Second Nature (His Chance 2)

He murmured a thank you and seemed pleased by the compliment. After a beat, he gestured at what I was holding and asked, “Are those for me?”

I handed over the flowers as I stammered, “Oh! Yeah. I forgot about them.”

“Let me put them in water before we go.” I dropped my shopping bag just inside the front door and followed him to the kitchen, and he asked, “When did you go shopping?”

“On the way home. Will, Lorenzo, and Phoenix helped me get ready for tonight. I think they took pity on me, because I’m always such a mess.” It wasn’t the most flattering thing to admit to, but it was honest. Plus, he couldn’t have failed to notice that about me.

He filled a vase with water, and as he transferred the flowers into it he said, “These are spectacular and exactly what I would have chosen for myself. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like them.”

“I love them, and this, too.” He turned to me and slid his hands over the sides of my head as he said, “This haircut is perfect for you.”

I grinned as I tilted my head to look up at him. “I’m glad you think so. Also, this change in perspective is going to take some getting used to.”

He slipped one foot out of his shoe and dropped down to my height. As he ran his fingertips along my jaw, he asked, “Better?”

“Only because I can do this now.” I kissed him before saying, “The shoes are very sexy, though.”

“I love them, but are we going to be doing much walking? I can only last about an hour in heels, but I can change them depending on our plans.”

“We have the choice of walking a couple of blocks or not at all, depending on what you prefer for dinner. I’ll tell you about our options on the way downstairs. Phoenix is waiting to give us a ride.”

By the time we climbed into the SUV, we’d decided to visit the food trucks and Gabriel seemed excited about our plans. Phoenix dropped us off at our destination after giving us the address of the B and B, and Gabriel held my hand as we walked around and read all the menus. Nine trucks were crammed at various angles into the parking lot of a funky vintage bowling alley, and a lot of people were lined up waiting to order or eating at some picnic tables. Gabriel said, “It all smells wonderful. I don’t know how we’re going to pick one.”

“There’s no rule that says we have to.”

We ended up buying something from almost all of the trucks, and then we carried our bounty two blocks to the bed and breakfast. Phoenix and an adorable magenta-haired little old lady were sipping wine on the front porch when we reached the charming pink Victorian. He introduced her as Miss Pearl, and I juggled several boxes and bags so I could shake her hand as I said, “Thank you for letting us use your garden, ma’am. We really appreciate it.”

“It’s my pleasure,” she said, as she smoothed her floral caftan. “That garden was my Mel’s pride and joy, so it makes me happy when people enjoy it. We used to be a stop on the botanical society’s annual tour, back in the day. Mel’s been gone a few years now, but I do my best to keep the garden up to snuff.”

I said, “I’m sorry about the loss of your husband.”

She smiled at me with a sparkle in her dark eyes. “Melanie was my wife. We were together forty-two years and finally got to legally marry three months before she passed.”

“I’m sorry you had to wait that long,” Gabriel said.

Miss Pearl told us, “At least it happened in her lifetime. Mel liked to joke about me finally making an honest woman of her.”

I sorted through the items I was carrying and said, “We brought you both some pasta and dessert to thank you for tonight. Would you like to join us for dinner?”

I handed four white boxes to Phoenix as Miss Pearl said, “From what I’ve heard, you’ve got some wooing to do with this gorgeous young man right here, so you don’t need us hanging around. Go on ahead and cut through the house, everything’s all set up for you out back. I do appreciate the offer and the treats, though.”

We thanked her and stepped through the front door with its elaborate stained-glass window. On our way through the pink floral interior, Gabriel smiled at me and asked, “Is that what’s on your agenda? Wooing me?”

That made me smile too, and I said, “Absolutely.”

Both of us were awestruck when we stepped through the French doors at the back of the house. The garden was an overgrown oasis of flowering plants, punctuated by a big, fluffy-looking tree and a graceful white gazebo. Dozens of string lights in all sorts of shapes and colors added to the magic.