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“Penny for your thoughts,” Kyle said softly.

Melinda turned toward her and replied, “Not really thinking about much.”

That was a lie, and she hated it, but they were in the back of a stranger’s car, so now wasn’t the time for her to bring up Kyle’s impending departure.

“I doubt that.” Kyle winked at her. “So, besides this soup with turtles in it, what else should I order at dinner?”

“How about you read the menu, and if you can’t decide, I’ll give you a recommendation? Everything there is delicious. You can’t go wrong.”

The car pulled up at the light-blue-and-white striped building across from Lafayette Cemetery No.1, which was where they’d gone on their cemetery tour that seemed so long ago now. Melinda gave her name at the podium, and they were ushered into the dining room that felt formal but not at the same time.

They started their meal with citrus-braised pork belly, and Kyle got the soup 1-1-1, which meant she got smaller portions of three different soups to try them all. Melinda ordered the romaine salad and watched Kyle explore the cuisine of her city and, seemingly, enjoy the turtle soup. Kyle then ordered the hard-cider veal, and Melinda ordered the steak, giving Kyle a chance to try that and the French potato puree Melinda had ordered with it. Despite being completely full, they still ordered and shared a dessert, which was a Southern Style Pecan Pie à la Mode, one of Melinda’s favorite desserts in town. Kyle seemed to enjoy everything. Melinda loved the food, but she enjoyed their conversation even more.

She pushed the thought of Kyle leaving out of her mind once again as they paid the check and walked hand in hand out of the restaurant. Due to it being in the Garden District, they decided to walk toward the house and enjoy the night air.

“So, since the shelves are built-ins, the books are still there. They’ll just cover them with a tarp or something, I guess. Want to pick something out, and we can sit outside and readby lantern light?” Kyle asked.

“What is your obsession with me reading in that garden?” she laughed.

“It’s stupid. Never mind.”

“No, Kyle; tell me.” Melinda leaned against her. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed.”

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s weird. I know.”

“But you have some reason to bring it up twice, right?”

“You know how I’ve been reading my grandmother’s journals?”

“Yes.”

“I’m still going through the older ones, but she mentioned that she was lying outside in the garden, reading a book, when she met my grandfather for the first time.”

“Oh, Ky…” Melinda let out, understanding now.

“It’s silly. We met on a tour, and you’re not my future wi–” Kyle stopped herself. “Anyway, ever since I read that and we’ve decided to do this, I’ve had this image in my mind of you being in the garden, lying on a blanket, being taken away by a book or something, and it felt good picturing that. It felt kind of right.”

Kyle had been about to say that Melinda wasn’t her future wife, which was probably a good thing since this was only their second date, but Melinda thought about it, and while it scared the crap out of her, it also felt oddly right.

“What if we do that another day when I wouldn’t have to read with gas lanterns behind me and probably end up with bad eyesight? Tonight, we can just sit out there on that blanket under the stars and talk. Is that okay?”

“Was what I just said too much?” Kyle asked.

“No, Kyle. It was pretty perfect, actually.”

“You said you’ve done too much too soon before, and I–”

“Babe, we’re right on pace, okay?” Melinda interjected. “You don’t have to worry about going too fast or doing too much with me.”

“I don’t want us to…” Kyle sighed.

“I think I went too fast and had too soon with the wrong people, and that’s what made it feel wrong or how I got my heart broken. Kyle, what we’re doing now and how you’re talking doesn’t feel wrong to me, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Kyle replied.

“You didn’t happen to go shopping for a toothbrush or anything today, did you?” Melinda asked when they arrived at the front porch.

“Not today, but I brought over some stuff from the other house since I was going to be here all day, and I might have stolen one that Jolie got from the hotel because she forgot hers. She didn’t end up using it. We just bought one at a store. Long story to mention that I have two toothbrushes here. Why?”