Chapter 16 #2
Her fingers flexed on the shift. “Honestly, yes, but I don’t know how to drive a manual transmission.”
His lips pulled down. Everyone should know how to drive a stick shift.
He let his thumb trail over the hills and valleys of her knuckles in a touch of comfort.
“I promise I always drive responsibly, and this car is safer at taking these mountain turns than top-heavy vehicles are.” He waited while she seemed to be weighing his words in her mind. “So, are we good to go?”
She removed her hand from the gearshift and sighed. “As good as I’ll ever be.”
Tai watched her a moment before putting the car in gear.
It took an extra fifteen minutes to get to the pop-up restaurant since he didn’t go a single mile per hour above the speed limit.
Ten minutes after that, they were seated at an intimate linen-covered table for two in the middle of a courtyard created by the dual shipping containers on either side, converted into a traveling venue for the chef’s events.
“This place gives a new meaning to reuse, reduce, and recycle.” Evangeline looked from the Edison bulbs hanging crisscrossed from the containers’ roofs to the freestanding heaters glowing red to combat the nip in the early spring air.
“I’d say it’s very trendy, but I have a neighbor who has a bench made out of cinder blocks and railroad ties, so a restaurant from a few shipping containers seems right on point for this neck of the woods. ”
“We Tennesseans embraced farmhouse chic before the Gaineses made the style popular.”
She let out a breathy laugh. “Something like that.”
They both picked up their menus and perused the options. The server came along with tall glasses of ice water and took their order.
Tai settled his forearms against the edge of the table once the server left. “So, did you think over the questions I asked you?”
Evangeline pulled her gaze away from the hanging bulbs and settled her green eyes on him. “Oh, we’ve come to that part of the night already, have we?”
“Hoping I’d forget?”
“Maybe.”
“Too bad for you, I have a great memory.” He reached a foot out under the table and tapped her ankle.
Her head snapped up, and he grinned at her. “Want me to be a gentleman and go first?”
Her jaw seemed to unhinge in surprise, which made him smile even wider.
“What? You think I don’t know how to be a gentleman?”
She quickly composed herself, sitting straighter in her chair and settling her hands in her lap like a debutante. “I’ve seen no evidence so far that would corroborate that statement, no.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you haven’t been looking. Or maybe your perception has been skewed.”
“I highly doubt that’s the reason. Maybe it could be you’re a flirt who manipulated a situation to your benefit, obligating me into a date after I turned you down.”
Tai dramatically rubbed his chin in mock contemplation. “No, that can’t be it.”
She huffed.
He laughed.
“Okay, Your Honor, I submit to the court evidence number one. I will answer the questions I posed to you in order to ease whatever discomfort you may feel by revealing these three simple things about yourself.” Tai waited, but her expression didn’t change.
“If you recall, the questions were, What life lesson have you learned the hard way? Do you enjoy being yourself? And what would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? Lady’s choice.
Which question would you like me to answer first? ”
She sat silently, seeming to consider and then reject every response that came to her mind.
Finally, she reached forward and took hold of her water glass, bringing it to her lips and taking a sip.
After she set the glass back down, she settled an assessing look on him.
“What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?”
Tai sat back so his shoulder blades rested against the cushion of his chair. “That’s the easiest of the three.” He paused and let the silence stretch between them, much like a fisherman lets a fish swim after taking the bait before he starts to reel it in. “I wouldn’t do anything differently.”
Her lashes fluttered as she blinked. “Nothing?”
“Not a thing.” He leaned in conspiratorially and dropped his voice. “Want to know why?”
She dipped her chin in assent.
He kept the upper half of his body there, leaning across the table, and looked her squarely in the eyes. “Because I no longer make decisions and live my life based off what other people might think of me.” He let his statement sink in, then slowly sat back to his previous relaxed position.
Her fingers danced along her collar bone like a nervous butterfly. “Everyone cares what people think of them.”
Tai shrugged. “I concede it’s safe to say most people have a base desire to be liked and accepted, but it’s dangerous if we start living and making decisions that will only please the people around us and not make us happy.”
She tilted her head, studying him. “Is that something you’ve learned from experience?”
“Ah, now we’ve moved on to What life lesson have you learned the hard way?
” He fiddled with the tablecloth, then smoothed out the wrinkle he’d created.
“To answer both those questions, yes. I learned that living to please others is confining instead of defining. Caring more about what they think instead of what I think is essentially stuffing myself in a box. Sometimes one that doesn’t feel like it has any holes to let in oxygen. ”
He could feel her gaze take in the rose tattoo peeking out from above the collar of his shirt. “Trying to picture me before my care meter got busted?”
Her brows furrowed. “Yes, but I’m having a really hard time doing so.” She lifted her eyes to his. “What was the catalyst for this epiphany, if I may ask?”
“I have asthma. It was pretty severe as a child. My mom worried about me a lot and became one of those super overprotective helicopter parents. She was so afraid that something would trigger an asthma attack that I wasn’t allowed to do much of anything.”
“That must have been tough.”
Harder than he admitted, especially to his mom.
“I tried to live up to her expectations for me, to stay safe and not do anything that would worry her or cause her to judge my actions, but . . .” He shook his head.
“Anyway, now I do things I was never allowed to do as a child. Kayaking, hiking, and skiing are some of my favorite pastimes. And I’m a tattoo artist, which is an occupation that has caused a few judgy looks to come my way, especially when I came back to Little Creek and people jumped to the conclusion that I was still someone who was up to no good—although I’m sure you’re surprised to hear that. ”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh.” He smirked.
“Here we are, folks.” The server stopped beside the table and lowered two steaming plates before them. “The chicken-fried chicken for the lady and the country-style steak for the gentleman. Can I get you folks anything else right now?”
“This looks delicious, thank you.” Tai moved his napkin to his lap.
“I’m good as well, thanks.” Evangeline eyed her plate with appreciation.
“All right. Just holler if you need anything.”
Tai waited until they were alone again, then held out both hands across the table, palms up. “Mind if I say grace?”
For the second time that night, she gaped at him. “You do that?”
He pressed his smile down to keep it from fully forming. “Yes, I do. I’d ask if there was a reason you automatically assumed I wasn’t a God-fearing man, but I’d rather eat this food while it’s hot than wait while you list my apparent sins for me again. Not that you’re the type to judge, of course.”
Her cheeks pinkened, and he wiggled his fingers.
“Now, should I say a silent prayer or are we going to join hands? I promise you, nothing salacious is going to happen if you touch me.” Because he knew it would irk her, he gave her a lopsided, playful grin.
Her mouth pinched as she shoved her hands into his.
His grin slid off his face the moment her fingers touched him.
She hadn’t placed her palm in his gently or delicately, but forcefully.
And his pulse responded in kind—fierce and aggressive.
A reaction so powerful it took him by the throat and made his life flash before his eyes.
A life in which a matchmaking librarian played a central role.
He shouldn’t have opened his big mouth to make any promises that nothing would happen if she touched him. Because something had.
His entire world just split wide open.