volition, Ellie leaned back, pressing her body against his, tucking her head beneath his chin. How well suited they were. She fit perfectly in his embrace and loved the feel of his arms around her.
“I’ve dreamed of kissing you,” he whispered close to her ear.
Ellie smiled. “I’ve thought a lot about it, too.”
He slid his hands down the length of her arms. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” He turned her around so that they faced each other. His gaze delved deep into hers. After a lengthy moment, he broke eye contact and glanced around them.
The waterfront area was crowded. Another couple, lost in conversation, strolled past, followed by a little boy around five who chased after a seagull, laughing as his short legs pumped for all he was worth. A dog barked in the distance.
Tom expelled a harsh breath. “Later,” he whispered, and then reached for her hand as they continued down the waterfront pathway.
“I took a long walk earlier this afternoon,” Ellie told him. “It’s so beautiful here with the cove and the Olympic Mountains in the background. I heard someone mention they’d spied a pod of killer whales close by. People hurried down to the marina, anxious to get a look.”
“One of my greatest joys is being out on the water.”
“I never have … my mother was always afraid something would happen to me.”
“You’ve never been in a boat?” His look was incredulous.
“Not out so far that I couldn’t swim to the shore.”
“Would you like to go sailing with me?” he asked eagerly, his eyes bright with excitement. “I have a friend who owns a boat, and he offered to let me use it any time I want.”
“I’d love that.”
“Tomorrow, then. I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning. Can you be ready by nine?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“I’ll take you around Puget Sound, and if we’re lucky we’ll see a few killer whales. But I have other plans for us in the afternoon.”
“You do?” She made it a question, hoping he’d fill her in on what he’d scheduled. “You want to share what they are?” she asked, half pleading.
He briefly hesitated and then shook his head. “It’s a surprise. You have to wait.”
“You can’t tell me now?” In his previous emails and text messages, he’d alluded to the fact that he had something special planned for her. To this point, he’d refused to tell her what it was. From his hesitation, he seemed to fear she might not enjoy his surprise, which made Ellie all the more determined to be grateful and reassuring, no matter what it was.
He shook his head. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” His worried expression changed, and he teased her by bouncing his index finger against the tip of her nose.
“Can I guess?”
“Nope.” He tucked her arm around his elbow as they lazily strolled toward the theater. It was an old-fashioned one with a single screen, unlike the multiplex Ellie had seen advertised in the
Cedar Cove Chronicle
with ten theaters.
He paid for their tickets. The movie was one Ellie had seen before, but it didn’t matter if she’d viewed it a thousand times—it would be fresh and new because she was sharing it with Tom.
“Popcorn?” Tom asked, as they ventured inside the theater.
Ellie pressed her hand against her stomach. “I’m still full from dinner.”
Tom grinned, and it struck her how attractive he was when he smiled. The truth was, he was appealing in every way, smile or no smile.
“What does it matter when we ate dinner? It’s impossible to watch a movie without buttered popcorn, and they use real butter here, not that artificial stuff most theaters use.”
“Real butter?”
“We’re getting popcorn,” Tom insisted. He purchased a small bag for them to share. By the time they found their seats the theater was dark and previews played across the screen. Holding her by the hand, he led her to the far right-hand side to the seat farthest from the door.
Ellie stumbled along,
“I’ve dreamed of kissing you,” he whispered close to her ear.
Ellie smiled. “I’ve thought a lot about it, too.”
He slid his hands down the length of her arms. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” He turned her around so that they faced each other. His gaze delved deep into hers. After a lengthy moment, he broke eye contact and glanced around them.
The waterfront area was crowded. Another couple, lost in conversation, strolled past, followed by a little boy around five who chased after a seagull, laughing as his short legs pumped for all he was worth. A dog barked in the distance.
Tom expelled a harsh breath. “Later,” he whispered, and then reached for her hand as they continued down the waterfront pathway.
“I took a long walk earlier this afternoon,” Ellie told him. “It’s so beautiful here with the cove and the Olympic Mountains in the background. I heard someone mention they’d spied a pod of killer whales close by. People hurried down to the marina, anxious to get a look.”
“One of my greatest joys is being out on the water.”
“I never have … my mother was always afraid something would happen to me.”
“You’ve never been in a boat?” His look was incredulous.
“Not out so far that I couldn’t swim to the shore.”
“Would you like to go sailing with me?” he asked eagerly, his eyes bright with excitement. “I have a friend who owns a boat, and he offered to let me use it any time I want.”
“I’d love that.”
“Tomorrow, then. I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning. Can you be ready by nine?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“I’ll take you around Puget Sound, and if we’re lucky we’ll see a few killer whales. But I have other plans for us in the afternoon.”
“You do?” She made it a question, hoping he’d fill her in on what he’d scheduled. “You want to share what they are?” she asked, half pleading.
He briefly hesitated and then shook his head. “It’s a surprise. You have to wait.”
“You can’t tell me now?” In his previous emails and text messages, he’d alluded to the fact that he had something special planned for her. To this point, he’d refused to tell her what it was. From his hesitation, he seemed to fear she might not enjoy his surprise, which made Ellie all the more determined to be grateful and reassuring, no matter what it was.
He shook his head. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” His worried expression changed, and he teased her by bouncing his index finger against the tip of her nose.
“Can I guess?”
“Nope.” He tucked her arm around his elbow as they lazily strolled toward the theater. It was an old-fashioned one with a single screen, unlike the multiplex Ellie had seen advertised in the
Cedar Cove Chronicle
with ten theaters.
He paid for their tickets. The movie was one Ellie had seen before, but it didn’t matter if she’d viewed it a thousand times—it would be fresh and new because she was sharing it with Tom.
“Popcorn?” Tom asked, as they ventured inside the theater.
Ellie pressed her hand against her stomach. “I’m still full from dinner.”
Tom grinned, and it struck her how attractive he was when he smiled. The truth was, he was appealing in every way, smile or no smile.
“What does it matter when we ate dinner? It’s impossible to watch a movie without buttered popcorn, and they use real butter here, not that artificial stuff most theaters use.”
“Real butter?”
“We’re getting popcorn,” Tom insisted. He purchased a small bag for them to share. By the time they found their seats the theater was dark and previews played across the screen. Holding her by the hand, he led her to the far right-hand side to the seat farthest from the door.
Ellie stumbled along,
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