Page 82 of Moonlit Kisses

“Max! Molly! It’s so good to see you. Come. Come. Let me find you a table.” Cristo greets us enthusiastically, coming out from behind the podium to hug us both.

“Hi, Cristo.” I say as he kisses my cheeks.

“We were walking by, deciding what to have for dinner and thought we’d stop in to see if you had a table,” Max explains. “We hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course. I’ll always have a table for family. Follow me.” He weaves his way through the tables toward the back corner of the restaurant to a private space, with us following diligently behind. “Here. This is my special table.” He winks at us. “Allow me to select your meals, I have something special.”

“Thank you, Cristo. You don’t need to go to any trouble for us.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Molly. I’ll bring some wine.” He pulls out my chair and I sit. Max positions his chair closer to mine and sits next to me instead of opposite, as I expected. His thigh presses against mine and he rests his arm on the back of my chair, his warmth soaking through my clothes and searing my skin.

“Thanks, Cristo.”

Max kisses my temple as Cristo makes his way toward the bar. “You don’t think we’re imposing, do you?”

Max looks across to the bar. “Nah. You saw how happy he was to see us.”

Max’s thumb creates patterns on my shoulder, sending goosebumps scattering across my body and heating me from the inside out.

Maybe we should have stayed in?

Cristo returns with our drinks, then bustles off to the kitchen. Max holds up his glass, gesturing for us to toast. “To the future. To loving together, living together, and working together. I can’t wait to see what our future holds. Thank you for agreeing to be my wife.”

My body heats further with his words, and my smile is wide. We clink our glasses together and take a sip. “I have a toast too. To the man who brought me back to life, has shown me nothing but kindness, and showers me with his love and support every single day. Thank you for asking me to be your wife, Max. I can’t wait for our future.” I’m dizzy thinking about what our life will be like. We lean forward, our lips meeting halfway in a soft kiss. His hand tightens on my shoulder, and he deepens our connection.

Pulling back slightly, he presses his forehead to mine. One of my favorite gestures. “I love you, Dimples.”

I gift him with my dimples. “I love you, too, Max.”

A plate slides onto the table in front of me, followed by another one in front of Max. Cristo stands like a proud father. “One of our most popular dishes. Pasticcio. This is the ultimate Greek comfort food. I’ll go get the salad.” He disappears and Max and I study the deliciously rich-smelling dish in front of us. With layers of pasta noodles, minced beef, and a thick, thick layer of béchamel sauce, I can’t wait to dig in. Cristo returns with a mixed green salad which will complement the rich dish. “Enjoy.”

“This looks and smells divine. Thank you, Cristo.”

He bows slightly, his smile broad, and I can tell he gets a real kick out of feeding people good food. “You are most welcome. If you need anything else, please let me know.” He bows again, then spins on his heel and heads back toward the front door.

Max and I glance at each other before digging in. The first mouthful is divine. Pure and simple. The food is more than something to fill your belly, its soul food. “Mmmm, this is so good.” I turn to Max with wide eyes.

He nods as he takes another forkful of food. “I came here once before when Theo proposed to Em. Cristo knows how to feed people.”

We’re both quiet, enjoying our meals for a few moments, the hum of other guests in the restaurant buzzing, wait staff weaving between the tables with delicious looking meals. The surrounding aromas tantalizing our senses. Max’s leg presses against mine.

“Do you wanna work through how you’re feeling about that invitation to dinner tomorrow night?”

I place my fork down and try to gather my thoughts. “When I saw the first message, my instant reaction was hell no, I’m not ready. The thought of joining them all for dinner was too much. Then the second message came through and I thought, well it will be more bearable if I have Max with me. But I don’t want to use you as a crutch. That’s not fair and it’s not a partnership if one person always has to prop up the other. I also don’t want to lose my independence. I used to deal with everything on my own, you know?”

Max nods thoughtfully, taking his time to respond. “But you realize we will have times where I support you through something and the roles will reverse at other times, where you’ll need to support me when I’m having trouble. Leaning on someone when you need help doesn’t mean you’re going to lose your independence. It takes strength to recognize you need help and to ask for it when you need it.”

“I know. But it’s early in our relationship and I don’t want to start out that way. I already feel as though you’ve done too much for me, that I’ve been too needy. I’m used to being independent and working my way through stuff on my own; only having Mom and then Jack to help me.” I’m certain his steadfast support has been the one thing that’s kept me going since I moved here.

He nods and tucks a loose lock of hair behind my ear. I love how he does that. It’s such a tender gesture. “I know.”

“But … if it’s only going to be the four of us, that might work. I mean, it might be a good idea to get all the heavy stuff out of the way, so we can move forward.” I take a sip of my wine. “What do you think?”

“I think it doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what you need. What do you need to become comfortable with Martin? What will help you build a relationship with him? Because he’s not going to let you go. You realize this?”

“Yeah, I know. And honestly … I don’t want him to let me go. I want to get to know him and his family …myfamily. I guess … I guess I feel like I’m betraying Mom in a way. I can’t explain it. He turned his back on her, on us, and now that the tough part’s over, he wants in. I don’t know what Mom would think of that.” I drop my eyes to my plate. As I say this next part, I can’t look at Max. I don’t want him to think less of me. “He really hurt her, Max. I feel as though I shouldn’t let him off the hook so easily,” I whisper.

He takes my hand in his and uses his fingers to turn my head, ensuring I look at him. “Molly. Your loyalty to your mom is understandable. I get it. EvenIfeel a certain level of protectiveness over your mom where Martin’s concerned. He made his choices, as stupid as they were, but … Molly … he’s also deeply sorry for what he did all those years ago when he was young and dumb. You can’t keep punishing the guy. That’s not who you are. And, without knowing your mom, I don’t think she’d want you to do that.”

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