Page 88 of Forbidden Whispers

An hour later Noah and Maggie walked out of Mitten Mutts with a handful of paperwork making them the official owners of one floppy-eared German Shepherd mix named Boon.

“Is it weird that we have a baby even before our first real date?” Maggie said, making Noah laugh.

“Not any weirder than how the past few days have gone,” he replied, opening the back car door so Boon could hop in. Then he reached for the handle of the passenger side door for Maggie, but before he opened it, he turned to her and said, “Speaking of our first real date...”

“Yes?” She was smiling up at him and he couldn’t resist. Heedless of the passersby, he bent his head and kissed her. Her lips answered his, soft and yielding.

His head was still spinning when he finally drew back to whisper in her ear. “My apologies for such short notice, but are you free for dinner tonight, Ms. Milena?”

“I think I can squeeze you in,” she whispered back, and rising up on tiptoe, she kissed him once more.

Chapter 25

Noah drove them to a tiny lakeside restaurant that offered outdoor seating and a special dog-friendly menu. They were delighted to get a table right by the water, the rolling white-crested waves a brilliant Caribbean blue in the sunlight.

As she slipped into the seat across from Noah, Maggie could hardly contain the joy overflowing within her heart. Even with all the unbelievable things that had happened to them over the past weekend, for her, this was the most unbelievable and miraculous of all. She was sitting across the table, on a date, with the man she’d been in love with her whole life. And now she knew without a doubt that he loved her too.

She adored watching his dark curls dance in the breeze as he studied the menu. The way the warm sunlight caressed the angles and features of his handsome face whenever his gaze drifted out over the water. And above all, how her insides would ignite whenever his smoky gray eyes locked with hers, reflecting a deep desire that made her breath catch in her throat.

They ate and talked and laughed together as they watched Boon devour his special doggie dinner of grilled chicken and brown rice followed by a scoop of peanut butter ice cream topped with a peanut butter cookie.

They lingered over their own meals, their fingertips playing with each other across the table as they reminisced over past memories and shared future hopes.

When they finally rose to go, Noah asked if she’d like to take a walk along the beach.

Thrilled with the idea of prolonging their date, she quickly agreed. “But what about Boon?” she asked.

Noah grinned down at her. “I got a babysitter; it’s under control.”

Maggie was surprised when Noah led her and Boon to a fenced-in yard behind the restaurant that served as a small dog park for their doggie diners. A staff member supervising the area took their information and promised to watch over Boon until they returned.

“How did you know about this place?” Maggie asked, impressed. Her heart fluttered with delight when she felt him reach for her hand, the warmth of his fingers enveloping hers as they began to stroll along the silky sand.

“When you have two dog-loving brothers living in this town, you learn all the tricks,” he said with a grin.

They strolled in silence for a bit, weaving their way past children splashing in the waves, couples lounging on beach towels, and snowy white seagulls strutting along, picking up scraps of food left by picnickers.

---