nt stoop.
Man, he hoped this wasn’t a mistake. He’d wanted to make a good impression. His grandmama had hailed from Georgia, and, during the formative years she’d helped his father raise him, she’d impressed upon him proper company etiquette. It wasn’t something he’d been called on much to use in his line of work, certainly wasn’t something he or Dad had worried about after her passing. But Denver had heard her voice in his head, telling him he’d best not show up to a woman’s house for dinner empty-handed. He’d wrestled over that. What the hell did you bring a florist? Surely not flowers. And that felt too date-like. For all he knew he’d misread things and this was meant to be a playdate for the dogs. So he’d taken a different tack and hoped it was the right one. Gripping the other hostess gift in his hand, and feeling like an idiot, Denver rang the bell.
Misty answered the door a few moments later, barefoot, with Moxie tucked under one arm and her hair flowing loose around her shoulders.
He said the first thing that sprang to mind. “No flowers?”
“Huh?”
“In your hair.”
“Oh, no.” She raked a hand through it. “I do that as my own form of free advertisement. Since I’m done with work for the day…”
He wondered what today’s flowers had been, but didn’t ask. Instead, he held out the tiny parcel in his hand. “This is for the lady of the house.”
Seeming a little flustered, she took it. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”
Denver nodded to Moxie. “Pretty sure the queen there will disagree and anyway, Oscar brought yours. Oscar, say hello.”
Oscar angled his head and lifted a paw to shake.
“Well, aren’t you the cutest.” Misty bent and shook, then accepted the bag. “Ooo, wine. Thank you, Oscar. This will go great with dinner.”
Bullet dodged.
His dog gave a joyful bark and offered up what couldn’t be termed as anything other than a broad, flirtatious, canine smile. She grinned back before lifting her gaze to Denver. “Y’all come on through. We’ll let the dogs out back to get to know each other, and I’ll see what you’ve brought us.”
Denver stepped inside. Her little house was just as fun and funky as her shop, with a heavy emphasis on comfort. Her living room had the kind of furniture you could sink into, with lots of girlie pillows and soft fabrics.
Misty led them through to the kitchen. “I figured you’d be more of a beer drinker.”
“You’re into carrying the work of local artisans in your shop. I’m into doing the same with local beers, ciders, and wine in my bar.”
She paused, one hand on the back door, confirming his assessment that she hadn’t known he was the owner. She chuckled. “An in with the boss indeed.”
They stepped outside. Her patio reminded him of some kind of foreign bazaar—lots of patterned fabrics draped to make a canopy for shade and an explosion of lush plants. A couple of rattan chairs were angled to look out over the yard and the view of the mountains beyond. Wine bottle torches were scattered around the perimeter, already lit and giving off the sharp scent of citronella. Off to one side, a huge gas grill was heating.
“That right there is a manly grill.”
Misty threw an arch look over her shoulder. “That right there is a fine piece of cooking equipment that knows no gender. Seems I’m not the only one who made assumptions.”
“Touché.”
Once Misty hit the grass, she set Moxie down. Denver unclipped Oscar’s leash. The big dog immediately turned three circles, sneezing all the while, before dropping into a play bow, trembling with excitement. Moxie turned her back on him, then looked over her shoulder with an expression that nearly matched her mistress. With one sharp bark, she took off like a rocket. In a flurry of paws, Oscar raced after her.
“They’ll be fine out here. C’mon.”
Denver followed her back into the kitchen and accepted the corkscrew the offered.
“I bow to your superior skills in this department, as I value not having to fish cork out of my wine.”
He did his duty, uncorking the sauvignon blanc he’d picked up from Temptation Vineyards, while she got out glasses. His buddy Ford had assured him it was a great summer choice, no matter what she was serving. “What are we having?”
“Pork kebabs with summer vegetables and fresh chimichurri. And strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert.”
“Sounds like it’s a good thing I brought my appetite.”
She opened the box with the gift he’d brought for Moxie and gave a delighted laugh as she extracted the stuffed crown squeaker toy. “Oh, this is so perfect for her.”