do, Jonah?”
“Not really.” He smirked. “Nice to meet you, Kyla. I’d better leave you two alone, before Gage does something he’ll regret.”
“Bro. Please.”
“I’m going.” Shaking his head, Jonah headed inside.
When he was gone, Kyla said, “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
“Of Jonah? Never. There’s way too much of him for one woman.”
She giggled. “You could be right. Your brother is…really big.”
“Ugh. Don’t say it like that,” he groaned. “I never want to think about Jonah and big in that context.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, fighting a smirk.
“Good.” He glanced at the house, hoping Jonah hadn’t decided that Mark needed an introduction too. “Hey, listen. While you’re here…uh, see, I was thinking…” Damn it. Why couldn’t he just spit it out? “I was thinking that a week is a long time,” he said.
Oh, great. That was really smooth.
Surprisingly, she smiled. “That’s funny,” she said. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“Really?” Christ, his voice was practically squeaking. He cleared his throat hard, and said, “So, what are you doing tonight?”
“Hopefully going on a real date.”
“I can make that happen,” he said with a smile. “How do you feel about Chinese food?”
Her eyes widened. “There’s a Chinese restaurant here?”
“More or less. It’s just outside town.”
“I haven’t had Chinese in forever,” she said. “I’d love to go.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven?”
She flashed a smile—and kissed him.
He was speechless.
“See you then.” She gave a little wave, then turned and headed down the yard toward the sidewalk.
Gage stood there, gaping like an idiot, until she turned the corner and walked out of sight. Finally, he pulled himself together and went back to the garage. It was a miracle he hadn’t screwed this up yet. Now if only he could figure out what he was doing right, maybe he’d get lucky enough to have a second date.
But he suspected that with her, a handful of dates wouldn’t be enough—and he was starting to think maybe forever wasn’t too long, after all.
* * * *
Covendale’s only Chinese restaurant didn’t look like much from the outside. Situated in an L-shaped strip mall and boasting a bright neon sign that read Happy Fun Chinese , the place seemed like a takeout store with a few tables in front, meant only for waiting. But when Gage told the lady behind the counter that they wanted to eat in, she led them past the register and around a corner to a spacious, beautiful dining room.
Once again, they ended up with a corner booth. Kyla spent a few minutes looking around at the red carpet, the hanging lanterns, and the very Chinese décor—including a huge dragon fountain surrounded by plants in the middle of the room. “This is incredible,” she said. “It’s like a secret world back here.”
Gage nodded. “This used to be storage for two different businesses,” he said. “The Chinese place was just the front area, but when the business next to them closed down, they rented both spaces and knocked a few walls down.”
“I like it,” she said. “It’s unique.”
“Definitely.”
They turned their attention to the menu. When a waitress came to the table, Gage got beef peppersteak and an extra egg roll. Kyla ordered chicken lo mein and a side of crab rangoon. Her mouth was already watering as the waitress took the menus and left.
“So, what else don’t I know about this town?” Kyla said.
“Let’s see.” He smiled and cocked his head. “There really is a wrong side of the tracks. We actually have three stoplights, not two. One out of two grocery stores is ridiculously overpriced. Oh, and never tell Mrs. Carmichael anything you don’t want the whole town to know about.”
She laughed. “Is that it?”
“No, but it’s a start.” He reached for the bowl of weird-looking chips in the middle of the table and pulled it
“Not really.” He smirked. “Nice to meet you, Kyla. I’d better leave you two alone, before Gage does something he’ll regret.”
“Bro. Please.”
“I’m going.” Shaking his head, Jonah headed inside.
When he was gone, Kyla said, “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
“Of Jonah? Never. There’s way too much of him for one woman.”
She giggled. “You could be right. Your brother is…really big.”
“Ugh. Don’t say it like that,” he groaned. “I never want to think about Jonah and big in that context.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, fighting a smirk.
“Good.” He glanced at the house, hoping Jonah hadn’t decided that Mark needed an introduction too. “Hey, listen. While you’re here…uh, see, I was thinking…” Damn it. Why couldn’t he just spit it out? “I was thinking that a week is a long time,” he said.
Oh, great. That was really smooth.
Surprisingly, she smiled. “That’s funny,” she said. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“Really?” Christ, his voice was practically squeaking. He cleared his throat hard, and said, “So, what are you doing tonight?”
“Hopefully going on a real date.”
“I can make that happen,” he said with a smile. “How do you feel about Chinese food?”
Her eyes widened. “There’s a Chinese restaurant here?”
“More or less. It’s just outside town.”
“I haven’t had Chinese in forever,” she said. “I’d love to go.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven?”
She flashed a smile—and kissed him.
He was speechless.
“See you then.” She gave a little wave, then turned and headed down the yard toward the sidewalk.
Gage stood there, gaping like an idiot, until she turned the corner and walked out of sight. Finally, he pulled himself together and went back to the garage. It was a miracle he hadn’t screwed this up yet. Now if only he could figure out what he was doing right, maybe he’d get lucky enough to have a second date.
But he suspected that with her, a handful of dates wouldn’t be enough—and he was starting to think maybe forever wasn’t too long, after all.
* * * *
Covendale’s only Chinese restaurant didn’t look like much from the outside. Situated in an L-shaped strip mall and boasting a bright neon sign that read Happy Fun Chinese , the place seemed like a takeout store with a few tables in front, meant only for waiting. But when Gage told the lady behind the counter that they wanted to eat in, she led them past the register and around a corner to a spacious, beautiful dining room.
Once again, they ended up with a corner booth. Kyla spent a few minutes looking around at the red carpet, the hanging lanterns, and the very Chinese décor—including a huge dragon fountain surrounded by plants in the middle of the room. “This is incredible,” she said. “It’s like a secret world back here.”
Gage nodded. “This used to be storage for two different businesses,” he said. “The Chinese place was just the front area, but when the business next to them closed down, they rented both spaces and knocked a few walls down.”
“I like it,” she said. “It’s unique.”
“Definitely.”
They turned their attention to the menu. When a waitress came to the table, Gage got beef peppersteak and an extra egg roll. Kyla ordered chicken lo mein and a side of crab rangoon. Her mouth was already watering as the waitress took the menus and left.
“So, what else don’t I know about this town?” Kyla said.
“Let’s see.” He smiled and cocked his head. “There really is a wrong side of the tracks. We actually have three stoplights, not two. One out of two grocery stores is ridiculously overpriced. Oh, and never tell Mrs. Carmichael anything you don’t want the whole town to know about.”
She laughed. “Is that it?”
“No, but it’s a start.” He reached for the bowl of weird-looking chips in the middle of the table and pulled it
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