Page 19

Carter swallowed and nodded his head. “Oh sure, of course!”

Mila heard some laughter from Harper, Silas, and Tag’s end of the bar.

“We’ll put it on your tab,” Harper called out. “Thanks for the generous tip!”

Carter gave her a rueful smile. “I think the tip is going to be as much as the meal. That’s fine. They’re a good pack, uh, of people."

Mila couldn’t believe he was shrugging it off. The only explanation was that they were teasing him. They weren’t really going to charge him so much extra, right?

“That means you’re going to eat and not feel guilty about anything," Rissa said, straightening up.

“Why would Mila feel guilty?” Carter asked. “We’re on a date. Shouldn’t I be paying for stuff anyway?”

Rissa nodded, but Mila shook her head. “I’ve never done that. I’ve always paid my fair share.”

“You’re cute!” Carter said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She felt the same electric zing she’d felt when she shook his hand earlier. Carter must’ve felt it too because he froze, his lips against her skin.

She wanted to turn her face and put her lips to his. Before she could follow through with the impulse, several more people came in through a back door, making Carter draw back and look over her head to assess the new arrivals.

“It’s about time you guys came down,” Zander called out. He’d been serving drinks to everyone who was eating at the bar. “Hurry up before all the food is gone.”

Mila turned to see who’d interrupted the almost kiss.

“Skyler, Mason, this is Mila,” Rissa said, introducing the new people.

Skyler was tall, lean, with long brown hair and lightly tanned skin. She looked like she could be a supermodel, except for the haunted look in her eyes. Mason was massive. He wasn’t only tall, but thick. He reminded Mila a little of movie star Dwayne Johnson.

The way Mason hovered over Skyler made Mila assume they were together, except Mason was being very careful not to touchher. She really wanted to ask them what their story was, but the moment didn’t seem appropriate.

When she looked back, she found Carter staring hard at Skyler. She couldn’t decipher his expression, but it might contain a hint of longing.

Was the handsome man interested in Skyler?

Then he dropped his gaze back down to her and looked sad. “She’s going to have a rough time. She’s lucky she found this place.”

He felt bad for Skyler, not interested.

Mila tried hard to shove down the relief and happiness that made her feel. “I don’t doubt you, but what do you mean?”

Carter smiled at her. “Not my story to tell. I promise, if you hang out here long enough, you’ll hear all about it. These people are chatty! Anyway, if this is a date, we should be getting to know each other. Tell me all about yourself!”

“Really?” she asked with a laugh.

“Really!” he insisted. “I want to know everything. Where did you grow up? What’s your favorite movie? Music? Color? Anything and everything.”

Mila blinked, unprepared for Carter’s enthusiasm. “Um, well, I’m from Tea, South Dakota.”

“Tea?” Carter repeated. “Even your town of origin has a cute name!” He pointed to her food. “Eat, then tell me more.”

Mila started talking and eating. The next thing she knew, she’d told him all about growing up in a big family and being a caregiver for both her parents and younger siblings, and then nieces and nephews. She described her old life, trying to give him the whole picture of the good and bad of living in a small, homogenous town.

She glossed over how she ended up in San Diego, but she eagerly told him all the things she adored about the diverse, fascinating place.

“Mila, Harper says their place might need a waitress,” Rissa said, interrupting Mila’s story about the first time she visited Hotel Del Coronado. “I think it’s because she hates working there and wants to go back to working for Imani at Club Gaudium. If you took the job, you’d be doing her a favor.”

“Sure!” Mila agreed. “I’ll do anything at this point, even if it’s not making cakes, cookies, or pastries.”

“Pastries?” Rissa echoed.