“You don’t know that. I think he’ll mourn Adriana forever.”

“I’m not saying he won’t still love her. It’s not as if their love died with her. I’m just pointing out that he’s moved on, and he’s ready for a relationship.”

While Dena wanted that to be true, she knew her sister was wrong. She needed to be careful and protect her heart or she was going to find it broken in a way that might not ever be repaired.

Nineteen

Reggie told herself not to get too excited about her dinner out with Toby—a somewhat difficult task considering she’d been thinking about him all day. Worse, they’d spent most of their afternoon knitting session looking at each other and smiling. It was like being back in high school all over again.

Which was part of the problem, she thought, crossing the street on her way to Buon Natale, the incredible Italian restaurant in town. High school. There were too many good memories, too many habits and patterns to fall back on. She had to keep reminding herself that adult Toby was different. Oh, his character was similar, and she was definitely attracted to him, but she had to be smart and remember that he’d been very clear about not wanting to have a serious relationship with anyone. This was just dinner with a friend, and if she made it more than it was, then shame on her.

“I can do dinner,” she murmured as she opened the door to the restaurant. “I eat several times a day. I’m good at it.”

Her musings were cut short by the scent of garlic and basil and other delicious ingredients. Immediately her mouth began to water and her stomach grumbled, reminding her that not only had lunch been light, it had been hours ago.

The décor was simple, with dark walls and white linens. Classical music played on the sound system, and the atmosphere was both welcoming and elegant. Buon Natale was the kind of place you went when you wanted to celebrate an anniversary or job promotion. They served things like risotto with lobster and truffles or Mediterranean sea bass with carrot puree.

But all thoughts of food fled when she spotted Toby in the waiting area. Gone were the jeans and flannel shirt—he had on black pants and a deep blue shirt under a well-fitting leather jacket. He looked good enough to be the main course with just a hint of bad boy adding spice.

She had a brief moment of gratitude that she’d taken extra time with her appearance, wearing her sexy boots and applying more makeup than usual. His smile told her she’d done well.

“So we’re dining fancy tonight,” she said as she approached.

“Fancy is required when a person messes up like I did,” he told her, lightly kissing her cheek. “You look beautiful.”