.

still sang in her head. I believe in God, in country, in dancing until dawn and in loving a woman until the last breath leaves my body.

      Kim had nearly melted onto her keyboard.

      She moved aside for another couple entering the restaurant, and checked her watch again. Four minutes late. Come on, Troy. She wanted this first-meeting misery over with. His emails had been shorter than Dale’s, and businesslike. He’d wanted to meet her right away, not waste time chatting online, where so much could be imagined or misunderstood. He was smart. But it meant their initial face-to-face would be so much more awkward. When she finally met Dale she’d feel she already knew him.

      “Kim?”

      Kim spun around. Oh, my Lord. Troy. As gorgeous as he was online. No, more so, because his dark eyes were alive and therefore twice as vivid. He was tall. She knew that, but six foot four didn’t register as dramatically on screen as it did in the flesh.

      “Troy. Hi.”

      “Hey, nice to meet you.” He held out his hand, warm, dry and strong. Hers was cold, damp and trembling. “I was waiting inside at a table, then realized we hadn’t mentioned where we’d meet so I came looking for you.”

      “Oh.” She laughed stupidly, too rattled to do more than glance at his face and away. His presence was overpowering. “I should have checked.”

      “Not a problem. I found you. Let’s go sit.” His easy grin made her want to run the other way. He was obviously not finding this nerve-racking at all. Some people had no idea how lucky they were to be born without the shyness gene. The simplest things were so difficult for her. Like meeting a perfectly nice man and talking to him.

      She walked next to him through the light, airy space to a table by the window facing the lake, already sure this wasn’t a man she could have a relationship with. Still, if she got through the date with self-esteem intact, that would be something to celebrate. The next dates would be easier, most notably the one with Dale on Monday. That one really mattered.

      Wait, so maybe it wouldn’t be easier. Why was she doing this again?

      They sat, Troy waiting until her butt hit the chair before he took his seat. So he was a gentleman as well as perfect.

      He folded his hands on the table. “I think we know someone in common besides Justin and Candy.”

      “We do?” She put her purse down and braced herself to spend the next hour having to look at him.

      “My neighbor Steve was in your brother’s class at Marquette High. I graduated before he got there, but I used to see Kent hanging around next door.”

      “Oh. Yes. I know Steve.” She nodded politely. Steve was a chauvinist jerk. He’d always had this weird hold over Kent that she didn’t understand.

      Troy quirked a dark brow, eyes dancing. “Not one of your favorites?”

      “Um.” She couldn’t help smiling. “Not exactly.”

      “My sister isn’t wild about him, either. Maybe he wears better on guys.”

      “Probably.”

      A tall, slender and unfairly gorgeous waitress came over, smiling directly at Troy. “What can I get you?”

      “Kim?” He gestured to her. “What’ll you have?”

      “Oh, um, a beer?”

      The waitress rattled off a list of brews and waited expectantly.

      Kim grabbed the last name. “I’ll have a Spotted Cow.”

      “And you, sir?”

      “That sounds good to me, too.”

      “I’ll have those right out.” She shot a killer smile at Troy and swept away.

      Awkward silence. C’mon, Kim, think of something….

      “Well.” Troy adjusted himself in the seat. “What were we talking about?”

      “Oh …” Kim hadn’t the faintest idea, because her brains had turned to scrambled eggs. Guys like Troy had intimidated her since adolescence, when she’d been victimized by the “popular crowd” he undoubtedly belonged to. Though it was unfair to put him in a fifteen-year-old box.

      “So … what’s Kent up to these days? He’s in New York, right?”

      “No, he’s back.” She had to look away, gazing at the restaurant’s deck where patrons could sit in warmer weather, and out at the lake beyond, then steel herself to meet Troy’s midnight eyes again. “He got laid off last fall and came home to Milwaukee.”

      “Damn. Has he found a job yet?”

      “A couple of months ago, with M&I Bank.”

      “Good for him.”

      “He was happy.” She smirked. “So were my parents. He was living with them for a while.”

      Troy laughed. “Tell him I said hello.”

      “I will.” She looked down at the table, hating the silence, worrying about what to say next. “He plays basketball. Do you?”

      “I do.” By some miracle Troy looked really interested. “Does he have a game going?”

      “Yes.” Kim perked up, encouraged by his reaction. “Sunday afternoons. They’re looking for more people. Do you want his number?”

      “I’d love it.” He dug out his cell. “Go ahead.”

      She rattled off the number; he put it into his phone.

      “Here we go.” The waitress set down their beers. “Will you be ordering off the menu?”

      “Not just yet, thanks.” Troy picked up his glass and held it toward Kim. “Cheers.”

      She clinked with him and took a long sip, feeling cattily delighted that he hadn’t so much as glanced at the gorgeous waitress. And having been able to do Troy the favor of connecting him with her brother, she felt less like she was out on a date with a movie star and more like he was one of the gang.

      “Tell me about this book you’re writing, Troy.”

      He answered easily, with his usual charm and poise, but she no longer let it throw her, and by the end of their second beer and a shared appetizer, they were giggling together like old friends. He even brainstormed a few ideas for the Carter website, though she found them too masculine for the look she thought Carter wanted.

      “Ready to go?” He stood, having taken care of the bill despite her offer to split it.

      “I’m ready, yes.” She preceded him out of the restaurant and they walked together to the garage where they’d both parked, chatting about how great it felt to have warmer weather. Once there, he was gallant enough to make sure she got safely to her car. “Thanks for a great time, Troy. I enjoyed meeting you.”

      “Same here. We should do this again sometime.”

      She had to force herself not to snort. According to Kent, guys said that regardless of whether they meant it or not. “I’d like that, yes.”

      Dating ritual: complete. But the evening had been a success because she’d had fun even though he was unbelievably gorgeous. And if that sounded weird, it was just Kim being Kim.

      “Great.” He backed away a few steps and raised his hand in farewell. “I’ll give you a call.”

      She couldn’t resist. “You don’t have my number.”

      “Oh, geez.” He rolled his eyes and came back sheepishly. “Smooth, huh?”

      She shook her head mock-disparagingly, liking him more. Troy the Magnificent had done a dorky thing. “I’ve completely changed my mind about seeing you again.”

      He cracked up,