Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Amanda picked at the fish tacos. How could she eat with Mark sitting across from her? This handsome, kind, heroic man who couldn't take his eyes off her? Was he just a charmer? Maybe he did this all the time. She might believe that except he wasn't exactly smooth. Actually, he was a little awkward, saying things he didn't mean to say, like when he'd dropped that innocent comment earlier.

Mark was telling her about his friend in Providence, an old friend from his hometown, and the restaurant they'd gone to the night before. Mark had met Justin's fiancée for the first time at dinner. Amanda hadn't ever been part of an official couple. Had Mark?

She really wanted to know. When he finished his story, she gathered her courage. "Have you ever had a serious girlfriend?"

"In high school. We were pretty serious, but then she moved to New York, and I went to college."

"What was she like?"

"She was sweet."

He cut a piece of his steak, popped it in his mouth.

"Do you miss her?"

He swallowed. "Uh, no. Not at all. It felt real in high school, but…" He shrugged. "We would never have made it. We're too different."

"Is she still in New York?"

"I assume, mostly. I think she travels for work. How about you? Serious boyfriends?"

"Not really. There was one guy in high school. Like you, it seemed serious at the time, but in retrospect…" She let her words trail off. No way was she getting into that with Mark. With anybody.

"I can't believe any guy was dumb enough to let you go."

She picked at the fish, flaked it into tiny pieces. "It's not that shocking."

He reached across the table and slipped his hand over hers, the feeling warm and comfortable, as if they'd been holding hands forever. He said nothing, just watched her.

And she knew.

All those stories about love at first sight, about how people knew from the very first look—or the first date, anyway—that they were meant to be with someone.

She'd scoffed at those stories, but now… Now, she got it.

She and Mark were together. Somehow, she knew they would be together forever.

Heat filled her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze before he noticed, focusing on their joined hands. What a silly, stupid notion. Thank heavens he couldn't read her mind. He'd probably think she was nuts.

But even if it was crazy, it felt right. Not that her feelings were any barometer of truth—she'd learned that the hard way. But there was something about Mark that connected with something in her. Or maybe it was everything about him connecting with everything in her.

They were good together. They were meant to be together.

She steeled her courage and looked up.

He held her eye contact, and all her crazy feelings were right there, between them. As if he could read her mind. Or maybe he was having the same thoughts.

And then he blinked. His expression shuttered, and he yanked away and pushed back from the table. "Sorry. I'll be…"

He fled out the door, leaving her with an icy hand and half-eaten fish tacos, wondering what had just happened.