present location, instead of the steamy encounter she had begun to imagine.
"Not very often. Dad has a hard time sitting with his bad knees so it's easier for me to visit them."
"I can imagine." He smiled across the table and her heart skipped a beat as heat rushing through her blood, making her shift uncomfortably in the chair.
"So, what department do you work in?"
"Chris and I work in the critical care unit. We take care of patients on ventilators, or people fresh out of open-heart surgery. Ours are the sickest of the sick."
"I imagine your job is rewardin' though."
"Sometimes, but other times things get rough. If we lose someone we've been taking care of for a while, it's bad. It's really hard when there is a wife or husband. To see such love between two people and then their other half is gone so quickly..." Her voice trailed off to a whisper, and she dipped her head to hide the pain.
"I bet you tend to wear your heart on your sleeve."
He picked up her hand in his, turning it over and kissing the inside of her wrist. The soft kiss sent a tingle all the way up her arm and settled itself in her belly as their eyes met.
The moment disappeared as Matt returned with the rest of their food and Tanner let go of her hand. She slid the appendage back onto her lap, trailing her finger over the spot he had kissed.
The food tasted wonderful. The steak was prepared perfectly, slightly pink in the middle, a delicious marinade kept the meat moist and tender – almost tender enough to cut with a fork. Tanner told her stories of growing up in Brenham and by the time they finished eating, she laughed so hard, her stomach hurt. "Okay, stop." She giggled, holding her side. "I can't take it anymore."
* * * *
Tanner's mouth curved into a smile. Her laughter strummed his heart strings and his chest ached for the sound. He could easily picture spending the rest of his life with her.
"You two sound like you are having a good time over here. Anything else I can get for you?" Matt asked as he laid the bill onto the tabletop.
"I think that's it." Tanner reached behind him and slipped the wallet out of his back pocket, laying some money on top of the check.
"Great. I'll be right back with this," Matt replied as he left the table.
Amy grasped her purse, intending to leave the tip, but he stopped her. "I've got it."
"Let me get the tip at least, Tanner." She grabbed ten dollars from her wallet, intent on leaving some money for the waiter.
"I said I got it. My treat, Amy. I asked you out, remember?"
Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile. "All right, but next time, it's my turn."
"Next time?"
Blushing as she realized what she had said, she shrugged. "Yeah. You never know when we might run into each other again."
He smiled, fully aware of how evasive her answer sounded. She wasn't going to give him an inch, he realized. "Ready?"
"Yeah. I'm so full I don't think I could eat another thing for the next week."
He held out his hand to help her to her feet and she slipped her palm into his, as he laced their fingers together. He relished the feel of her by his side as they walked out to his truck and he inhaled her intoxicating scent, letting it wrap around his senses.
Once they were seated and he turned over the engine, he said, "Pete's is not far."
"Perfect."
He pulled the truck out in traffic, drove the few blocks to the bar and stopped in an empty spot.
"You weren't kidding when you said the bar was just up the road." Amy looked out the window at the multitude of cars in the lot.
"Told you," he responded, opening his door.
Once he had opened her door and she stepped out, he closed it, placing his warm hand on the small of her back to guide her as she shivered under his touch and he smiled.
* * * *
They reached the doors, as the twang of the latest country song met their ears. The night breeze blew slightly, rustling the trees overhead. Standing next to him, made her completely aware of the handsome man by her side. His
"Not very often. Dad has a hard time sitting with his bad knees so it's easier for me to visit them."
"I can imagine." He smiled across the table and her heart skipped a beat as heat rushing through her blood, making her shift uncomfortably in the chair.
"So, what department do you work in?"
"Chris and I work in the critical care unit. We take care of patients on ventilators, or people fresh out of open-heart surgery. Ours are the sickest of the sick."
"I imagine your job is rewardin' though."
"Sometimes, but other times things get rough. If we lose someone we've been taking care of for a while, it's bad. It's really hard when there is a wife or husband. To see such love between two people and then their other half is gone so quickly..." Her voice trailed off to a whisper, and she dipped her head to hide the pain.
"I bet you tend to wear your heart on your sleeve."
He picked up her hand in his, turning it over and kissing the inside of her wrist. The soft kiss sent a tingle all the way up her arm and settled itself in her belly as their eyes met.
The moment disappeared as Matt returned with the rest of their food and Tanner let go of her hand. She slid the appendage back onto her lap, trailing her finger over the spot he had kissed.
The food tasted wonderful. The steak was prepared perfectly, slightly pink in the middle, a delicious marinade kept the meat moist and tender – almost tender enough to cut with a fork. Tanner told her stories of growing up in Brenham and by the time they finished eating, she laughed so hard, her stomach hurt. "Okay, stop." She giggled, holding her side. "I can't take it anymore."
* * * *
Tanner's mouth curved into a smile. Her laughter strummed his heart strings and his chest ached for the sound. He could easily picture spending the rest of his life with her.
"You two sound like you are having a good time over here. Anything else I can get for you?" Matt asked as he laid the bill onto the tabletop.
"I think that's it." Tanner reached behind him and slipped the wallet out of his back pocket, laying some money on top of the check.
"Great. I'll be right back with this," Matt replied as he left the table.
Amy grasped her purse, intending to leave the tip, but he stopped her. "I've got it."
"Let me get the tip at least, Tanner." She grabbed ten dollars from her wallet, intent on leaving some money for the waiter.
"I said I got it. My treat, Amy. I asked you out, remember?"
Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile. "All right, but next time, it's my turn."
"Next time?"
Blushing as she realized what she had said, she shrugged. "Yeah. You never know when we might run into each other again."
He smiled, fully aware of how evasive her answer sounded. She wasn't going to give him an inch, he realized. "Ready?"
"Yeah. I'm so full I don't think I could eat another thing for the next week."
He held out his hand to help her to her feet and she slipped her palm into his, as he laced their fingers together. He relished the feel of her by his side as they walked out to his truck and he inhaled her intoxicating scent, letting it wrap around his senses.
Once they were seated and he turned over the engine, he said, "Pete's is not far."
"Perfect."
He pulled the truck out in traffic, drove the few blocks to the bar and stopped in an empty spot.
"You weren't kidding when you said the bar was just up the road." Amy looked out the window at the multitude of cars in the lot.
"Told you," he responded, opening his door.
Once he had opened her door and she stepped out, he closed it, placing his warm hand on the small of her back to guide her as she shivered under his touch and he smiled.
* * * *
They reached the doors, as the twang of the latest country song met their ears. The night breeze blew slightly, rustling the trees overhead. Standing next to him, made her completely aware of the handsome man by her side. His
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