I laugh, heart thudding as he comes around to open my door again.
“All those summers I spent in Cady Springs,” I say as we walk toward the entrance, “I never once saw this place. And now? I’ve been here twice in one summer.”
“Maybe you just weren’t ready for it before,” he says. “Now you are.”
We step into the lobby with its polished wood, and soft piano music drifting from somewhere inside the restaurant. He gives his name at the hostess stand, and we’re ushered to a private corner table with views of the mountain ridge.
It’s … stunning. And he did this for me.
As we sit, a waiter arrives and Liam doesn’t hesitate.
“Champagne, please. Your house brut,” he says, glancing at me with a soft smile, “And two glasses, chilled. We’ll start with the rosemary flatbread and grilled peach salad.”
I blink, equal parts impressed and flustered. “You planned the food too?”
He shrugs. “I read the menu ahead of time.”
I lean forward slightly, voice just above a whisper. “What if I’d said no to tonight?”
He meets my gaze and looks serious. “It was a risk. But after what you told me on the boat, I didn’t think you would say no to dinner.”
And just like that, I melt.
Because he was right.
Chapter 19
Tessa
If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up. The Grand Lodge glows in candlelight and low laughter, soft music drifting from the grand piano near the center of the room. Our table, tucked near the edge of a wide window overlooking the darkening mountain ridge, is set with crisp linen, polished silver, and real roses. The champagne sparkles in tall crystal flutes, and the food looks like it came from a magazine spread.
And across from me sits the architect of this evening — Liam. He looksevery bit the rugged, cleaned-up mountain man with his sleeves rolled to his forearms. He has one wrist resting loosely near his glass as he listens to me talk.
Liam acts like he’s never wanted to be anywhere else. I don’t even remember what I was saying. Something about patients, probably.
He gives a soft grin. “You really love what you do.”
“I do,” I say. “Even when it’s exhausting. Especially then, maybe. I like knowing I make a difference.”
He nods slowly, eyes not leaving mine. “I get it.”
“Your job’s the same way,” I add. “You’re always showing up. Teaching, coaching, pushing students to do better. That takes heart.”
He shrugs, but I see the twitch of a smile. “Those kids ... they’ve got a lot going on in their lives. Some of them just need someone to believe in them.”
“And that someone’s you,” I say, watching his gaze shift just slightly, softening. “You’ve always been that guy, haven’t you?”
He doesn’t answer right away. He just lifts his glass toward me in a slow, meaningful toast.
“To the ones who quietly give a damn,” he says.
We clink glasses. “Yes, to all those who put action behind their convictions.”
The food arrives—rosemary flatbread, grilled peach salad, and grilled fish that melts in my mouth. We share bites. We laugh. He brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear once and I swear my pulse does a full gymnastics routine for the coach.
By the time we reach dessert, I feel warm all over. And it’s not just the champagne.
The waiter returns just as I polish off the last spoonful of dark chocolate mousse. Liam leans back, his hand loosely draped on the tablebetween us.
