Unmasking The Maverick. Teresa Southwick

a surprise.”

      “Am I overdressed?”

      Yes, he thought, glancing at her in the passenger seat, then returning his eyes to the road. He would give almost anything to see her without that sexy green dress. But that’s not what she meant. And from the online intel he’d gathered, what she had on was perfect for the restaurant. He’d added a navy sport coat to his long-sleeved light blue dress shirt that was tucked into his newest jeans.

      “You’re fine,” he said. “You look really nice, by the way. I should have said so earlier but the welcoming party kind of threw me off my game.”

      “And I should have thanked you earlier for the rose. But my family circled the wagons and sucked all the oxygen from the air.” She let out a sigh. “And you look very handsome.”

      “Shucks, ma’am—”

      She laughed and the sound was like sunshine. It was warm and bright and made him grin. Smiling wasn’t natural but there was no holding it back even if he wanted to.

      The light moment dissolved his tension and he felt relaxed for the first time in longer than he could remember. Between military deployments and watching his father waste away from cancer, there hadn’t been much to smile about. But he’d had a clear understanding of his mission in each case. Sunshine Farm had caught his attention because it was a place where someone could find a fresh start. So far he didn’t feel the objective was coming together. So he continued his plan to get back in shape and reenlist.

      “It’s awfully quiet over there,” Fiona said. “Except for the part where I can hear you thinking.”

      “Oh? How?”

      “There’s a strange sort of whirring, clunking sound.”

      “That’s just me concentrating on the road.” He chuckled again, feeling his connection to her strengthen.

      “Hmm,” she said thoughtfully. “I could help you watch the road if I knew where we were going. Although it has to be Kalispell. There aren’t many places in Rust Creek Falls that require a reservation.”

      She was right about their general destination, but he wasn’t going to confirm. “Good try, but I’m not going to reveal anything.”

      About thirty minutes later the lights of the city glowed and twinkled in the distance. From browsing the internet he knew Kalispell was a city of about twenty-two thousand. It was definitely bigger than Rust Creek Falls, which had a nice restaurant at Maverick Manor. He just figured the two of them would draw attention there, which he didn’t want. This would be better. Just dinner; no expectations. Always best not to have any.

      Enough with the dark thoughts. As best he could, for the rest of the night he was turning them off. It was just a couple of hours. Surely he could manage that.

      A short time later he pulled into the restaurant parking lot and turned off the truck engine. “Surprise.”

      “North Bay Grill. This looks nice. How did you find it?”

      “How does anyone find anything these days?”

      “Internet,” they both said together.

      Brendan did a quick scan of the outside and surrounding area. An old habit from deployment days. The wood siding was light blue with white painted shutters bracketing the windows. There were neatly trimmed shrubs and flowers around the perimeter.

      “It looks like a New England fishing village.” Fiona glanced over at him and smiled.

      There it was again. That look as if he’d done just the right thing.

      He stared at her for several moments, soaking it in. Then he forced himself to mobilize and open the door. It was either get moving or kiss her, and he couldn’t do that.

      “Let’s go in,” he said.

      He went around to the passenger side to open her door but she was already sliding to the ground. Shame. He would have liked an excuse to put his hands at her waist and lift her down. Side by side—he was careful not to touch her—they walked to the entrance and he opened the door for her. It was a weeknight and the place wasn’t busy. Apparently a reservation wasn’t necessary. The hostess showed them to a table for two by the dual-sided rock fireplace in the center of the room.

      Fiona sat down, then looked around at the pictures of ships on the walls and the antique fishing paraphernalia decorating a shelf near the ceiling. “Very cozy on a cold October night.”

      “Yeah.”

      A waiter in uniform black pants and a crisp white shirt walked over. “Good evening. My name is Jeremy. I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you something to drink?”

      They ordered—chardonnay for Fiona, beer for Brendan—then perused the menu. By the time their drinks arrived, they’d both decided on salmon. Jeremy put a basket of freshly baked cheddar biscuits on the table, then discreetly withdrew. Fiona took one and buttered it before biting.

      “Mmm.” She closed her eyes and savored the taste.

      The look of ecstasy on her face was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. She looked like a woman who’d been well and thoroughly made love to and he badly wanted to be the man who was responsible for it. The knot in his gut tightened another notch.

      Fiona pushed the basket closer to him. “You have to try these.”

      Anything to take his mind off sex. He snagged one, buttered and bit into it. “Good.”

      “That’s the best you’ve got? It rocked my world.”

      Before he could answer, the salads arrived and they both dug in.

      Fiona wasn’t one of those women who ate two leaves and called it a night. She enjoyed her entire meal and he liked that about her.

      “Wow,” she said, setting her fork on the empty dinner plate a while later. “I was hungry.”

      “Me, too.” He took a swallow of beer and sat back. “So tell me, have you finished your article?”

      She nodded. “I’m working on another one now.”

      “Already?”

      “The extra money is nice.” She shrugged.

      “What is this one about?”

      “Holidays in a small town. ’Tis the season coming up and the best rule is to write what you know.” She toyed with the stem of her wineglass. “Halloween isn’t far off and next thing you know Thanksgiving will be here. Big cities have their professionally decorated store windows but the people of Rust Creek Falls are every bit as enthusiastic about our traditional ways of celebrating.”