“Give me a chance, I’m sure I could.”
His gaze was serious. “No, baby. You couldn’t.”
“What if I tripped, bumped into the waiter and he spilled red wine all over that woman’s white dress?” She nodded over at a table where a woman in a very tight white dress sat eating.
“I’d pick you up, make sure you were unharmed then offer to pay for her dry-cleaning.”
“All right.” She thought for a few seconds. “What if I was wearing a flowy skirt and a gust of wind pushed it up, showing my panties to everyone?”
“I’d hold your skirt down for you until we were out of the wind.”
She tapped her chin. “What if I slipped while we were walking down a hill and bowled you over and we both tumbled down to the bottom?”
“Then after I made certain you were all right; I’d check your footwear since you seem to be tripping a lot.”
She rolled her eyes.
He reached across and took hold of her hand in his. “Baby, I could never be embarrassed by anything you could do or say. Trust me.”
I won’t have the embarrassment of having you in our family.
She sucked in a breath.
“Daisy? What’s going on?” he asked astutely.
She forced herself to smile. “Sorry. Just thinking about something someone said to me.”
“What was it?”
“It’s in the past. The future is what counts, right?”
She could see he was unhappy, but he couldn’t argue that since it was his dictate.
“You ready to go home?” he asked instead.
She nodded and he signaled the waiter for the bill. She reached for her handbag and pulled out her wallet. A big hand reached out and wrapped around her wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Getting some cash for dinner?”
He raised one eyebrow. “I invited you out.”
“Um, yes.”
“You think when I invite you to dinner that I expect you to pay?” he grumbled, sounding seriously unhappy.
“Well, I wasn’t sure. . .”
“Now you know, I invite you out, you don’t pay. Got it?”
“I’ve got it. So, does that mean if I invite you out, then I pay?” That seemed pretty fair. She slid her wallet back into her handbag. She’d bring him back here soon, so things were even.
“No, it doesn’t.”
She frowned at him as he pulled out his credit card. The waiter rushed over with the check, stopping her from saying anything. Once he’d paid, Jed stood and pulled her chair out.
Then he slid his hand into the back pocket of her jeans as he guided her out to get their jackets. He held out hers for her, waiting for her to slide her arms in before turning her and doing it up. She sucked in a breath at the act.
He did it right up to the top then tapped her nose. “Can see there’s a lot going on in that mind of yours, babe.”