Lucy jumped up on the couch and curled up next to Rebecca, not quite touching her leg. Rebecca reached over and gently stroked her silky fur. During dinner, she’d been exhausted, ready to go home and head straight to bed. Then that kiss. All the emotions she’d crammed into a box and locked away had burst out. Now they wouldn’t go away. A husband. Family. Grandchildren. Kisses...and more. She swallowed and blinked back tears. Oh, God...why did You let him kiss me? Why didn’t I pull away?

For ten years, she’d successfully avoided any kind of relationship that had the slim chance of turning into more than an occasional, casual date. She’d justified it with memories of Ben. How could anything compare to that summer? For the first time in her life, she’d poured out her soul to someone and he’d soaked it up. There’d been no rejection. No questioning of her sincerity. He’d shared his heart, his deepest thoughts and fears and desires. Love had been easy under the summer sun and on clear, moonlit nights walking in the woods or on a gravel path between cabins full of sleeping campers. How could anything in the real world compete with such effortless idyll?

She hadn’t written back. When she’d gotten back home, she’d had to endure the full force of Dad’s latest talk, complete with a daughter who snuck boys into her room and the loving-yet-disappointed father who cried as he pleaded with God to show him where he’d gone wrong. That icy dose of reality had ruined her sun-soaked summer. Ben’s letter arrived the same day as the thanks-but-no-thanks rejection letter for the missionary internship. She’d tucked his letter away, changed her name, and made new plans.

Somewhere along the way, she’d gotten back on speaking terms with God. It had been touch and go for awhile. After all, what good was a heavenly Father who didn’t protect you from the Earthly one? And maybe, as Dad continued to protest, he hadn’t come right out and said it was his daughter in the illustrations, but he hadn’t said it wasn’t her, either. And people were quick to draw conclusions. The one time he’d tried to set the record straight it had been too little, too late. Rebecca sighed. At least he’d tried. Sort of. That put a tiny mark in the credit column, but it didn’t make things right. And still, the strain in her relationship with Dad clogged up her prayers. Not as much as before, when it was as if every word bounced off the ceiling and landed back in her lap with a thud. But the days of believing God was approachable and concerned were long gone.

With a final rub to Lucy’s head, Rebecca pushed off the couch and strode to the kitchen for a glass of water. What was she supposed to do now? Ben wasn’t going away. She’d pushed, though she lacked the heart to be cruel like she’d been to guys in the past. This was Ben. The one person who knew her inside and out. Maybe a few things had changed over the years, but not enough to make that statement false. She closed her eyes and leaned against the sink. The truth was, she didn’t want him to go away.

And that limited her options.

“Do you have plans for tonight?”

Rebecca chewed the inside of her cheek even as her heart leapt at the sound of Ben’s voice. She didn’t. Yet. That was mostly because Sara had been slammed with patients all morning, so they hadn’t had a conversation about it nor had Rebecca had time to text Jen. “Not really.”

Ben’s voice brightened. “Would you like some?”

Her thoughts drifted to last night’s kiss and sent tingles through her body. “What do you have in mind?”

“Dinner? Then something fun, I don’t know, bowling?”

She laughed. When was the last time she’d been bowling? It had to be college. “You any good?”

“Ha. Not really. I’m not sure where that idea came from, to be honest. But it sounded good in my head. We could see if Jackson and Zach want to tag along, maybe Sara and Jen, too? If you want.”

Did he sound hesitant? Rebecca signaled to her patient that she’d be right there and cleared her throat. “Why don’t I check with the girls, you can talk to the guys and then text me where to meet you? I’ve gotta run. Bye.”

She dropped her phone in the pocket of her scrubs and hurried across the room. “Hi, Mr. Jenkins. How are you feeling today?”

The man wasn’t even in his fifties, but he prattled on about aches and pains like an eighty-year-old. How did his wife put up with it? Maybe she just didn’t ask how he felt. Rebecca pasted on a smile and helped him through his exercises, ignoring his complaints. Did Ben want everyone to tag along? Or was he hoping she’d press to keep things just the two of them? What did she want, besides another bone-melting kiss?

Once she’d passed Mr. Jenkins off for his massage, she ducked into the staff room and grabbed Sara’s arm.

“Hey. How’d you get Mr. Jenkins?”

Rebecca rolled her eyes. “I traded with Jack. He had to run out for an eye appointment. Everyone else asked who Jack was scheduled with before they’d agree to swap. Mr. Jenkins isn’t too bad, I just tune him out.”

Sara grinned. “That explains why he was getting peevish and loud. He can tell when you’re not listening, you know.”

Rebecca shrugged. The man needed to get a grip. He had a weak ankle, not a life-threatening illness. “Look, Ben called and asked if I had plans.”

“Ooh. So Jen and I are on our own and you’ll call us with details tomorrow, right?” Sara flipped open the folder on top of her stack and made a note.

“That’s the thing. He said dinner, then was like maybe you two want to come and he’d ask his roommates. How am I supposed to respond to that?”

Sara moved to the next folder in the pile. “Did you blow him off when he first asked about dinner?”

Had she? “I don’t know. He asked if I had plans. I said no. He asked if I wanted some and I asked what he had in mind. Is that blowing him off?”

“It’s sure not jumping up and down, fluttering your eyelashes and saying, ‘Oh Ben, of course I want to go out with you tonight.’” Sara shook her head. “Honestly. Have you not dated before? Guys have egos and you have to stroke them. Otherwise they get insecure and you end up on endless group dates.”

Rebecca hunched her shoulders. “I like group dates.”

“Sure. ‘Cause you’re always looking for reasons not to get too close to anyone. But this is Ben, not some random guy from church who thinks he might have a shot with you. You know, Ben, the love of your life, who you’ve been mooning over for ten years?”

“Mooning? I object to that term. Vigorously.” Rebecca crossed her arms.

“Whatever. When you find reasons to push every guy away after two dates, maximum, because they’re not Ben, you’re mooning.” Sarah sighed and closed the file, folding her hands on top of the stack. “Call him back. Tell him Jen and I are busy but that you’d still like to go out with him. And say go out, not hang out.”

“What’s the difference?”

“If you say hang out, his roommates can still tag along. Go out implies a date. Date implies two. Two makes it more likely that there’ll be interesting details to share with us tomorrow.” Heat burned Rebecca’s cheeks. Sara narrowed her eyes. “Unless there are already details that you’ve somehow managed not to mention?”

Rebecca’s mouth was a desert. She licked her lips and tried for a casual shrug. “He might have kissed me last night.”

“Seriously? Why didn’t you call us immediately? That’s a rule. Maybe even a law. I’d have to look it up. Come on, scale of one to ten.”

“Eighteen?”

Sara fanned herself. “I don’t understand you. Go call him back and make a date. And if Jen and I don’t get details, we’re showing up at your house and sitting on you until you spill.”

Rebecca laughed.

“Not joking.” Sara stabbed a finger at Rebecca’s chest. “Go call.”

Rebecca rubbed sweaty palms on her jeans. It was just a date. Though something in the back of her mind capitalized the ‘D’, regardless of her stern mental reminders. Was it because Ben was picking her up at home? That was silly. It just made more sense to drive one car. Plus, she hadn’t brought a change of clothes to work, and wearing scrubs out to dinner wasn’t particularly delightful, no matter how comfortable they were.

“I’m being ridiculous, Mr. Tumnus.”

The cat sat back on his haunches and studied her. Did she measure up? Or did he find her as ridiculous as she felt? Needing to do something, she dumped out their water bowl and refilled it at the sink.

“There you are. Fresh, cool water for his highness. Where’s Lucy?”

Mr. Tumnus gave the feline equivalent of a shrug and jumped onto the counter.

“Get down. You know better.” Rebecca scooped him up, rubbed his head, and set him back down on the floor. Chances were, he’d be right back up as soon as she left, but she could maintain the illusion that she was training them to stay off counters. The doorbell rang. “There he is. You be good while I’m gone. Okay?”

Rebecca checked her hair in the mirror by the door before pulling it open. Her heart exploded into a gallop when her eyes landed on Ben. He was dressed casually in jeans and a burnt-orange Henley, and he held a bunch of bright yellow sunflowers.

“These are for you.”

“They’re beautiful. So sunny and fun. Um. I should put them in water. You want to come in for a minute?”

“Sure.” He stepped in and pushed the door shut. Mr. Tumnus and Lucy darted through the room, skidding to a stop and tumbling over one another. Ben laughed and squatted down, wiggling his fingers at the cats.

Rebecca shook her head as they danced over to him, arching their backs under his caresses. She knew how they felt. Where had that thought come from? Sheesh. She grabbed the mason jar she used as a vase on the rare occasions she bought flowers and filled it at the sink, one eye on Ben and the cats. They liked him. Maybe they were the kind of cats who liked everyone, but it still warmed her heart that they got along. If they did end up together, Tumnus and Lucy would...she nipped off the thought. Good grief. He brought her flowers and she was planning a wedding.

“There we go.”

Ben stood and raised his eyebrows. “I’ll get you a vase next time, too.”

“I like my mason jar.”

“It suits you. But a pretty vase is nice, too. Ready?”

Rebecca grabbed her purse from the counter and nodded.

“You two stay out of your mom’s flowers. Got it?” Ben pointed at the cats who meowed and batted at his shoelaces. He offered his elbow as he opened the door.

Rebecca slid her hand through his arm. Why did such a simple thing feel so right?