and got her settled before sliding behind the steering wheel.
Her eyes took a spin around the sleek interior. “Nice jalopy.”
“I only drive it for special occasions.” One corner of his mouth quirked, and his dimple deepened.
Traffic was light, and they glided north up I-25. Sarah soaked in the sights streaking past her. How long had it been since she’d been beyond the confines of Quinn’s neighborhood? The skies were clear, the temperature hovering at a pleasant seventy-two, and the approaching skyline seemed to sparkle in the late afternoon sun.
When Quinn exited on Colfax heading east, she gave him a puzzled sidelong glance. “Where are we going?”
He lowered his sunglasses and side-eyed her. “Be patient. We’re almost there.”
Another turn, and he nosed the car beside a parking meter across from the Colorado Convention Center.
“We’re going to a convention?” She was truly puzzled.
“Nope. No conventions right now. It’s something better.” He helped her out of the car and into her jacket, fed the meter, then took her hand and crossed the street. “Ever seen Denver’s Big Blue Bear in person?”
Her eyes lit on and traveled up a towering lapis bear sculpture that seemed to be peeking through the convention center’s windows. “No,” she whispered reverently, “but I heard a lead engineer give a talk on it once, and I’ve always wanted to see it.” She kept her wide gaze riveted on the colossus as they approached.
Quinn gave her hand a squeeze. “It weighs ten thousand pounds and stands forty feet high. The steel structure holding it up inside is nearly two-thirds the height of the bear.”
The closer they drew, the more she gawked. “Amazing.”
Quinn released her hand, and they circled the sculpture. “Think of the size of the footings that are holding this thing up,” he said. “I wish I could’ve gotten us inside so you could check out the support structure, but with the COVID restrictions, it wasn’t gonna happen.”
She glanced at him, his expression like a hopeful kid, and something warm bloomed in her chest. Tears unexpectedly stung her eyes, and she quickly averted her gaze to the bear. “No, this is perfect. It’s beautiful.”
A few more turns, and they plopped on a stone bench at the bear’s feet. Her neck muscles began
