“I bet you were adorable,” he said, and the warmth in his eyes told her he really meant it.

“I don’t know about that, but thank you.”

“So you danced two days a week growing up?”

“For a bit. Eventually I wanted to take three dance classes each week. But my grandmother, who raised me, was a waitress and a seamstress, and she didn’t earn much money. She was good with it, saving every tip, every extra penny. But even when I was young, I knew dance classes were a luxury. So to earn extra money, I started helping neighbors in our apartment building. I walked their dogs, played with kids while their moms were busy. I’d do whatever they’d let me do to earn the difference in tuition between two and three classes per week.”

They ate as they talked, and Quincy watched her intently, listening to every word she said, like her grandmother used to. Like he cared about her answers.

“I loved studying under Elisa, the owner of the studio. She danced professionally all over the world for more than twenty years, and she retired when her mother got sick. She came back here to take care of her, and after her mother passed away, she opened the studio. She’s an amazing person, and an even more incredible dancer. I’ll never forget the day she pulled me aside after one of my classes and suggested I take private lessons. I was ten, and when she said I reminded her of herself, it was the biggest compliment I could imagine, and I burst into tears.” She took a sip of her water and said, “I’m such a dork.”

“You’re not a dork. You’re passionate, and that’s wonderful.” He ate one of his fries and offered her one.

“Thanks. I love fries.” She loved that he shared even more. “Do you want some of my salad or sprouts?”

A flicker of wickedness shimmered in his eyes. “I’d like everything of yours.” He stabbed a cherry tomato with his fork and popped it in his mouth, holding her gaze as he said, “Mm, sweet and juicy.”

“Ohmygod.” She turned away, her cheeks burning.

“You’re sexy when you blush.”

She caught his grin and couldn’t stop her own from appearing. He was so easygoing and likable, she didn’t even try to hold back her sass. “And you go from sweet to naughty in the space of a second.”

“I’m not going to apologize for that, but I can see it embarrasses you, so I’ll try to tone it down. Did you take the private lessons?”

“In embarrassment? No. I was born this way.”

He laughed. “Girl, you are somethin’ else.”

“When you figure out what that is, please let me know.” Wow. This was fun. He was bringing out a confident side of her she hadn’t seen since the accident. “To answer your question, I did take private lessons, and eventually I danced five days a week, but it took some creativity to afford it. My grandmother started making the outfits for recitals and productions, free of charge. Elisa would provide the materials, and Gram would make them.”