The small table in the center of the stone patio is covered in a white table cloth. The china is also white, but on one plate sits a single red rose. Luke walks forward and pulls the chair out for me and I sit.

He picks up the rose and I look up into his joy-filled eyes. He sniffs the delicate flower before extending it to me.

“For you, beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I put the bloom against my nose and sniff its sweetness.

Luke sits opposite me at the table.

“Honey, this is wonderful. Thank you.” I reach over and grasp his hand in mine, so moved by this devastatingly romantic gesture.

“I’m glad you like it.” He grins and gestures to the waiter.

“Sir, madam,” The waiter is dressed in a white jacket and black pants and bow-tie. He’s an older gentleman with white hair and a British accent and I can’t help but fall just a little in love with him.

“Thank you for joining us this evening. We will be serving you three courses, in addition to an appetizer course and, of course, dessert. I hope you’re hungry.” He winks at me and motions to someone inside the building.

“Here is your appetizer; chili garlic calamari paired with our 2009 dry Riesling, and Hawaiian style chicken skewers paired with the 2008 Cabinet Riesling.” The plates are set in front of us with glasses of wine.

I meet Luke’s eyes over the table. “It looks too pretty to eat.”

“Enjoy, baby.”

We dig in and enjoy the appetizers.

The wines complement each dish perfectly, flooding my mouth with amazing flavors and textures.

Luke reaches over and holds my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles as we finish our wine and wait for the next course.

“Are you having fun?”

“Much more than fun. This is… a fairy tale.” I feel my cheeks heat, but it’s the truth.

“This is a beautiful vineyard. We’ll have to come again during the day so you can see the grounds.”

“I’d love that.”

“May I present your first course?”

Our waiter is back and removes our empty plates and wine glasses. “This is our mojito marinated halibut with mango, avocado and black bean salsa, served with the 2009 Midsummer’s White. Enjoy.” He backs away, leaving us with the delicious meal.

We’re served two more courses of pork tenderloin and New York steak with Yukon gold potatoes, and, of course, the perfect wines to accompany them.

I’m feeling very full and just a little light headed from all the wine when it’s time for dessert to be served.

“Oh my God, Luke, I don’t know if there is any room left in this dress for dessert.” I sit back and rub my belly and Luke laughs, his eyes light with happiness. He’s having a really good time, and has been light hearted and complimentary throughout our meal.

He’s so good at this.

He motions to the waiter who immediately steps to the tableside.

“Yes, sir.”

“I think that Ms. Conner and I will share the dessert, please.”

“Very good, sir.”

“Good plan. Besides, we’re going to work all these calories off at yoga tomorrow morning.”

“Ah yes, yoga. You’re going to make me go, huh?”

“No, I’m not making you.”

“We could skip it and stay in bed all day.” He winks at me over his wine glass.

“I can’t skip it, I’m the instructor.”

“I had no idea.” He furrows his brow in confusion.

“I only teach three classes a week.” I shrug. “Besides, I’m very flexible. You should enjoy the show.” I smile smugly into my glass and watch his eyes glass over.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The waiter reappears with our dessert of strawberry Crème Brulee tart, on one plate, and two glasses of the Eroica Ice Wine.

He also sets a baby blue Tiffany necklace sized box in the center of the table, bows to both of us, and walks away.

Oh. My. God.

Chapter Nineteen

I stare numbly at the perfect blue box tied with a white bow. What’s this?

“It’s for you,” he murmurs and grips my hand. My eyes find his and I just don’t know what to say.

“You shouldn’t have done this.” My voice is a whisper.

“You haven’t opened it yet,” he responds dryly, but his eyes are guarded. I’m sure this is not the response he was expecting. I don’t want to hurt his feelings.

He picks up the box and passes it to me. “Open it, baby.”

I pull the ribbon off the box and nestled beneath it on top of the box is a note.

These remind me of you. Simply beautiful.

-Luke Oh my.

I smile up at him and I see his shoulders relax a bit with his grin. He’s sitting forward, leaning on the table, waiting in anticipation for me to open the box.

I pull the lid off the box and gasp.

Nestled in Tiffany blue satin is a string of exquisite pearls. They have a platinum clasp, and the pearls are milky white, with an almost iridescent glow that reflects the soft twinkling lights around us. I lift them out of the box and they are smooth and cool to the touch.

“Luke, they’re fabulous.”

“Here,” he gracefully unfolds his lean body from his chair and comes to stand behind me, taking the strand of beautiful pearls from my hands and unclasping them. He drapes them around my neck, and my fingers immediately touch them as he fastens them. They lay just at my collarbone. He leans down and kisses me gently on the cheek and offers his hand to me as Norah Jones begins crooning about coming away with her.