Wedding Date with the Army Doc by Lynne Marshall

fresh air, suddenly aware how nervous he felt, having her here. It was another warm and inviting early summer evening, without a trace of humidity, which always amazed him, and the light breeze quickly chased out the stuffy air. He inhaled, forcing himself to relax.
    â€œMake yourself comfortable,” he said, heading to the kitchen to open a bottle of wine. He hadn’t ordered any with dinner, though Charlotte had raved about the organic “green” wine. His thoughts had been that tonight she needed to let go a little, and if enjoying a glass or two of wine was the way, he’d make sure she got home safely. He picked up two wineglasses by the stems and carried everything to the other room.
    Charlotte had made herself comfortable on the small but functional gray linen upholstered couch overrun with brightly patterned pillows, which she’d pushed aside. The pillows were only there because that was how it had been displayed in the catalog. What did he know about decorating? That had always been Evaline’s job. When he showed up back at the sofa, her amused expression changed to a wide smile. Combined with the light blush of someone who’d been enjoying her wine with dinner, the look was more than appealing. “You’ve been reading my mind a lot tonight,” she said.
    â€œI try.” He opened the bottle of chilled chardonnay and poured them each half a glass. She sipped, and he joined her. “This is where I hang out when I’m not at the hospital.” He wished he could read her mind a little more right now, but on the other hand, maybe he didn’t want to know what had put that previously engaging gaze on her face. She was probably suppressing a laugh at his decorating skills, or lack thereof.
    â€œRented furniture?”
    Okay. Maybe he had read her mind again. He dutifully nodded. Was it that obvious?
    â€œNot bad, but it tells me you don’t plan to stick around.”
    â€œI think I’ve told you that I came here to be near my son, and that was the extent of my plan. Oh, and then I found the job at St. Francis.” He took another drink.
    â€œAnd then you started showing up in my office.” She quaffed more wine, looking self-assured. He liked it.
    His eyes crinkled with another smile. The topic was starting to get good. Plus her attitude had taken a turn toward sassy. “That I did. There was a surprise beauty in that office.”
    He gave another half smile. She stared lightly at him. It made him think there was a lot going on inside her head right then.
    â€œDid you have any idea how long I had a crush on you?”
    So he’d been right about a lot going on behind that getting-more-relaxed-by-the-minute stare. “I thought I had a crush on you .”
    She sat sideways on the couch, one leg bent on the cushions, the other crossed over it. He faced her. With the tip of her now shoeless toe, she made contact with his knees. “I liked you from the first time I saw you, and I couldn’t believe how interested you were in the slides.”
    â€œThat’s because I was interested in the person showing me the slides.” He touched her, soon caressing her toes. She drank more wine, letting him have his way with her foot.
    â€œI liked being in the dark with you, getting to test out whatever aftershave you threw on. You don’t have a favorite, do you?”
    He shook his head. Shrugged. He liked how she was opening up and he didn’t want to stop her, so he kept quiet.
    â€œI can remember the first time our knees touched. You inhaled and I thought it was so sexy. You realize how sexy you are, right?”
    His brows shot up. This was really getting good. “Uh, I hadn’t thought about that in a long time.” Three years, to be exact. Since losing his leg.
    â€œMay I ask what happened to your marriage?”
    Ah, damn, she’d pulled a quick one on him and changed the topic to something much less appealing,