“Are you okay in those shoes?”

I glance down, surprised at the question, then chuckle. “I’m fine. I’m on my feet in shoes like this ninety percent of the time.”

“The sidewalks are a mess.”

“I’m holding onto you,” I remind him. “I’m pretty sure you’ll catch me if I start to fall.”

A few minutes later, we come to Café Amalie. “I love this place.”

He looks down at me in surprise and then starts to laugh. “Would you believe me if I said that I’m staying right across the street?” He points to the bed & breakfast with the cornstalk fence just across the street and I grin.

“I’ve always loved that place.” It’s haunted. I don’t mention that to him. “This restaurant is amazing. Come on.”

The hostess meets us. “Would you like to sit inside, or in the courtyard?”

“If Joe is working, I’d like to sit in his section,” I reply.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Joe doesn’t come in until dinner.” She smiles at me, then glances up at Simon and her smile widens, her flirt game turned up high. “But I’m happy to help you with anything else you might need.”

“Great,” I reply and smile sweetly. I will cut you. “Let’s sit outside.”

She seats us in a corner, under a magnolia tree so we have plenty of shade from the sun, and leaves us be.

“This is a beautiful place,” Simon says and leans over to kiss my cheek. “Are you sure it’s okay that I came?”

“I’m honestly shocked,” I reply and set my menu aside, already knowing what I want. He follows suit and takes my hand, but before he can ask me anything further, the waiter comes to take our order.

“Tell me how you’re feeling,” he says after we’ve ordered.

“Like I said, I’m surprised. Maybe a little overwhelmed. I didn’t expect to see you again.”

“I know.” He nods and sips his water. “I should have asked you for your number.”

“Why?”

He blinks, perplexed. “So I could call you.”

“It would have been less expensive than flying to New Orleans. Were you all the way in London?”

“I was. I’ve been all over the States in the past month, and I had just returned home for a few weeks. I don’t have anything pressing at the moment, and to be quite frank, I just couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I knew I had to come find you.”

That could be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.

Our drinks are delivered with the promise of our food coming out shortly, and I take a long sip of my lemon drop martini.

“Is there anything special you want to do while you’re in town?”

“I’m here to scope out a place for the retreat this fall, and spend time with you.”

“Are you telling me that you don’t have people who can find a place for the retreat? I don’t believe that you do that yourself.”

“Not usually,” he concedes. “But I’m here, and it’s convenient. I don’t expect you to take the whole week off of work, so I’ll work too.”

“Well, after this we should walk over and get some beignets. It’ll be the best thing you ever put in your mouth in your life.”

“No, that’s happened already,” he says, his voice perfectly calm. “When you were naked.”

And just like that, my body is on high alert all over again. I take a deep breath, then let out a gusty laugh.

“You certainly know how to turn me on.”

“Likewise.” He sips his own dirty martini. “All you have to do is look at me and I want you.”

“And you might have me. If you play your cards right.”

He smiles and kisses my hand. “I like it when you’re sassy.”

“Good, because I’m always sassy, darlin’. I have a degree in sass.”

“I thought it was philosophy?”

“I minored in sass.”

“Good to know.” He’s looking at me with such humor and lust, I just want to fucking climb him right here and now.

“Well, hey there.”

“Gabby!” I stand and hug my sister tight and whisper in her ear. “He came.”

“I know, Ben called all of us.”

“Hi, Aunt Charly,” her son, Sam, says and hugs me around the waist. Ailish, her little girl, is sitting on my mama’s hip, grinning.

“Hey there, sugar. It’s been a minute since I saw you. Looks like you grew a foot.”

“I’m a growing boy,” he reminds me.

“I’m Gabby,” my sister says to Simon and I shake my head.

“I’m sorry, I’m so rude. Simon, this is my sister Gabby, her children Sam and Ailish, and my mother.”

He stands and shakes their hands and kisses their cheeks. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Well, you’re new to me,” Mama replies and glances at me with shrewd eyes. “But it’s a pleasure all the same.”

“Cha cha!” Ailish says and reaches for me, so I take her and prop her on my own hip, kissing her smooth cheek.

“This perfect angel is Ailish.” I brush her light hair off her forehead.

“She’s not an angel,” Sam says. “She ruined my Lego thing that I spent all day building.”

I laugh and glance at Simon. He’s staring at me with hot eyes. Not with anger, but with lust and something else I can’t quite figure out.