Page 37 of Third Time Lucky

But, no, Lucy. It’s date number one. Find your manners. I know it’s been awhile and he’s incredibly handsome and sweet, but you will not joy ride this man on a rooftop. At least not yet.

‘Now, not to sound impatient, considering I’m all in with anything you cook, but what’s on the menu tonight?’

He grins proudly. ‘A little bird told me you were a dessert girl?’ he says, grabbing the picnic basket.

I smile wide. ‘They didn’t lie to you.’

‘Good, because I spent all afternoon in the kitchen creating my first custom dessert.’ He unpacks the basket, pulling out two bottles of wine, stemmed glasses, ice packs, and a closed brown takeout box with ‘#3’ (nice embarrassing touch there) written on it, before revealing two personal-sized chocolate cakes.

‘Oh my God, what is it?’ I ask excitedly.

‘Chocolate cheesecake with fire-roasted homemade marshmallow topping,’ he says, opening the box to reveal a stack of marshmallows he made.

‘You made marshmallows from scratch?’

‘Yep, and we’re roasting them first.’

‘Smore’s cheesecake!?’ I ask, absolutely giddy over this.

‘S’mores cheesecake, exactly.’

He skewers a marshmallow onto a metal roasting stick and hands it my way before making one for himself. We hold them over the flames as they sizzle and turn golden brown while we rotate them over the intense heat. The fire licks at the edges, leaving behind a smoky trail.

‘I haven’t done this since I was a kid.’

‘Me either,’ he says, pulling his flaming marshmallow from the fire. He blows it out, then carefully slides it from the skewer and onto the top of one of the cheesecakes, handing it to me.

I exchange my roasting stick for the dessert, and he does the same to the second one.

‘Are you ready for the big reveal?’ he asks nervously, offering me a fork.

As if he needs to be nervous – the man is a culinary master. I take a bite, and my taste buds are met with an explosion of flavors – the sweetness of the chocolate perfectly balanced with the slight crunch of the graham cracker and the gooey marshmallow topping. Sweet baby Jesus, it’s heavenly.

‘Wow,’ I manage to say with my mouth full. ‘You have truly outdone yourself, sir.’

I can’t help but chuckle at his genuine surprise. The man may be a master chef, but he still has moments of self-doubt like the rest of us.

He takes a bite, exhaling contentedly. ‘Holy shit, I really did.’ His gaze is curious as he shoots a look my way, a slight smirk creeping up on his face. ‘Would you say it’s… orgasmic?’

‘Oh my gosh, I should have known that would come back to bite me!’ I say with a laugh.

‘Curious minds want to know…’ he teases.

I take another bite, closing my eyes and nodding my head. ‘Toe. Curling,’ I confirm.

He smiles wide – clearly proud of himself.

‘Tell me something I don’t know about you,’ I say, changing the subject.

He laughs, knowing exactly what I’m doing.

‘Hmmm. Something you don’t know,’ he says, tilting his head as he thinks it over. ‘After high school, I went into the CIA.’

I shoot him a glance. ‘The CIA?’

‘The Culinary Institute of America, in the heart of Napa Valley.’

I laugh at his clever wordplay, shaking my head in amusement.

‘You had me going there for a second,’ I admit, taking another bite of the delicious cake he crafted.

He grins mischievously, clearly pleased with his little joke. ‘Well, a little mystery adds flavor to life, don’t you think?’

‘Mitzi says something like that.’

‘I never asked why you live with her?’ he questions.

‘After Vegas, she had a very small TIA that I blame myself for because of all the chaos.’

He lifts an eyebrow.

‘Stroke,’ I fill him in.

‘Oh no.’

‘Yeah. Dad wanted to hire around-the-clock care – just in case – even though she bounced back like she was a teenager. And I found myself without a place to live, so I volunteered.’

He listens intently, his gaze softening as I recount the unexpected events that led me to share a home with Mitzi.

‘She’s lucky to have you looking out for her,’ he remarks, a hint of admiration in his voice.

I shrug modestly. ‘Mitzi has always been there for me, like the mom I never had. It’s the least I could do.’

‘She adores you,’ he says, still devouring his cake. ‘Only wanting the best for her favorite granddaughter – her words.’

‘I certainly lucked out in the grandmother department,’ I say with a smile, grateful for Mitzi’s presence in my life.

We eat silently for a few, enjoying one another’s company.

‘I gotta say, I really lucked out going to Vegas last winter and reconnecting with you,’ he says.

I meet his gaze. My God. I want this – with him. But I need to purge my demons before I tell him that.

‘Likewise,’ I say, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before setting my nearly gone dessert on the table and lacing my fingers through his. ‘So far, you’ve helped turn every worst day of my life, into something better. I’m for sure the lucky one.’

He doesn’t say anything to that, just gently caresses my hand with his thumb. I lie back on the lounger next to him and stare up at the stars twinkling above us.

‘Have you ever wished on a star?’

‘Not since I was a kid. Have you?’

I nod. ‘Recently, actually.’

‘Did your wish come true?’

I squeeze his hand tighter. ‘I think it’s happening right now.’

His gaze softens, a smile playing on his lips. The crackling of the fire and the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze fade into the background as he brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.

‘I better make a wish then,’ he whispers, his voice barely above a breath.

The moonlight dances across his face as he leans in, the distance between us diminishing until our lips meet with a gentle pressure that sends electricity down my spine as his hand cradles the back of my head. This man knows how to kiss a woman like he means it. Wow.

As we part, I’ve no doubt I’m wearing a grin that stretches from ear to ear.

The taste of chocolate and marshmallow lingers on my lips, but now it’s mixed with the sweetness of him.

The crackling fire seems to burn brighter, casting flickering shadows across his face as he looks at me with an intensity that makes my heart flutter.

‘Looks like my wish just came true too,’ he says, the smile lingering on his handsome face.

Be still my heart. It’s at this moment that I know whatever demons or ghosts may haunt me from my past, I’m ready to face them. If it needs to be with fire in my grandmother’s backyard, so be it.