I nodded my head. “Yeah, it was. It’s not something you’d think a couple with two kids would be doing after being married for so long.”
“I feel another challenge coming on.”
I laughed. “No! No more challenges.”
The second I turned down Fourth Street, Ellie started clapping her hands. “Oh my God! We’re going to Halcyon, aren’t we?”
I chuckled. “Yep.”
“Oh, Gunner, I can’t even believe how incredibly romantic you are.”
I pulled into the valet parking, and a young kid walked up with a cocky little grin on his face.
“Wow, dude, nice truck.”
I smiled. “Yeah, it is. You put a scratch on it, and I’ll hang you up by your balls.”
“Gunner!” Ellie walked over to me and hit me in the stomach.
The kid’s smile faded, and he nodded his head. “Yes, sir. Not a scratch, sir.”
I put my arm around Ellie’s waist and began walking her to the Halcyon.
When we walked in, I was flooded by memories. This day was exactly what we’d needed.
“Oh, Gunner, today was exactly what we needed.”
I stopped and looked at her. “Ellie, I was literally just thinking the same exact thing.”
She smiled big, and her blue eyes sparkled. “Great minds…”
“I guess so.”
We walked up to the counter, and Ellie started talking to the young girl, “Good afternoon. Oh, let’s see, I’m going to take the chicken wrap and a lemon drop martini.”
I ordered next and got the Halcyon salad along with a chocolate espresso martini. I also ordered the tableside s’mores but asked for it to be brought out after we finished our lunch.
We sat down in the same corner booth where we’d had our first unofficial date. As we ate, Ellie began texting someone.
“Who are you texting?” I asked.
She looked up with sadness in her eyes. “Alex. She said she snuck her phone into class to ask if we were having fun.”
I smiled as my heart filled with warmth. I loved Alex and Colt so damn much. Alex was so much like Ellie. I could see it already. It was too bad she was also stubborn as hell like me. Colt, on the other hand, was so laid-back that it was unreal. Hardly anything bothered that boy, except his sister.
“I told her that we are having a wonderful time together, and we are very happy.” Ellie laughed and looked at me. “She just asked me if you are being romantic!”
My mouth dropped open. “How in the hell does she know what that means?”
Ellie giggled as she texted Alex back. She put her phone back in her pocket. “I told her you are probably more romantic now than when we first started dating.”
The waitress came over and cleared our plates as another waitress set down the tableside s’mores.
Ellie’s eyes lit up as she looked at the s’mores and then peeked up at me. “Gunner, it seems like it was just yesterday. Oh my gosh. My stomach almost feels like it’s in a knot, like it was on that day.”
I leaned over and gently kissed her on the lips.
“I love you, Drew Mathews.”