They turned off the highway down a narrow, winding road that cut through the trees. When they reached the clearing, he heard Maddie draw in a surprised breath. He was glad to get a reaction out of her. She’d lived in Paris, after all, so he anticipated she would be hard to impress. The restaurant was called the Pearl on the River. At one time, it had been a plantation home, much like the home he knew Maddie had grown up in.
Over the years, Pearl’s had taken on a slightly more magical and playful identity. There were hundreds of tiny white twinkle lights in the trees and shrubs. Topiaries had been shaped into animals that lurked in front of the house and along the edge of the gravel parking lot, luring diners off into the woods. Large wind chimes on the porch struck low, unexpected tones that drifted on the breeze and bronze pinwheels spun in the garden and hung from branches. You almost expected to see fairies dancing through the garden.
“Have you been here before?” he asked as he helped her out of the truck.
“No, I’ve never even heard of it.”
“Good,” he said, taking her arm and leading them toward the front porch. There were maybe ten other cars in the parking lot, but he knew that was because the restaurant wasn’t huge. It had only a few tables, but it was a special experience. That was what he’d aimed for tonight.
Emmett opened the screen door and held it for Maddie. Inside, the home was dark with golden antique lighting, overfilled bookcases, assorted statues, paintings, and half a dozen doorways leading to mysterious places that begged to be explored.
Ahead of them, a woman was waiting at a hostess stand. “Mr. Sawyer?” she asked, and he nodded. “We’ve got your river-view table ready for you.”
She escorted them through what was once the living room and through a set of double doors at the back of the house. There, they stepped out onto a large deck that had been entirely glassed in like a conservatory. There were about a dozen tables there, all of them filled except for a table for two by the window. Once they were seated, they both looked out the wall of glass at the river rushing by. A massive oak tree hovered over the glass enclosure, large glass lightbulbs hanging from it and mingling with the glimpses of stars above them. The lights also extended across the river itself, zigzagging over the water, creating a sparkling effect as the ripples rushed over rocks below.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s amazing. I hope the food is good.”
Emmett picked up the one-page printed menu and hoped the food was good, too. As a small boutique-style restaurant, they had a fresh menu that changed daily. Tonight, they had their choice of a handful of dishes with either beef, chicken, pork, salmon, or a vegetarian dish with a stuffed, roasted acorn squash.
When their waiter arrived, Maddie chose the salmon and Emmett opted for the beef.
“Would either of you be interested in some wine this evening?”
Emmett was about to suggest a wine to Maddie that would pair nicely with her fish, when she shook her head and the waiter disappeared. “I forgot you don’t drink. Not even the occasional glass of wine?”
“No. I haven’t had the best experiences with it in the past. I like to be fully in control of my decisions at all times.”
“But then you can’t blame bad choices on alcohol,” he said with a smile.
“Or maybe I just don’t make as many bad choices.”
The waiter returned with salads and a basket of warm bread. They both lost themselves in food and conversation
, enjoying their time to just relax and appreciate each other’s company. It’d been a long time since Emmett had done anything like this, and he was pretty sure Maddie hadn’t unwound since the day she bought the bakery.
“This is nice,” she said, echoing his thoughts halfway through their dinner course. “I haven’t been out on a date in a long time. I work almost constantly. Then add to that that most guys can’t grasp the idea of me being in bed by seven or eight every night, or that I get up at three.”
“I’m keeping you up a little late tonight, I know,” he said. “It’s my only night off, and we had to wait until the shop closed.”
“That’s okay. Once in a while is fine, it’s the general lifestyle that most people can’t understand.”
“I know what you mean. The bar’s only closed one day a week. I’m up at three a.m., too, usually, but it’s because I haven’t gone to bed yet. I’m asleep when the rest of the world is awake.”
“It sounds like our schedules are damn near incompatible for carrying on anything serious.”
“That’s not true. We have twilight together. It’s not normal, but I’m not really sure anything about us is average.”
Maddie smiled. “I was never raised to be average. I was raised believing that I was special and could do anything I wanted to do.”
“What drew you to baking?” Emmett asked.
“It certainly wasn’t the hours,” she said with a chuckle. “I just remember as a kid loving the idea of creating something that made people happy. Daddy has a sweet tooth, and knowing I could bake for him and he liked it always made me feel special. It’s hard to compete in a big family, you know, especially when your older brother is a football hero and your twin is a genius. I had the benefit of being Daddy’s little girl until Hazel arrived, but baking made me stand out. The idea of going to Paris and learning how to make such perfect, delicate creations was the ultimate dream. Not just to make regular, everyday cookies, but to make cookies that amazed people.”
Emmett looked at her for a moment and then reached across the table to take her hand. There was a sadness in her expression as she spoke that he didn’t like. Had she tied all her self-worth to her ability to craft these impeccable treats? They were great, but she was more than her job, just as he was more than his bar. He brushed his thumb across the back of her hand, feeling her tremble slightly at his touch. “You don’t need perfect cookies to be amazing. You know that, right?”
When her eyes met his, the baby blues were shimmering with a layer of glassy, unshed tears. She held his hand tight and managed a small smile. “Thank you for saying that.”
But he didn’t think she believed him. A woman as driven as she was, was fighting for a reason.