Page 34 of Daycare Santa

“Tell me about it.” She sat back, but still poked the spoon into the ice cream. “For that reason, I don’t want to jump into anything with someone else.”

He definitely wanted this woman but wouldn’t be on the island forever. He eased that thought aside as he said, “I’m not asking you to do that. We can take our time. And to be truthful, there are parallels in our situation. Believe me, I’m not in this to hurt you.”

“Nobody goes into a relationship to hurt someone else.”

He stewed on that for a moment, then spun the container in a slow circle. “I’m not asking you for a commitment. Let me take you out for real and see where this goes. No pressure. I promise.”

Her smile, when it came, was full-bodied. “No pressure, you said? Then why does this feel exactly like that?”

Zack shrugged. “My twin, Eli, says I can be a little intense.”

With both eyebrows raised, she asked, “A little?”

They chuckled, then went silent as they ate more ice cream. The chatter and laughter around them continued unabated. Zack asked himself how far he’d go with Gina if she gave him that option.

After a moment, she said, “Tell me about your last girlfriend.”

Chapter 14

“This is good.” Ginalaid down her fork next to the blueberry cheesecake and gazed over the railing at the twinkling lights of the capital city below. Yesterday’s talk with Zack was the catalyst for this evening’s dinner in Irish Town, in the cool hills of St. Andrew.

The stonework and wood building had existed from the colonial era. The vaulted wooden ceilings and floors made the restaurant seem larger, and the large landscape paintings and wicker-and-wood furniture added to its old-world flavor.

Gina chose the open-air verandah over a table for two inside the building. She’d had fun making the dinner selections—coconut shrimp with a sweet chili sauce and jerked lobster with a butter sauce, served with mashed potatoes. The Sauvignon Blanc provided the perfect touch.

Zack went along with her choices, but insisted that the smokey, grilled pork chops were mouth-watering. He’d offered her a taste, and she admitted his assessment was correct.

“And here I was, thinking dinner was better than good,” Zack quipped and lifted his glass.

“Actually, it was.” She glanced across the verandah, where other couples were also dining. “You chose well.”

With a smile playing around his lips, he said, “I’m happy to hear that.”

If Zack’s intention was to make a statement, he certainly had done so by taking her to this exclusive restaurant. He’d only said they were going to an out-of-the way place when she commented on the drive taking longer than she expected. Good thing she’d gone with her instincts and wore something special, because even in a dress shirt paired with dark slacks, Zack stole her breath.

“Can I ask you something?” she said, after a sip of wine.

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