of killing me here,” he said with a small grin. “It took all my courage to ask you that, and now you’re leaving me hanging.”
“You were really nervous about asking me out?”
“Incredibly nervous.”
“Why?”
“Because you might say no.”
She could see now he was truly worried about her turning him down, and felt herself melt at the thought of such an amazing guy being nervous about asking her out. “I’d love to go out with you, Hunter, but you should know …”
“What should I know?”
“I don’t want to get serious with anyone. I’m just not wired that way, and it’s important you know that at the outset. The last thing I’d want is to hurt you or—”
He laid a finger gently over her lips. “Let me worry about me. I’m talking about dinner, not a lifetime commitment.”
Acute embarrassment made her face go hot. “I didn’t mean to make it into more, it’s just … I … I want to be fair to you.”
As if she hadn’t spoken, he said, “When do you want to go out? Tonight?”
Megan laughed at his overly eager reply. “Sure.” How was it possible she’d been about to cry a few minutes ago and now he had her laughing? He was cute and funny and it would be fun to spend some time with him—as long as it was fun and nothing more than that. “I could do something tonight. What do you have in mind?”
He opened his mouth to reply but then closed it. “I have no idea. I hadn’t gotten past the asking part.”
She covered her mouth so he wouldn’t see her laughing at him.
“Smooth, huh? I finally work up the nerve to ask you out and haven’t got the first idea of where to take you.”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something between now and later.”
“I will. I promise.”
“It’s really nice of you to ask.”
“It’s really nice of you to say yes.” He reached for her hand and then looked up at her. “Is this okay?”
How had she never noticed how sweet and sexy he was? Not in the same way as his brother, but different in a good way. “It’s okay.”
“Should we go talk to your sister about the diner?”
“We can do that.”
“You’ll stay, won’t you? If we keep the diner open. You’ll stay?”
She stared at him, startled by the intense way he looked at her. “Is that why you’re doing this?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in keeping you in town.” After a pause, he added, “Does that bother you?”
“No,” she said softly. “It flatters me, but I meant it when I said I don’t want to be serious with anyone.”
“I heard you. So you’re interested in helping to keep the diner open?”
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” She looked away from him, noticing the people on the sidewalk who were taking an interest in the two of them sitting close to each other on the park bench. News of this conversation would be all over town, if it wasn’t already. “Since Nina told me she was leaving, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I should do next.”
“What do you want to do?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know. Percy said something about a job in St. J, but that’s a long shot. I don’t have the experience they probably want.”
“Well, helping us at the diner would buy you some time to think about it, among other things.”
“What other things?”
“You’d get to hang out with me.” Standing, he gave her a gentle tug to encourage her to come with him. She expected him to release her hand, but he tucked it into the crook of his elbow and headed back the way they’d come.
“You’re making a rather public declaration.”
“Am I?”
“You know you are.”
“Do you care?”
“No, not really.”
“There isn’t anyone else, is there?”
“You know there isn’t. When would I have had time for a boyfriend when I was so busy dreaming about your brother?”
Hunter winced. “How about we not talk about that?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You didn’t, but
“You were really nervous about asking me out?”
“Incredibly nervous.”
“Why?”
“Because you might say no.”
She could see now he was truly worried about her turning him down, and felt herself melt at the thought of such an amazing guy being nervous about asking her out. “I’d love to go out with you, Hunter, but you should know …”
“What should I know?”
“I don’t want to get serious with anyone. I’m just not wired that way, and it’s important you know that at the outset. The last thing I’d want is to hurt you or—”
He laid a finger gently over her lips. “Let me worry about me. I’m talking about dinner, not a lifetime commitment.”
Acute embarrassment made her face go hot. “I didn’t mean to make it into more, it’s just … I … I want to be fair to you.”
As if she hadn’t spoken, he said, “When do you want to go out? Tonight?”
Megan laughed at his overly eager reply. “Sure.” How was it possible she’d been about to cry a few minutes ago and now he had her laughing? He was cute and funny and it would be fun to spend some time with him—as long as it was fun and nothing more than that. “I could do something tonight. What do you have in mind?”
He opened his mouth to reply but then closed it. “I have no idea. I hadn’t gotten past the asking part.”
She covered her mouth so he wouldn’t see her laughing at him.
“Smooth, huh? I finally work up the nerve to ask you out and haven’t got the first idea of where to take you.”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something between now and later.”
“I will. I promise.”
“It’s really nice of you to ask.”
“It’s really nice of you to say yes.” He reached for her hand and then looked up at her. “Is this okay?”
How had she never noticed how sweet and sexy he was? Not in the same way as his brother, but different in a good way. “It’s okay.”
“Should we go talk to your sister about the diner?”
“We can do that.”
“You’ll stay, won’t you? If we keep the diner open. You’ll stay?”
She stared at him, startled by the intense way he looked at her. “Is that why you’re doing this?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in keeping you in town.” After a pause, he added, “Does that bother you?”
“No,” she said softly. “It flatters me, but I meant it when I said I don’t want to be serious with anyone.”
“I heard you. So you’re interested in helping to keep the diner open?”
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” She looked away from him, noticing the people on the sidewalk who were taking an interest in the two of them sitting close to each other on the park bench. News of this conversation would be all over town, if it wasn’t already. “Since Nina told me she was leaving, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I should do next.”
“What do you want to do?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know. Percy said something about a job in St. J, but that’s a long shot. I don’t have the experience they probably want.”
“Well, helping us at the diner would buy you some time to think about it, among other things.”
“What other things?”
“You’d get to hang out with me.” Standing, he gave her a gentle tug to encourage her to come with him. She expected him to release her hand, but he tucked it into the crook of his elbow and headed back the way they’d come.
“You’re making a rather public declaration.”
“Am I?”
“You know you are.”
“Do you care?”
“No, not really.”
“There isn’t anyone else, is there?”
“You know there isn’t. When would I have had time for a boyfriend when I was so busy dreaming about your brother?”
Hunter winced. “How about we not talk about that?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You didn’t, but
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