Page 46 of Her Paramedic
“Look at three out of my five girls finding good men. Now, Nelda and I need to work on the youngest two, and we’ll be set.”
Talia laughed because she knew they were serious and would absolutely get with Journee and the twins’ grandmother to play matchmaker for them.
“Anyway, I won’t keep you. I have a class starting in a few minutes, but I wanted to call you. Your dad will probably do the same after his morning sessions. Tell Slate I said hi. I love you.”
“I will. I love you too.” Talia hung up, slipped her phone into her clutch, and turned to Slate. “Courtney said hi, and they complimented you, which means your parent approved becausethey don’t compliment anyone. Well, for now at least,” she teased.
Slate chuckled. “I don’t see that changing. It also means you can’t get rid of me.”
“Now, why would I want to do that? What time are we leaving?” she asked, looking at the watch he wore.
“I made a reservation for seven.”
It was past a quarter after six. “Do you want to leave now?”
“Did you transfer your Epi holder?” he asked, and Talia nodded. “Then we can go.”
Slate helped her into his car, and they headed to the restaurant.
Dinner was delicious. Slate made a reservation at a Mediterranean restaurant she passed frequently but had never been to. The food was scrumptious, and as they waited for dessert, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her.
“What is it?” she questioned, tilting her head.
“I realize I haven’t told you how stunning you look.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you, baby. You look handsome as usual.” And Talia liked that he wanted them to match.
“I have something for you,” he stated, reaching into the pocket of his coat that hung behind him on the chair. He handed her a small box, and Talia smiled at it, knowing what it was but wondering which item it would be.
When she opened it, she discovered she was right. He’d gotten her another charm for her bracelet, this one a brush made of the same platinum as all the others. She held her wrist out to him to help her add it, thanking him. She got the feeling that before long, she’d run out of space.
Their dessert arrived. They’d chosen a slice of lemon ricotta cake to share, and it was delicious. When their bill came, Slate paid and helped her into her coat before putting his on, andthey left the restaurant. There was a light smattering of snow coming down, and she took a deep breath of the chilly night air. Something about snow always seemed to give the air a serene smell.
“We have one more stop,” Slate stated as he pulled out of the restaurant’s parking lot. He didn’t elaborate further, and she didn’t ask because she’d never been disappointed with anything he’d planned for them to do.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot ofIn Color Tech Dome, which specialized in displaying beautiful phenomena from around the world as replicas along the dome ceiling and walls. Several replicas played throughout the day, and she wondered which one they were going to see. They snagged a parking space near the entrance and stepped inside a few minutes before nine-thirty.
He led them over to a free couch, and they took a seat, waiting for the show to start. There weren’t too many people in attendance, but she hadn’t expected there to be on a Thursday night.
The lights went out, and soon, the aurora borealis played on the ceiling and one wall, the other allowing a full view of the snow that trickled down outside. It made her feel like she was there. She leaned into Slate’s side, and he wrapped an arm around her waist.
Twenty minutes later, when the light show shifted to snow scenery and a few of the lights came up, he whispered in her ear.
“I have something else for you.”
“Baby, I don’t need anything else.” She hadn’t needed anything at all. His taking time out to celebrate with her was enough.
“Think of it as something for both of us,” he responded, taking another box out of the other coat pocket.
Talia opened it, and inside, she found a rose gold bracelet with a snake chain. The center plate of the bracelet housed a crescent moon and a star, both intricately designed. They were white against a toffee background. It was a beautiful piece.
“Baby, this is adorable,” she stated.
He picked up the information card that was in the box. “Yours can be linked to mine,” he told her, producing a similar bracelet in black with an intricate sun on the center plate. It was also white, set against a black background. “And from now on, whenever you miss me. All you have to do is go into the app, press a button, or tap the top, and it will vibrate, and vice versa. That way, regardless of our schedules and how long it might be between us seeing each other, we’ll know.”
Talia leaned in and kissed him because it was one of the most thoughtful gifts she’d ever received, and she’d thought she had done a good job of hiding how much she’d missed him when they hadn’t been able to see each other for more than a few hours. However, she shouldn’t have been surprised that he knew.
“We can set them up when we get back to your house,” Slate stated when they pulled apart.
