“Maybe.” Faint response, but it was the best she could manage.
Alex watched her that much? And she hadn’t noticed. Well, maybe it wasn’t a big surprise since it seemed to be before she’d had her morning caffeine, but still, she’d never thought he paid much attention.
“Yup. Maybe.” Boom bolted then, heading back to the kitchen and out the back door closest to her house.
Outmaneuvered. By a ten-year-old.
This round went to the Boom.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The outdoor patio was a good idea.” Rojas watched Elisa take in the décor of the cafe with a soft smile on her face.
This place was busy even on weeknights, a popular spot for couples of every age. Sitting inside would’ve been a nightmare for Rojas but out here, they could enjoy the autumn colors on the surrounding trees. The owners had set tall heat lamps out at intervals between the tables to keep patrons warm.
Rojas had taken mental note of the various couples, mostly younger and middle-aged sets braving the evening. All of the wait staff were teenagers and in fact, the entire restaurant was run by young people. It was trendy and hip, with a sophisticated menu. Exactly the kind of place he’d wanted to treat Elisa to.
Her dark brown hair was done in soft curls falling around her shoulders, and she’d worn makeup this evening, making her blue eyes brighter and somehow more striking. Her lips were even more tempting than usual, and he was sure he wasn’t going to get through the whole meal without wanting to steal a kiss. She was beautiful every day, and tonight, she’d highlighted a few of her charms specifically for him. He liked it.
“This restaurant has some interesting backstory, according to Sophie.” He took a sip of his water. “And Cruz has brought Lyn here a couple of times for dinner.”
“I like that it’s pet friendly.” Elisa leaned to one side to scratch the side of Souze’s face.
Rojas liked the way Elisa thought about Souze’s comfort, too. The big dog lay next to his feet, relaxed and wearing a service-dog-in-training vest. Lyn had sent it along from her supplies since the vests they had at Hope’s Crossing were mostly military working or K9 dog vests.
The staff at this café had welcomed them both and Souze, too, bringing out water for all three of them. Souze had his very own bowl under the table. As long as Rojas could remember not to kick the bowl, both Elisa and Souze would be happy with him. He hoped. It’d been a damned long time since he’d taken a woman out to dinner.
Drinks, one-night stands, even 0200 breakfasts at a diner after a booty call. Yeah, he’d done those. But this was dinner. He wanted Elisa to enjoy it, and he wanted this to be the first of many.
No pressure or anything.
“But you haven’t been here yet?” Elisa tipped her head sideways, and he wondered how he’d ever manage not to nibble at her neck in public.
It was a good thing the tables at this café had them sitting opposite each other. If they’d been in a booth, there’d have been some serious necking. “I figured we’d both have fun if it was a restaurant we’re both checking out for the first time.”
He was rewarded with one of her bright smiles. She’d started smiling for real after they’d included her in Sunday brunch. The small, polite smiles the day or two before had been nice but didn’t chase away the sadness in her eyes. Now when she smiled at him it took his breath away.
“New Hope is less crowded than I thought it’d be, the way Boom was talking about it.” Elisa sipped at her water.
“Yeah, well, Boom runs up and down the streets trying not to knock anybody over.” Rojas considered the menu. It was prix fixe so he could make his choices up front and not worry about it through the rest of the meal. “A ten-year-old takes up a lot of space.”
Elisa nodded in concession. “True. She was saying we should walk down to the end of the street and get cupcakes.”
Rojas grinned and leaned forward over the table. “Two reasons we’re not going to do that. First, I’m told there’s really good desserts here. I think you’ll want to try these. And second, the cupcake store Boom likes is around the corner and way down the end of the main strip of stores here in New Hope and it’ll be closed by the time we walk there. If she was hoping we’d bring her some cupcakes, she can hope for dessert on a different day. Sophie’s probably baking something full of sugar and bad for us for tomorrow’s brunch anyway.”
Elisa narrowed her eyes. “Ooh. Good points on all counts. Though I wouldn’t mind a walk through New Hope after dinner if you two are up for it.”
He glanced down at Souze, who looked back up at him with eyes half-lidded, and shrugged. “Could be. Let’s enjoy dinner first and play it by ear. Any idea of what you want?”