“But you’ve probably been thinking the same thing. Do we feel this way as a by-product of the love we both have for Dixie and Tabby, or is it something real between us?” He sipped his beer and gazed out at the dark clouds covering the moon for so long that Mitzi figured he was about to say that, yes, he liked her but only as a friend. “I’ve given our relationship a lot of thought these past two weeks. Yes, you are good with the girls, but what I feel for you has nothing to do with my kids. There’s chemistry between us that can’t be denied.”

Relationship.

He’d said that and not friendship. It’s what she wanted, but doubts and fears clouded her still.

“But if we ignore it, it might die.” She wiped the sweat from the can.

“Do you want it to go away?” He set his beer down on the floor and scooted over next to her. The touch of his shoulder to hers raised the temperature several degrees.

She shook her head slowly. “No, I don’t. I’ve tried to analyze the way I feel when I’m around you, and you’re right. I love Dixie and Tabby, but what we have is something that I can’t put into words.”

He stood up and pulled her close to his body in a tight hug. “I want us to be more than friends. I want to spend more time with you.” He tipped up her chin. “Would you go out with me Saturday? A real date. A day just for us. That’s the day the girls have to be in the wedding. I’ve reserved a hotel room so I’d have a place to stay while I wait for them. We could have the whole day to ourselves to do whatever we want.”

“Yes,” she said without a moment’s hesitation.

“Good,” he whispered as his lips met hers in what started out as a sweet kiss but soon developed into something much hotter as his tongue grazed her lips and begged entrance.

She opened up to him and turned to wrap her arms around his neck. With her breasts pressed against his chest, she could feel his heart thumping as fast as hers. When the string of scorching-hot kisses ended, she laid her head on his shoulder.

“And here we sit in pajama bottoms,” she whispered.

“Darlin’, I learned a long time ago that it’s not what’s on the outside that makes a woman beautiful but what’s on the inside. That said, you’d be gorgeous in an old feed bag tied up in the middle with a piece of twine,” he said.

“That may be the most romantic thing a guy has ever said to me.”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle. “I’m not very good at romance, but this feels right.”

“Yes, it does.” No past relationship had ever felt so right.

“Anything else we need to talk about?” he asked.

“Right now I don’t want to talk. I just want to sit here and enjoy the moment.” She closed her eyes.

When she awoke the next morning, the sun peeked over the edge of the far horizon, which meant it had to be at least six o’clock. Jody was probably already in the kitchen making coffee. Mitzi’s head was still on Graham’s shoulder. His cheek was nestled in her hair and his arm cuddled her. She eased out away from him and started to stand, but he tightened his grip on her.

“Don’t go,” he muttered.

“Have to. It’s morning.”

His eyes popped wide open and he adjusted his glasses. “Well, how ’bout that? We just spent the night together, and I slept like a baby.”

“Me, too.” She bent and kissed him on the forehead. “But now I’ve got to get home or gossip will have it that we did more than sleep. The girls don’t need that when they’re trying to get a new start.”

He pulled her back onto his lap and kissed her on the lips. “I’ll see you Saturday. Is eight too early to pick you up?”

“I’ll be ready.” She nodded as she straightened up.

“I’m free to text now, right?” he asked as she stepped off the porch.

“Oh, yeah,” she said.

She jogged the whole way back to the house only to find the door locked. She rang the doorbell and no one answered, so she hurried to the back door. It was open, and just as she’d suspected, Jody was in the kitchen making coffee.

As Mitzi made her way inside, Paula came into the kitchen from the foyer. “Well, well! So that’s why the front door was unlocked. I couldn’t sleep, so I came down about two for a cookie. I figured we’d forgotten to lock up after the ice-cream party, but now we know better.”

“Graham’s place?” Jody asked.

Mitzi nodded.

“Great!” Paula and Jody said at the same time.

Jody pointed to a chair. “Sit down and tell us all about it.”

“Not much to tell. We’ve got a date planned for Saturday. I get to spend the day with him while the girls do that wedding with Rita. We made out like teenagers. And now I’m going upstairs to take a shower and get dressed for the day.” She crossed the kitchen in long strides.

“We want more details later,” Paula called out as she left the room.

“You’ll have them,” Mitzi answered. She could give them a play-by-play of what she and Graham had said, but she’d never be able to describe the emotions she’d felt when they finally admitted that there was something between them—or the way his kisses made her go weak in the knees.