While Tucker dealt with an influx of customers, Della chatted away with Drew and Bo quite happily. It felt good to be part of a conversation like this. To have Bo’s light, easygoing attention. To hang out with people and not feel awkward or wary or self-conscious. Being married so young and isolated for a lot of that time had really stymied her social skills, and the more secure and normal she felt, the more her confidence grew.

She was conscious, however, of her underwear stuffed into the back pocket of Tucker’s Levi’s. Every time she caught a glimpse of his ass, she saw the slight bulge, and a trill of excitement skipped through her belly. The fact that the only person in this bar who knew she was commando was Tucker was also wildly thrilling, and she couldn’t wait to hear his key in her lock tonight.

Yeah. She’d given him a spare key last week…

Della checked her watch. It was almost three. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Bo,” she said, “but I gotta go. I’ve got an appointment.”

She and Ruth were having mani-pedis at Mirror, Mirror at quarter past three. She was contemplating getting some fancy waxing done especially for Tucker. She flicked him a glance now, sending him a secret smile, which he didn’t seem to clock.

“Be careful out there, okay?” she instructed, turning her attention back to Rosemary’s grandson as she slid off the stool. “It looks very dangerous.”

“I’m always careful,” Bo said with his daredevil smile. “Before you go…I hope you don’t mind me being forward, but I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime?”

“Oh.” Della blinked at Bo. What? Go out? “Like…on a date?”

“Yes.” He laughed. “On a date.”

Okay. She had not seen that coming. Clearly she needed to pay more attention to the person talking to her and less attention to the guy who was currently harboring her underwear. She glanced at Tucker, who was smiling but in a tight kind of way, like his jaw was about to shatter. Then at Drew, whose gaze flitted between her and Tucker, then to Bo and back to her.

“Oh. Wow.” She was seriously flattered—amazed, actually—but a date with Bo hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Bo laughed again. “I obviously need to be less subtle with my flirting. Look, if you’re not into me or if there’s a special guy, then my ego can take a no.”

Della glanced at Tucker, who met her gaze for a long moment before nodding slightly and giving her a gentle smile. “You should. It’s been ages since you’ve been on a date, Della.”