listening to my wishes

hand. "Lena.

ith his hands. His skin didn't have the crepey feel of an older person. Damn, better and better.

g, why are you

you're b

that moment, she could feel the rush of blood to her cheeks and s

" Behind her, she heard

he could have heav

ssistant chef, set down her lasag

nks,

ou had t

Ye

a muttered, "I'd rather have thelasagna,

s done with work." She shot a smile in Ezra's d

eal

from just a few inches away. "I really need to

. "Hey, Paul, can y

he counter, she pushed he

try some. I won't e

ping about not getting any lasagna, so take some. And if you like it

you put i

finish. She almost choked on her drink when he asked, "So, the

king me f

aking another sip from her

to have din

s kind of wha

Wh

was confused. But then a

no matter what expression

guy when he asks y

sking me o

eye, he could see the ba

ely looked old enough to be ou

s mind, he focused on Len

been awhile since I've asked a woman o

, so maybe I've just forgotten how to recognize the clu

e wanted to fist his hand in that dark red hair and he wanted to press his

w to read them. Under most circumstances, at lea

ht, then she was feeling t

reached out and skimmed hi

ured out what we're doing

ve dinner ... with you.

e minutes of seeing me." The smile on her face took on a bitter slant as she

y're either on the other

cut my foo

na on his plate. "I figure

your own. And you

thinking ... hell. Screw

ve dinner

Wh

n try tomorrow night. I'm in the kitchen until ten.

l make sure I save you a

e a p

ould feel the weight of Ca

him or Roz sooner or later, she f

ondering about the guy yo

a

ra King." She smiled to

little bit. It had been a

She couldn't even remember

an annoying habit of his, not that she'd tell hi

if he's related t

ldn't

her, saw the smile on he

ight. You're st

tongue out at him. "I've

lived here back when Noah walke

clan hasn't been here tha

his chin, he tried to thin

rviving kin. He couldn't q

't stuck around. Grandk

r. "Well, if it's her grandson,

ts your approval." L

signal as he drew close t

see him

en him at all. This wasn't

eting for dinner tomorrow at the Inn." She turned her face toward him, a look of mock, hopeful innoc

stopped in front of the ho

ke sure he's tre

uck or me would let

at 9:30, and this time, he

ndle and he'd found a s

ed in the back of his clos

it wasn't until he was si

that he started

use he let himself think

waiting

cking

he hell wa

to be dating rig

and too often, he spent

k mo

material

onvince himself of that, h

ht? A meal with a pretty l

y, a pretty lady who coul

sation-should be

didn't even have to

he end of the night, they

ould get her phone number.

ated ab

as

Sitting back at the bar wi

onvers

hen he said it had been

been months since he'd be

y asked an

. Being with Lena? Felt

ery long," she mentioned a

ic

t obv

eard the name before if

st name is familiar. You

e strange places. A guy

This was his particular

ded. His grandmother had

everybody who had known

w h

gged and took a sip of he

d I know her health started

few times, though. She se

he

sad," she murmu

scooped up some mashed

in his throat. "She was a

u could have given her a

oing this-did you

to know?" A smile

that smile had hi

to piss m

echoed. Baffled, he set