"You're really okay with this?" she asked him.
"With spending time with the one person who can tell me what my daughter's first word was? Yeah. I'm okay with that."
"All right, then. And it was no. Go figure."
They pulled up in front of a charming wood and stone house, and the driver started around to Elena's door.
"One thing," Tyree said. "I thought you said I should talk to your mom about doing th
e--"
"Pictures?" Elena cut in. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Hard to do that if she leaves."
Tyree's brow furrowed, but he didn't say anything else. So Eva asked. "What pictures?"
"No big deal," Elena assured her. "Go on. Have fun." She leaned over and kissed Eva, then gave Tyree's cheek a kiss, too. "Have fun, you two. Have as much fun as you want to."
Then she hopped out of the car and hurried up the sidewalk where the man Eva had met on Wednesday was opening the door and waving at the limo. Eva caught a glimpse of a dark-haired little cutie before the door shut, and her daughter disappeared, and she was left alone in the back of a limo with a man she was wildly attracted to ... but who was also absolutely, one-hundred percent off-limits for at least a dozen reasons.
None of which she could actually call to mind at the moment.
Chapter Eleven
They were already tipsy by the time they reached Fredericksburg, and not because of the whiskey in the limo--well, not entirely. No, they'd stopped at three vineyards along the way, enjoyed the tastings and the cheese plates, and Tyree had even taken the card of one of the vintners, promising to call him on Monday to discuss using his red blend as the featured local wine at The Fix.
"There's a winery right on Main Street," Tyree told her. "Want me to have the driver stop there?"
"No way," she said, the shaking motion of her head feeling far too exaggerated. "But I do need food. And I think we should go to a German restaurant. That's what the town's mostly known for, right?"
"Used to be. I think a lot of fine dining and locally-sourced restaurants have moved in. But if you want German, we'll have German." He checked his watch. "We'll hit Der Lindenbaum. Touristy, but good. And then I know just the place for dessert."
She grinned. "I didn't realize I had a tour guide."
"Your wish, my command," he said, apparently relishing the idea of taking care of her. Honestly, she didn't mind. She used to be able to drink like a fish, but she'd cut out alcohol entirely when she was pregnant and breastfeeding, and then David only drank wine. She still had the occasional drink, but she'd pretty much consumed a year's supply just in the drive to this adorable little town.
Tyree, who probably remembered the days when she could out drink a football team, was watching her with amusement.
"What?"
"You're adorable when you're wasted."
"Oh, no. This is not about me being adorable. The only adorable we're allowed to talk about is Elena. And believe me, she qualifies."
"All right, then. Tell me another."
She'd already told him the story of Elena's birth, which had been ridiculously easy for her, but hard on David, who'd passed out from the sight of blood. She might have been imagining it, but she thought she'd seen a smug glint in Tyree's eyes when she told him that. After all, as a combat veteran, surely he'd had no trouble with his own son's birth.
She wished she'd been able to see him with Elena. At only six pounds at birth, she'd been healthy but tiny, and Eva could imagine Tyree holding her in the palm of his big hand. Or patting her tiny back as he held her against his broad shoulder after a feeding.
Blinking, she turned away, suddenly acutely aware of all they'd missed.
"You okay?"
"Sure." She gathered herself and turned back. "Just feeling the alcohol."
"We'll get food in you soon." He reached for the intercom, then told the driver to pull over when he could. A short time later, the limo drew to a stop on a side street and the driver let them out. Tyree told him to do whatever he wanted for the next few hours; that they were going to eat and explore, and he'd text when they were ready to get back in the limo.
"Nice way to travel," she said as they walked toward the restaurant. "I still can't believe Marianne did this."