Page 81 of Zane

She let that emotion guide her as she playfully rolled her eyes. “I let you ask two extra questions, so I’m still ahead.”

“Well, to answer your question, I don’t thinkallkids want to eat snails, but some definitely would.”

“Is it going to be an expensive restaurant?”

“Not as expensive as it might be if it catered to just adults and was more exclusive. I’m not going for exclusivity. I want kids exposed to fine dining in a setting that’s family friendly.”

“I’ve never heard of something like that before,” Kelsey said. “Would you open it here or somewhere else?”

Kelsey knew she’d moved past the number of questions he’d asked her, but he seemed to enjoy talking about his dream.

“It had never been my plan to return here,” Zane said. “I always assumed I’d open the restaurant in Chicago. I’m not sure there’s much of a market here for what I want. And I don’t know if Kayleigh would approve of me competing with the restaurants at the resort.”

If they stayed in Serenity, there would be no opportunities for her to continue her nursing career unless she wanted to drive to Coeur d’Alene or Spokane to work at a hospital. Either place would necessitate a commute of over an hour one way.

“It’s not something I need to think too much about at the moment, since I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.”

More questions were on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back, allowing silence to settle between them, interrupted only by the sound of people enjoying their Sunday afternoon.

The contrast to that first evening they’d ended up together was clear to Kelsey, and it pained her. Things between them had flowed so easily. They’d talked for hours, only going their separate ways when it was nearly four in the morning.

They had talked about all kinds of things. There had been plenty of questions. From the serious—like where they saw themselves in five years—to the more lighthearted, like their favorite movie genre. It had been the first time she’d been that interested in a guy, and surprisingly, he’d returned that interest.

There at the picnic table, sitting across from the man she loved with everything in her, a hope for their future grew. For the first time since the accident, she felt that maybe they had an actual shot of being together again. Maybe they could fall in love again.

However, Kelsey also knew she needed to keep her expectations in check. This wasn’t the same Zane she’d fallen in love with. He himself had said he’d changed. What if those changes were what had made Zane fall in love with her? Without them, would he find her attractive?

“Do you have to work tonight?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes. Eleven to seven.”

“Guess we should probably head home.”

Kelsey hated to leave the park and end their time together. But hopefully, it wouldn’t be the last time they spent time together, just the two of them.

She gathered up all their garbage and carried it to the metal can near the road. Zane went directly to the car and stood by the tailgate.

“I’m sorry I’m not doing stuff like that,” he said. “I promise I wouldn’t make you do everything if I wasn’t in this cast.”

It appeared that was one thing that hadn’t changed about Zane. He’d always taken care of her. “I know. Please don’t worry about it.”

There was more traffic rolling through the park, so she had to wait a couple of minutes before she could pull away from the curb. On the way home, Zane seemed more relaxed as he pointed out places of interest from his childhood.

When they reached the house, there was no sign of Ross and Sarah’s car. Kelsey didn’t think they’d left yet because she’d heard them say they were in Serenity until Monday morning.

The house was quiet when they walked in. That meant Lee and Rori either weren’t home, or they were in their bedroom at the back of the house. Lee’s vehicle wasn’t sitting in the driveway, but it could be parked in the garage.

When Kelsey headed for the kitchen, she could hear Zane following her. She got a glass from the cupboard, then turned to Zane. “Want something to drink?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

She filled her glass from the dispenser on the front of the fridge, then went to the counter, standing opposite Zane. They talked a bit about their schedules for the upcoming week. With Kelsey working nights, she sometimes wasn’t awake during business hours when Zane would have his medical appointments.

She heard a door open and the murmur of voices. A moment later, Sarah appeared in the doorway. The other woman paused, her gaze moving between Kelsey and Zane.

“Are we interrupting?” she asked.

Kelsey glanced at Zane, letting him respond to that. She didn’t have a huge issue with Sarah and Ross joining them. It had more to do with Zane’s comfort level.

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