After greeting the rest of the women in the house, Donny directed her to his parked SUV, and soon they were sailing down the highway, giddy and expectant.
“Where are we going?” Andrea asked him for the third time in the last half hour.
“It’s a surprise,” Donny repeated, glancing at her with mischief dancing in his eyes before focusing on the road again.
“I hate surprises,” Andrea pouted.
“That’s what you always say, but you always turn out pleased by them,” Donny chuckled.
Andrea huffed and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, I don’t like this surprise then,” she spoke matter of factly.
“You’ll enjoy it. I promise,” Donny said reassuringly.
Andrea stared out the window at the passing trees, cars, and streetlights as they continued driving further north. Soon they entered Skagit County, causing Andrea to look over at him curiously.
“We’re going to Anacortes,” he informed her.
Ten minutes later, they pulled up to a building that looked more like an auditorium, but when they entered, the establishment was well decorated, from the plush carpeted floors to the high ceilings and chandelier in the center of the room. It was a magnificent setup.
After checking her coat, they followed the maître d to their seat.
“Have I told you how lovely you look this evening?” Donny asked her the minute the waitress left them alone. His glittering blue eyes shone with appreciation and something else entirely. Andrea felt her pulse quicken and her throat suddenly felt parched. Reaching for the glass of water, she took a considerable drink, grateful for the liquid bringing back moisture to her drying inside as it made its path toward her stomach.
“This place is amazing and so worth the mystery,” she spoke appreciatively, glancing around the fancy establishment before staring back at Donny with a mischievous glint. “It’s almost as great as how handsome you look tonight,” she smirked at him. Now it was his turn to feel like a deer caught in headlights. Donny reached for his own water glass and took a large drink.
“Well played,” he grinned when he finally regained his composure to find his voice.
“Take note, I play to win,” she stated with an earsplitting grin.
“Is that so?” Donny returned before adding, “touché,” lifting the glass and tipping it in her direction as if to say, “Challenge accepted.”
The waiter arrived at that moment with their first course. As dinner progressed, the two settled into a routine of who could make the other blush more or feel more pushed into the spotlight. It ended with them having a great laugh.
“I really enjoy spending time with you,” Donny looked up to say, his expression mirroring his words.
Andrea smiled affectionately. “I enjoy spending time with you too,” she affirmed, her smarting cheeks brightening again. “And right now, since we’ve skipped a few steps on our date so far, let’s rewind a bit,” she suggested.
Donny’s brows came together, a look of confusion clouding his features. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“I should have commented on how lovely the weather is even though it was almost freezing outside, then I should have asked how your day was…” she trailed off.
Donny guffawed. “You are just full of surprises,” he quipped. “I had a good day. I went to work; we were called out to a building that had excessive smoke coming from one of the rooms. Turns out a plug short-circuited. Oh, and I helped deliver a baby.”
Andrea’s hand flew to her mouth, covering the o her lips made at him, retelling how his day at work went. “The life of a firefighter is truly an eventful one,” she commented. “I really appreciated all the work that you and your team do for the community,” she complimented, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand encouragingly.
Donny flipped his palm over to connect with hers and intertwine their fingers.
“Looks like I need to talk about my job more to gain brownie points,” he surmised with a grin. “But you know…I love what I do, and I have an amazing team behind me that I really appreciate and love. They’re my family, you know,” he spoke seriously.
Andrea nodded her understanding.
“I almost forgot. They told me to tell you hello and that they miss you coming around the station.”
“Aww, I miss them too,” she replied. “It’s been a busy couple of weeks with mom, the inn, Rory, but I promise I’ll make time to go hangout with them.”
Donny squeezed her palm and locked his gaze with hers.
“It’s okay if you can’t make it now, Drea. The guys understand,” he said seriously.
