Page 54 of Tangled

“What?”

“Nothing, just admiring you. I really loved your answer, by the way. Regardless of what you may think, you’re a hero too Kane, for making that same sacrifice. I know that’s not your life anymore, but the time you spent in the Army definitely made a difference, whether you believe that or not.”

Kane remains silent for a moment, swallowing hard at my response before he speaks again. “Thank you, Olivia. So what about you?”

“That’s easy. My grandma. She was the strongest woman I’ve ever known. She grew up during the Great Depression, learning to sew her own clothes because her family couldn’t afford to buy things already made. She watched her younger brother get killed by a car in front of her when she was thirteen. My grandfather was a drunk and hit her a few times, but she stood up to him and eventually fought back, but she loved him with all of her heart and stayed married to him until the day he died. Her oldest son passed away from cancer and her other two children—my mom and her brother—had a huge falling out after their dad died. She raised a family and supported them through running her own porcelain business out of her garage. She was creative, talented, loving, and honest. I only wish I could be as strong as she was. And she was always so supportive of me. I miss her every day.”

Tears start to fill my eyes as I recall everything about the woman who helped mold me into the person I am today. As a tear slips free, Kane reaches up to wipe it away with his thumb.

“She would be nothing but proud of you, Olivia,” he says while penetrating me with his gaze.

“Thank you. Ugh, sorry for getting all emotional on our date.”

Kane kisses my forehead again just as the chef arrives with the cart carrying the food for the table, preparing the hot surface for cooking our meal. “Don’t apologize. The whole point of the questions is to get to know each other. And now, I feel like I know you a little better.”

Giving him a soft smile, I turn my attention to our chef and reach for my wine, savoring the crisp and sweet taste of the liquid on my palate. Kane drapes his arm over my chair while we listen to our chef recite our orders for clarification and then watch him put on a show—chopping, dicing, and searing meat, vegetables, and rice. He stacks the rings of an onion and pours oil in the center, lighting it to create a flame and mimic a volcano. The table applauds as he does trick after trick with his knife and food.

The server comes by with our sushi while the chef is cooking as Kane and I draw our attention to the raw fish and avocado draping over sticky rice, covered in eel sauce and spicy mayonnaise. Taking that first bite makes me moan, closing my eyes to savor the flavor and delicacy of the roll.

“That good, huh?” Kane teases me, while I hoist a piece of the roll and feed it to him with my chopsticks. Placing the bite in his mouth, Kane watches me intently while he chews and then swallows, leaning forward into my space before declaring his reaction with the most suggestive smirk on his face.

“Definitely worth the drive.”

Chapter 24

Kane

Tonight is going perfectly, except for making Olivia cry. That definitely wasn’t my intention, but her answer was so raw and honest—It gave me a crucial glimpse into the woman who is quickly captivating me. Admiring someone like her grandma who can overcome obstacles like that in her life will definitely change you and give you strength to tackle your own. After hearing her grandma’s story, it makes me feel stupid for reacting to being cheated on by Natasha the way that I have. But I guess everyone handles challenges in their own way, right?

Olivia and I barely put a dent in our food. The quantity is astounding, but we made sure to sample everything before we boxed most of it up to take home.

“I seriously don’t think I’ve ever been this full,” she moans while patting her stomach, drawing my attention to the curve of her hips as she sits next to me. The sweater dress she wore is sinfully tempting, hugging her in all the right places and reminding me of how voluptuous her body is.

“Yeah, I’m stuffed too. But if you’re up for it, there’s a courtyard on the other side of the restaurant we can walk around to try to burn some of this off.”

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

Once I pay and we drop off our leftovers at my truck, we head for the courtyard which leads out to a small pond of water, lit up by the lights reflecting off of the buildings surrounding it. This restaurant sits among several others around the water, collectively called The Cove, which is what I researched when I was planning our date. When I saw the pictures and dining options, I knew I wanted to take Olivia here.

“This is gorgeous, Kane,” she says as we stroll hand in hand, overlooking the water and enjoying the scenery. You can see inside of the other restaurants as we glide along, people entrenched in conversation with a view of the glistening water as they dine.

“I agree. I wish it wasn’t so cold, but I’m still enjoying this time with you,” I declare while pulling her closer to me. We both grabbed our gloves from my truck when we went back, so at least our fingers aren’t freezing.

“I know we’re both stuffed, but there is a cupcake shop just over the bridge there that is supposed to have amazing cupcakes, according to the reviews online,” I say while pointing in that direction.

“Someone did their research, didn’t they?” She says and then leads me towards the bridge. “I’ll need something sweet eventually, so let’s check it out.”

We walk along the wooden platforms of the bridge, turning to admire the surrounding view. Olivia’s face is lit up by the glow of the lights, but also with her pure joy. That smile of hers is once again, lighting up my eyes. Hell, the woman is bringing light to my life.

When we reach the store, I open the door and guide her inside, both of us shaking off the chill of the night.

“Good evening!” A middle-aged woman with greying hair greets us as we enter.

“Hi, there,” Olivia answers her as she admires the rows of cupcakes in the glass case. “What flavors would you recommend? We heard these are some of the best cupcakes money can buy.” She looks over and winks at me.

“Well, as the owner, I’ll say my favorite is our red velvet with homemade cream cheese frosting. And we have a peanut butter and jelly cupcake that is a crowd pleaser. But you can’t go wrong with a classic vanilla with chocolate frosting either.”

“We’ll take one of each,” I pipe up, causing Olivia to turn to me in surprise.

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