“Thank you.”

“You’re very gifted, Courtney. If I was a man to cry in public I would have.”

She felt her cheeks grow warm. “You should read my fiction.”

He chuckled. “What kind of fiction?”

“I have a variety of romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and I have some paranormal.”

“Just paranormal? No romance.”

“Think about it. Every book you’ve ever read probably had an element of romance or relationship.”

He thought hard about it. “I have to go back quite a long way to think about a book where there wasn’t some kind of chemistry.”

She smiled. “Anyway,” she leaned in closer to his ear, “Let’s say my imagination is very vivid and if you think you’d cry over this I can guarantee you a full out blush.”

Tyler laughed, kissed her on the cheek, and picked up his beer. “I think this relationship is going to be very fun.”

Her heart stalled and then kicked back up. “Relationship?”

“Isn’t that what we have? Forgive me if I’m wrong.” His voice hitched and he set down his beer. “I haven’t done a ton of dating, but we are dating right?”

“It seems like it.”

“And I want to be with you. Do you want to be with me?”

“Of course.” How could he possibly think any differently? She was more worried he’d want to ease her back into society and move on after her grief had subsided.

“Then can we say we’re dating? Tomorrow, when I introduce you to my parents, can I say you’re my girlfriend?”

Now she giggled. “Sounds elementary doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know any other way. I told you. I’m not good at this.”

Courtney let her hand run up his arm until she reached his neck and she cupped her fingers there. “I think you’re very good at this.” She licked her lips and moved even closer. “Tyler, will you stay with me tonight?”

His breath had grown hot against her cheek. “Are you sure?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure about anything.”

“I want to.”

She brushed his lips with hers. “Then I guess you can tell your parents I’m your girlfriend. It looks like we’re going to make that very official.”

“Suddenly I’m thinking we should take all this food home.”

Courtney eased back. It was settled. She was fully in love with this man.

Hilary had arrived with their food about the time they’d considered having her just pack it up. But when Tyler heard Courtney’s stomach rumble and she’d admitted she hadn’t eaten all day, he decided that the evening ahead would come soon enough. After all, they’d just settled it—very elementary as she’d put it—she was his girlfriend and that meant to him she wasn’t going anywhere.

Had all of this been some kind of bigger power at play? He wondered as he took a rib and pulled the first bite off with his teeth. Had he needed to leave the comforts of home and travel the world so that he’d come back at the very right time? Would he have made these career choices if he’d have stayed? Would he have found a woman already in Nashville or was he destined to find this one?

What wasn’t to love about her, he thought as he watched her devour her first rib. She’d accepted a horrible fate and yet it didn’t seem as though she saw it that way at all. And through her he’d learned to accept. It had been nearly immediately that he’d chosen to go right to his sister and ask for her forgiveness. He owed that to Courtney. Her way of seeing the world made him see it too. He was the damned luckiest man on the planet.

She turned to him. “I should have thought better about this when I put on this white shirt. One of those things about being blind. I never know if my clothes are ruined.”

Tyler lifted his napkin to the corner of her mouth. “I’ll tell you what. You write me stories and I’ll tell you if your laundry is stained.”

“Stories?”

“If you can write newsworthy pieces like you did about Diamond Gift, I have no doubt you could be a bestselling author. And I’m sure between my grandmother, father, and numerous aunts, someone knows someone in the book industry. Even Clara might. Song writing isn’t too far off—I wouldn’t think.”

“You’d make my dreams come true and tell me when my laundry is stained?”

“I’d do that.”

“I love you, Tyler.” She shook her head and he wanted to respond, but she turned her head down. “Sorry. That was supposed to stay in my head.” She turned back toward him. “Do me a favor and don’t say it back. No matter what. Right now, don’t say it.”

“Even if I’m thinking it?”

“Especially.”

“Okay then, I won’t say it. And yes, I’d love to see your dreams come true. Something tells me it would only make the glow in your cheeks more brilliant.”

Chapter Seventeen

Courtney held her computer in her lap as Tyler drove toward her house. The air between them was thick. Dinner had been wonderful. Conversation was easy. But she’d invited him to stay and they were headed home.

Stay certainly didn’t mean, come in for coffee. Stay to her had meant share my bed. Hold me in my bed. Make love in my bed.

Not one ounce of regret pulsed through her, but she couldn’t speak for him.

“I’m going to stop at the store here on the corner and run in real quick. Can I get you anything?” he asked and she felt the car pull out of traffic.

“No. I’m fine.”

“I’ll hurry.” He parked the car and quickly jumped out.

She should have asked him for something to help take care of her nerves, which threatened to make her sick. Was there a way to make this night perfect? That was what she wanted. But they were going in together. She couldn’t have set it all up. Made sure the sheets were clean. Hell, she didn’t even know if the pillowcases matched.

Then again, did it matter?

There was no spontaneity either. This was better. She had to remind herself that she’d only known Tyler a week. Okay, so she’d fallen head over heels in love with him in a week and now she was taking him to bed. But, preparedness was good. He was still a stranger and she needed to keep that in mind. She needed her senses to be sharp. Fitz had taught her that.