Page 65 of The Bartender's Baby

“First dish?” she murmured.

Putting her favorites on the menu was my little surprise.

“What do you think so far?” I asked after we were both seated, and I poured us water.

She coasted her gaze around again. “I think it’ll be great.”

“Someplace where a person could drink a glass of wine and have a nice meal?”

She slanted her head, brows narrowed. “What?”

“That’s what you said.”

“When?”

“When I asked what kind of place you’d go to. You said a quiet place where you could have a glass of wine and a nice meal.”

It took a moment, but then she understood. “You…” She looked around again, searching for something—I didn’t know what—and pointed to the floor, jaw hanging loose as she staredat me for a few seconds. “You…are doing this because of something I said?”

I nodded. “Walt’s isn’t your scene. I want you to have somewhere to go that’s quiet with some good wine, tasty food, and you can read your books.” I laughed. “Which I still can’t believe you read.”

Tabitha Reynolds, evil queen, liked historical romances with men in kilts.

“First of all,” she started, “my books are swoony and fluffy and perfect when I need a break from the real world.”

“Hey.” I held my hands up. “You do you.”

“And I can’t believe you’re opening a whole new restaurant because of something I said.”

I leaned my elbows on the table. “Why?”

“Because…” She shook her head. “That’s a terrible reason to start a new business.”

“It’s not. You should know by now I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Obviously flustered, she opened and closed her mouth yet formed no words. I couldn’t help but smile. “Even before I realized how I felt about you, I still wanted to make you happy. That’s all I want to do, Tab.”

She dipped her chin slightly, still so uncomfortable with hearing the truth, and I reached for her hand, prepared to make her real uncomfortable with what I actually wanted to say. But before I could, Collin appeared at our sides with a few dishes.

He set three small plates down in front of us, gesturing to each one. “For your appetizers tonight, we have a fresh spring salad with pears, candied pecans, and a bit of goat cheese, which I already looked up,” he said, turning to me, “and she can have it, so don’t start your shit.”

Tabby hid her soft laugh behind her hand. I didn’t.

Collin went on. “It’s dressed with a fig balsamic vinaigrette. The next is seared dates wrapped in bacon with aged balsamic, and last are the mushroom caps with lump crabmeat and herbs, served with a lemon-butter drizzle.”

Tabby lifted her gaze to Collin, clearly impressed. “This all looks so good. Thank you.”

“I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes,” he said, leaving Tabby and me to try the dishes. She seemed to enjoy each one, but when I asked which one she liked best, she pointed to the dates. Collin took note and cleared our plates, returning with another three plates. “I would like to use all locally sourced produce for specials and sides, but these three dishes are pretty standard fare. We’ve got braised short ribs cooked in a rich Bordeaux wine sauce served on top of polenta with roasted baby carrots and a sprinkling of gremolata. The middle is a pan-seared duck breast with a tart cherry reduction, parsnip puree, and sautéed wild mushrooms. The last one is a classic. Panko-crusted chicken breast topped with house-made marinara and melted mozzarella, over al dente spaghetti with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan.”

“Wow.” She pointed her fork at me. “Did he tell you chicken parm is my favorite?”

Collin shrugged, not caring to hide his growing smile. “Enjoy.”

Tabby dug in enthusiastically, starting with the chicken parm. “You know I love Tony’s, but—” she nodded toward the kitchen “—that man is magic.”

Satisfied with her reaction, I helped myself to a bite of the duck. I’d never had duck before, but I would hunt Donald and Daffy myself if they tasted this good. The short ribs were just as good. This time, I knew what her favorite would be but asked anyway.

“They’re all so delicious,” she told Collin. “The chicken parm is my favorite because it always is, but the other two are just as good.”

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