Chapter 19 #2
The ambiance in Riverstone Kitchen was a bit more relaxed than that of Captain’s Crest, and Winnie and Shane stuck out more than a little in their fancier attire.
“You know,” Winnie said as she perused the menu, “when I was a kid, my parents took me to this anniversary party for one of their friends. It was a fancy, grown-up party, and I got to wear this very fancy dress.” She sketched the shape of a puffy skirt with her hands.
“And then, there was fancy, grown-up food, and I hated it.” She laughed.
“So my parents took me out for burgers in our party clothes. This feels a little like that.”
“You always find a way to put a happy spin on things.”
“Again,” she said pointedly, “I think you might bring it out in me. That’s not how most people think about me, alas.”
“Well, they just haven’t seen the full Winnie Burnett yet.”
She ducked her head against her smile.
They both ended up being sufficiently inspired by Winnie’s story and ordered burgers and fries.
Shane’s was a mushroom burger with roasted mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese on top, while Winnie went for more of a classic burger with a fat slice of ripe tomato and crisp lettuce atop it.
They debated the best condiments for their meals.
“Winnie, I think you are great, but if you think that any condiment is better than ketchup when it comes to burgers and fries, you are nuts.”
“Try,” she said, pushing a French fry dipped in mayonnaise in his direction. “It will change your life.”
He blocked his face like he was afraid she was going to attack.
“Never! I am loyal!”
He ate a ketchup-covered fry defiantly. She rolled her eyes and ate her own fry with the same energy. Then, they both had to avoid choking as they laughed with their mouths full.
“So,” he said when they’d both chased down the bites with their drinks, a Coke for him, and a lemonade for Winnie. “We are celebrating our victories.”
“Yeah!” she said with an adorably dorky enthusiasm. “We are crushing it.”
She held up her drink for a toast, and he clinked his glass gently against hers.
“Anyway,” he said, reaching down for the Magnolia Boutique bag with a frisson of nerves, “I wanted to tell you how much your support has meant to me these past few weeks. And I also was really touched by the way that you shared about your past. I know it’s not easy to be honest about the things that hurt us…
” He cleared his throat, worrying that he was getting a little too sentimental.
“Anyway, I saw this, and I thought of you.”
He handed over the bag and watched, heart in his throat, as Winnie pulled out the soft pink sweater.
For a moment, she just stared at it in silence, and when she looked up, her eyes were shiny with unshed tears.
“This…” She gave him a soft smile, and one tear trickled out her eye before she quickly dashed it away. “This is just like my mom’s. I… Shane, this is too much.”
“Do you like it?” he asked, needing to be certain.
She clutched the sweater to her chest. “I love it.”
“Then it’s not too much,” he said firmly. Honestly, her happiness was all the repayment he could possibly need.
She rubbed the sleeve of the sweater against her cheek, then draped it carefully over the back of her chair before coming around to join him on the booth side of the table. She threw her arms around his neck in a warm, exuberant hug.
It was possibly the best hug Shane had ever experienced. He felt a little bad thinking it, because he’d had many wonderful hugs from his family over the years. But there was something about Winnie…
And maybe that was the crux of it. There was just something about Winnie that he couldn’t seem to resist. And, when she pulled back and gave him a shy smile, he decided that he didn’t want to resist her, not anymore.
He leaned in and kissed her.
He surprised himself by doing it, honestly. He hadn’t made the decision very clearly, at least not before he was already leaning in. But when his lips touched hers, it felt like…
It felt like coming home. It felt like a kind of happiness he hadn’t experienced in a long, long while.
The kiss was quick and chaste, even for an impulsive first kiss. They were in public, after all. When they pulled apart, though, Winnie’s cheeks burned bright pink and there was a crooked smile on her face.
Shane cleared his throat.
“I, uh, I’m sorry,” he said, a touch awkwardly. “I probably shouldn’t have done that, at least not without asking first.”
She shook her head, seeming more like she was trying to clear her thoughts than offering censure.
“No, I… I’m glad you did,” she said. “I’ve been having a really, really nice time with you these past few weeks. And not just because you keep helping me with all my problems,” she added with a self-deprecating little laugh.
Emboldened, Shane reached out and squeezed her hand.
“At first, I wasn’t sure I would find what I needed in Magnolia Shore,” he admitted. “But now, getting to know you is answering every question I ever had about why coming here was the right choice.”