32. Sable
CHAPTER 32
sable
H e wrote me thirty letters. Count with me. One, two, three…thirty!
I looked forward to them every day; I loved getting them and reading them. Finally, when he asked me out, my love for him won out over my fear, and I said yes .
Now, as I smoothed my dress for the third time since we sat down, fear was back in action.
For our date, he took me to Bosq, the highest high-end restaurant in Aspen. With its sleek lines, dark woods, and beautifully plated dishes, it looked like it belonged in a magazine, as did the people who ate there—polished women in designer dresses, men in tailored suits, and a smattering of the Aspen elite scattered across the room like perfectly placed chess pieces.
Heath fit in like a dream. He was in a dark suit that made him look fucking delicious. He was a silver fox with soft silver streaks in his dark hair, and those deep, deep blue eyes. He stood out in a room. You gravitated toward him without him even trying.
“Have you been here before?” Heath asked, picking up the one-page tasting menu, his attention on me.
“No. It’s not…ah…within my budget.”
Jack and I had talked about coming here for an anniversary, but money was tight for the longest time when he started his business, and I couldn’t afford this on my salary or…even now.
“I thought you might like it,” he said softly. “If you don’t, we can?—”
“I’ve always wanted to come here.” I licked my lips and looked down at my hands that rested on my lap.
“What is it I’m feeling coming off of you, Bambi?”
I shrugged but didn’t look at him.
“Do you feel that you’re too good for this place?”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes, now looking at him.
“So, it’s the other way around? You think you’re not good enough for this restaurant?”
I wrinkled my nose but shut the hell up.
He winked at me. “Bambi, you say stuff like that again, we’re gonna have words.”
“Are we?” I challenged.
“Oh, yeah.”
I knew what he was doing. He was making me comfortable by drawing me into a conversation that was meant to push my buttons, and he succeeded.
“I may order the most expensive thing on the menu,” I teased, flapping the menu dramatically. There was only one chef’s tasting option, and it was absurdly expensive .
“I’d be honored,” he said without missing a beat.
I smiled despite myself.
“Maybe if we date again, I’d be doing it for your money,” I quipped, testing him.
“Whatever your reasons, I’ll be happy,” he said softly, tipping my chin up with his hand, his palm warm against my cheek. His eyes were full of love—steady, unwavering—and I found myself getting lost in them. “And, Bambi, we are on a date. There’s no ‘ maybe’ about us dating.”
I raised an eyebrow, feigning doubt. “Is that so?”
He chuckled, shaking his head like I was being ridiculous. “Yeah, Bambi, that is so.”
By the time the waiter explained the menu and asked us about allergies, I had already had a glass of the beautiful champagne Heath had chosen to celebrate our getting back together.
“Oh crap,” I mumbled when I saw the hostess bring Leslie and her husband and another couple to a table close to us.
She stared at us, her expression disbelieving. I didn’t know why because everyone knew Heath had thrown his heart on the line at the resort party.
“She shouldn’t bother you,” Heath said calmly.
“She doesn’t,” I retorted a tad defensively. “It’s…just, now she’s going to gossip and?—”
“Do you know why I brought you here, besides the fact that they have an excellent wine list, and the food is awesome?”
I licked my lips and waited .
“Because I want everyone to know that I’m the luckiest son of a bitch to have you as my dinner companion.”
I cleared my throat. “So…you…did this on purpose?”
He gave me a small, knowing smile. “I did this because I knew you’d love it. You like good wine and good food. This is one of the best in Aspen.”
“But,” I lowered my voice, “you knew that people would be here.”
“Usually, there are people in a restaurant, Bambi.”
I was going to give him a piece of my mind for his flippant behavior, but our server came back to tell us about the wine menu. Then I had another glass of wine and forgot I was annoyed with Heath.
The food was exquisite. Five courses of absolutely stunning beauty. We had something called masa éclair , which was the most fantastic way to serve corn flour. The duck liver mousse melted in my mouth. The langoustine toast was…well, my first time eating Norwegian lobsters, which were more succulent and creamier than shrimp, which they looked like. The caviar was…also the first time I was eating fish eggs that were not roe.
“What was your favorite?” I asked Heath after we finished the dessert course, Bolivian chocolate served with nasturtium flower vinegar
“The aged duck molé. You?”
“The scallop umami.”
“Thank you.” I grinned because my soul and stomach had been well-fed. “This was…eye-opening.”
Heath took my hand in his. “I love seeing you happy. I love…you. ”
“I….” I took a deep breath and let go. “I love you, too, and not just because we’ve had the best and probably most expensive meal of my life.”
He chuckled. “I knew you’d love the food. But, Bambi, the main, the very main reason I brought you here is that I’m done pretending that you’re not the most important person in my life, along with Juno. I’m proud to be here with you. I’m proud of you .”
The lump in my throat made it impossible to respond.
As we left the restaurant, Heath’s hand resting lightly on the small of my back, I caught Leslie’s wide-eyed stare one last time. And. I. Didn't. Care.
After that big and sumptuous meal, we decided to go for a walk.
Fall had painted Aspen in every shade of gold, red, and orange. Tourists came from around the world to see the beauty and experience the crisp air, which carried the faint scent of pine and the promise of the first snow.
I was glad that I had worn shoes I could walk in because Heath led me to the John Denver Sanctuary, which was a ten-minute walk from Bosq.
“Where are we going?” I asked, holding his hand as we followed the winding trail by the riverbank.
“We’re just walking, Bambi.”
We rounded a bend, and my mind went blank with delight.
In a clearing near the Poetry Stones, beneath a canopy of golden leaves, stood a small band—a violinist, a cellist, and a guitarist. Soft strains of music floated toward us, blending with the rustle of the trees and the gentle murmur of the Roaring Fork River. A few people had gathered nearby, drawn in by the music, their faces lit with curiosity.
I stopped in my tracks, staring at the scene. “What’s this?”
“A concert in the park.” Heath grabbed and twirled me. “For you.”
“For me?” My chest tightened as the words sank in.
“I’m wooing you, Bambi. So…let me.”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “Heath, this is….”
“There is no crying when there’s live music,” he warned. “Dance with me.”
I hesitated, glancing at the small crowd. “People are watching.”
“Let them.”
The music swelled as he rested a hand lightly on my waist, the other holding my hand in his. We swayed together under the golden canopy, the world narrowing to just the two of us. I was aware of the curious eyes on us, the soft murmurs of onlookers, but it didn’t matter.
“You make everything better,” Heath murmured, his breath warm against my ear.
“How?”
“By being you.” He bent me on his arm and dropped a kiss on my mouth. People clapped. “By showing up. By giving so much of yourself to everyone around you. You make me want to be better, Sable.”
The music shifted into something slower, and Heath tightened his hold on me, his gaze steady and unflinching.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I told him, sure about him like I had been about nothing in my life before.
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
I rested my head against his chest, letting the music and the warmth of his embrace wrap around me. As we danced under the canopy of golden leaves, with strangers watching and music filling the air, I felt like I was home.