Page 45 of Healing Warriors

I tried not to imagine joining Damon at those get-togethers, getting to know his loved ones better.

“So you’re third?” Damon asked.

I nodded. “The two boys were born first, and then us two girls.”

“And you have six nieces and nephews?”

“Seven, actually. They are hard to keep count of, especially because Jordan has twins. But Jordan has five and Alex has two.”

“And their wives seem nice,” Damon added.

“They are saints. Anyone who can put up with my brothers and raise their rambunctious offspring are saints, pure and simple,” I said and then laughed. I couldn’t put down my brothers for too long without chuckling about it.

“So your brothers were typical older brothers then?” Damon asked.

“If by ‘typical’ you mean that they teased me mercilessly, hid my dolls and told Mom I lost them, drew mustaches on all of my class presidential campaign posters when I was in second grade, and then when I was older and tried to go on a date they’d scare the guy off? Yeah, they were pretty typical.”

Damon had started chuckling somewhere between hiding my dolls and the mustaches. He’d snorted about the date thing.

“They were the absolute worst and best,” I concluded.

“Here is the first tasting.” Auntie Lynn came out with a four-tiered tray. Two of the tiers held gorgeous little finger sandwiches. A dozen different white chocolates rested on the other two.

I gasped and Auntie Lynn grinned.

“I’ll be right back with some black coffee. We pride ourselves on the fact that our chocolates aren’t too sweet, but they can still be a lot unless you cleanse your palate between tastings,” Auntie Lynn said as she backed away.

“How do we start?” I asked Damon, my eyes glued to the trays.

“I’m not sure.” He seemed as in awe as I was.

But that didn’t make sense. Surely with an ace like this up his sleeve, he’d taken all of his first dates here.

“How do you usually start?” I asked, my eyes drifting to Damon’s.

“I’ve never done this,” Damon said as he met my eyes. All of my training along with my gut told me he wasn’t lying.

“Is this a new service that Auntie Lynn offers?” I asked.

Damon shook his head. “She started it about ten years ago. My mom gave her the idea, but she and my mom have always said it was too fancy for just me.”

“You have to have brought other women here. This is a sure way to win them over. How could any woman not be in love with you after a date like this?” I asked and then reared back, trying to keep the horror I felt from showing on my face. I hadn’t just said that. Please tell me I didn’t say that.

Judging by Damon’s smirk, I’d definitely said it. And he’d heard it, loud and clear. “Are you saying you think you’ll be in love with me after this date?”

There was no good way to answer his question. So I stuffed a finger sandwich into my mouth. The cucumber exploded with freshness.

“And here are your coffees,” Auntie Lynn said, taking in my full mouth with a glance of confusion before leaving.

She thought I was insane. She wouldn’t be far off the mark.

“I’ve never brought a date here. It was a special place to my mom and it didn’t feel right bringing just anyone,” Damon said as I struggled to chew my lovely sandwich. It was light and everything a sandwich should be. But it wasn’t meant to be eaten in a single bite.

As I chewed with difficulty, I had plenty of time to reflect on what I had said and then what Damon had said. Surely he’d said the words just to make me feel less horrified.

“You don’t have to say that. I didn’t mean to put you in a difficult position by saying something so silly,” I said when I’d finally cleared my mouth.

“It wasn’t silly. I wasn’t saying anything because I felt forced. And I have to admit I kind of hope your prophecy about this date will come to fruition.”

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