Page 51 of The CEO's Baby

She put on her jacket, picked up a small purse and headed out.

“Bambino’s good?” he asked as they walked out together.

It was a restaurant in North Beach that they had eaten at several times.

“Sounds perfect.”

He had parked in the loading zone in front of the building and hurried her across the wide sidewalk and into the dry car. In only seconds they were splashing through the city streets, traffic light due to the weather.

Cath asked if his parents had gotten off as planned.

“No problems. Weather isn’t bad enough to be of concern. My mother likes you,” he said.

Cath wrinkled her nose. She looked at Trace.

“I don’t want to talk about our parents or work or this baby. For tonight I want to pretend we are the two people we were last summer and just enjoy ourselves.”

“Sounds like a plan. How far back last summer do we go?”

“What do you mean?”

“Our first date or our last?”

She tilted her head and gave him a sultry look.

“How about right before our last.”

He reached out and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers.

“I like the way you think, lady.”

He raised their linked hands and brushed his lips against her fingers.

For a few hours Cath was able to forget the future and the present, and enjoy Trace’s company. She captured that rare feeling she had when seeing him last August, as if they had a unique connection that made each that one special person for the other.

They caught up as if they hadn’t seen each other recently, talking about books, and television shows and plans for the holidays. They carefully avoided any personal topic that would touch on the baby, but twice Cath almost let something slip. Since they were her rules, she had to keep them.

She didn’t want the evening to end when dinner was finished. Spending time with Trace was special. But with the rain, taking a walk was totally impractical.

When the bill was presented, Trace placed several bills in the leather folder, then looked at her.

“There’s a club nearby that has music and dancing. We could go for a while. We’ll sit out those dances that might prove too strenuous.”

“Sounds like fun.”

So he didn’t want the evening to end, either. She felt a warmth that had been missing for weeks. For a short time they could recapture the magic of those weeks they’d shared.

The dancing proved to be fun. Cath was careful not to overdo, but as long as she didn’t get too hot or expend too much energy, she’d be all right. She felt carefree and happy in a way she hadn’t for a long while.

It was late when the band finally took a break. Trace suggested they leave.

“I have an early morning meeting,” he said.

Tomorrow was a workday and she had her own busy schedule.

“I’ve had a great time,” she said as they drove through the almost empty city streets.

The rain was a steady drizzle. The lights reflected on the puddles and made the scene look like a fairyland.

---