Page 16 of Healing You
“I don't think you'll call me to reschedule.” She held up a finger and laughed, pulling out her phone. “Give me a minute to send a text. I'll check that it's okay to add another person to dinner tonight. Then we can go get dessert, just the two of us. As long as you don't mind a little bit of business talk beforehand?”
Steve shook his head. “Not at all.” She was beautiful. And a helluva lot persistent. It felt... weird. Dating in Maple Grove. Yeah, yeah, he'd been on dates in the last few years. But typically he went to bars and restaurants outside of town to avoid the Maple Grove gossip mills. But if he was serious about trying to find something a bit more lasting? Then, he had to start embracing a dating life here in his hometown.
Her grin widened as she read her phone screen. “We’re all set. Pick me up at the Inn a little before seven?”
He matched her smile, but even as he said goodbye and walked inside his clinic, he didn't feel that excitement and surge low in his belly like he felt around Yvonne. If anything, he felt sad. But maybe that bittersweet sadness was just another part of the process of moving on.
9
I t was 6:55 when Steve walked into Greico's, arm in arm with Sophy. The Italian bistro was among the more high-end places to eat in Maple Grove. The ambiance was there, even if it was a bit pretentious. Greico's was great, but Angelina's was still Steve's favorite. A little hole in the wall with the best damn spaghetti bolognese he’d ever put in his mouth.
But, this was where Sophy had chosen for her business dinner. He studied her as she gave her name to the host standing up front. Was this her sort of place? White linen napkins and bone china? Or would she eventually join him over at Angelina's, slurping up marinara with the homemade bread?
He liked a fancy meal as much as the next guy. It was nice once in a while, but it wasn't the sort of meal he had frequently.
“This place came highly recommended by my client. I'm not usually a big pasta person, but they chose the place,” she said fluffing her curls with one hand.
“Not big into pasta? You're in the wrong restaurant, I think.”
She shrugged as they followed the host to the back room. “I don't mind it, it's just not usually my first choice.”
“What is your first choice?”
She made a humming sort of sound while thinking. “Arepas.” She sent him a smile over her shoulder. “My grandmother used to make them for us every Sunday after church.” Steve curved his hand around hers, giving it a squeeze. Then, slipping through an arched entryway, they entered a much quieter back room. It only had eight tables or so, two of which were taken. A man played the violin quietly in the corner. The host led them to a table with six place settings.
“Wow, you're meeting more than just a client,” Steve said, looking at the large table. Sophy, already nestled into her seat, looked up at him from behind an open menu.
“It's one family. They're thinking of investing in a project I’m spearheading.”
“Can I get you anything to drink while you wait? Wine?” the host asked.
Steve shook his head. “Um, not sure yet.” The host nodded before turning and going back to his station up front. Steve opened his menu. “What sort of investment?”
“I'm in real estate.” She crinkled her nose, taking a sip of water. “I'm actually checking out the community here for a couple of my buyers down in Boston.”
“Oh, so you're based in Boston?” An hour and a half distance wasn't ideal, but it also wasn't a deal breaker. Cam and Lydia made it work for months while she was in New York.
She shrugged. “Mostly, yes. But if I can make this deal go through, there's the potential I could settle here in Maple Grove.”
“So, you're looking at building some developments?”
She nodded, back to scanning the menu. “Yeah, something like that. Not only in Maple Grove, but in a lot of the Lakes Region communities. Some local investors are tired of the region just being a vacation spot. The goal is to make communities like Maple Grove financially sustainable year round.”
Aw, hell. He didn't like the sound of that. “Maple Grove already is sustainable year round. We've got the lakes in the summer, changing of the leaves in the fall, skiing in the winter and the Artists in Residency and UNH Maple Grove to make up the difference the rest of the year.”
“Exactly,” she said, excited. “That's why this is a perfect place to start building developments. It's less work for us, and then we can expand into the other Lakes Region towns.”
Shit. Steve cleared his throat and leaned forward. Maple Grove was so much more than just a place, just a home. It was a defining factor in who he was. “But... typically, that means building things like Walmarts and mini-malls, right? The most charming thing about our little town is that it thrives on local business.”
Sophy rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. Yes, the local businesses are great, but you can't honestly tell me you wouldn't want a bargain store around here? Think of how much easier it would make life! You could get your dog food, your prescription meds and your groceries in all one spot.”
Steve thought of Old Man Cooke, as he was affectionately known around town—the ancient pharmacist he had gone to since he was a boy. Tyler Cooke, his son, was slated to take over the business when he retired soon.
He shook his head. “I like going to different places for different things. I like seeing my friends and saying hello to everyone.”
She snorted and her eyes widened in that condescending way women do when they think men don't really notice. “You like making four stops when you could save time with just one?”
“Yes,” he drawled, hating her tone. Hating how she just assumed they were all silly for loving life as it was here.
