“Okay.” She sighed. “Just give me time, Noah. It’s hard to trust you again. I still love you. I will not hide that from you, but I don’t know if you can be faithful, and that worries me.”
He stayed silent for the rest of the drive, and his face looked pained. She knew he was truly sorry, but that didn’t erase her doubts and fears. She was afraid she had hurt his feelings, but she had to be honest.
They arrived at the restaurant, and he looked calm again. Noah held on to her hand until they reached the table. A small candle was lit, and it gave the table a warm glow she found romantic. She knew Noah, so she wasn’t nervous about being around him. She had had two dates in the last six months, and they had been okay, but neither man had made her feel like Noah did.
She ordered a chicken salad, and he frowned. “You need more than a salad, baby. I worry about your health. You need red meat and some potatoes.”
That made her feel all warm and gooey inside. How many men encouraged women to gain weight? She gave in and let him do the ordering.
They spent the next hour getting comfortable with each other again. Soon it was like they had never spent time apart. The conversation was smooth and easy. She had him laughing in no time.
“You worked at Hooters in college?” His eyes were wide and automatically went to her large breasts.
It made her laugh out loud. “At least mine are real.”
He couldn’t look more shocked if she told him she was a centerfold model. Men. They were so easily impressed.
“Why did I never know this?” His brows were crinkled as if he had been missing vital information all along.
“I lied to my family and said
I waitressed at some diner. My dad and Ray would have thrown a fit,” she confessed in a low voice as if her family could hear. “It was fun, and I would do it again. The tips were awesome. I kind of miss it. Alicia is the only one who knows.”
“I can’t believe Ray didn’t go and check up on you,” Noah said, still in shock. “And no way are you working there again. I don’t want men drooling over my woman.”
“He and Drake visited me a few times when I had days off. I swore my roommate to secrecy.” Alana melted at his claim she belonged to him, but overlooked it. This was their first date. She would not just blindly throw herself into loving him again. “She had a crush on Ray, and I shamelessly used that to get her to cover for me.”
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Ray invited me a few times when they visited you. There are a lot of clubs in Houston they liked going to, but even back then you were a dangerous temptation to me, so I pleaded duties at work. I would have punched any boyfriend you had. I tried not to sound too interested in your life up there. Now I am sorry for that.”
She smiled at his confession. She hadn’t known he even noticed her way back then. She had mooned over him but thought it hopeless.
“What did you major in?” he asked with real interest. They had flirted a lot in the past but never talked seriously. She liked talking to him. He was a good listener, and he had a serious side she had never noticed before. He was always joking around so she never saw his serious side.
“Business management. A lot of people think I only waitress, but I handle all the bookkeeping, payroll, and advertising, too,” she admitted. “I waitress part-time just because I like talking with other people instead of being stuck in the back office. Alicia wants to take over the advertising, and I know she will be great at it. She has a fresh, young viewpoint. She didn’t want to do college, but she has a flair for advertising and marketing.”
His eyes widened. “I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t know all that about you. When we went out together, all I could think was how sexy you were, and I spent half time thinking of ways to get you in my bed. Then I tried to list all the reasons why that was a bad idea and why I should stay away from you. Getting to know the real you never made the list.”
Alana felt her cheeks warm up. “Well those thoughts were in my head, too. We always hung out and joked and flirted with each other. Maybe that’s what was missing in the past. I have lusted after you for years, too. I never thought I could catch your attention. You were older and had your eyes on blondes only. Well, that is how it seemed.”
“Because dark-haired women reminded me of you too much. Ray and Drake went around intimidating any males that even looked your way. How could I tell them I found Ray’s baby sister attractive? Especially when I thought I didn’t want to settle down. I figured a few dates and we could part ways as friends. Boy, was I clueless.”
She wanted to ask if he was ready to settle down now, but she was too afraid of the answer.
Her stomach was so full. She finished only half the steak and left him the rest. “I need a nap.”
Noah laughed and signaled for the check. “No way, lazybones. There is a pretty little river that is all lit up. We are going to take a romantic walk. I am enjoying your company, Alana.”
She groaned but got up. Now she was glad she didn’t let Alicia talk her into heels. Her black flat shoes were comfortable.
The river was pretty, and a light, fresh breeze filled the night air. There was a huge stage with benches all in a row in the middle of the park. It was closed, but they sat on the stage steps. Noah hugged her and pulled her close to his big body. She felt safe and secure. If only she could have Noah by her side for always. She was afraid to hope.
“I missed you,” he said simply, but she heard his regret and his sincerity. “I felt your loss, and the worst thing was knowing it was my fault. I wanted to fix things, but I let my pride and my doubts stop me.”
She wanted to believe him. Her head and heart were in a silent war with each other, but she stayed quiet. She was afraid to trust wholly in what he claimed to feel.
“Do you know about Kari?” he asked.
She could hear the unhappiness in his voice, and it made her wonder if he still had feelings for Kari. She had been gone for seven years now.