I won’t cause I’m worried now.

She didn’t bother putting the phone back in her pocket she knew he’d be texting right back. Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

What now woman?!

That made her laugh. Joey always said she was a worrywart. But she had very good reason to be this time. She’d never been this emotional about any guy much less one who she wasn’t even in a relationship with. It scared her to death to think what it might do to her if something actually happened between them and like Sofia said—he didn’t do serious. Joey had been right. She evidently wouldn’t be able to handle anything less.

She texted back.

EVERYTHING! We’ll talk tonight. =/

They’d gotten so busy and with Grace continuing to think about Sal she’d forgotten all about eating.

At the end of the night, everyone trickled out until it was just Sal and Grace. He walked up to the bar where she’d just finished cleaning everything. “So did you think about where you wanna go on our date?”

The smoldering stare was the same one that made her insides mush the first time he told her he’d been impressed by her cooking. There was an overload of mushing going on now. She cleared her throat. “I’m kind of hungry. I skipped my lunch.”

His eyebrows pinched. “Why?”

“I dunno. We got busy and I just forgot.”

“You can’t be doing that, Gracie. I’m gonna have to write you up,” He smiled and she had to take a deep breath. His smile this close was breathtaking. “So what do you feel like eating?”

Nothing sounded particularly appetizing, but then she had a thought. “I know. Why don’t I make us something here? You can try out another one of my grandmother’s recipes.”

His brows shot up. “Sounds good to me. But it’s still a date, Gracie. Just so you know.”

“Got it.” She started walking toward the kitchen; her insides were completely out of control now. He had to stop saying that. She was ready to swoon again. And as obvious as her emotions were to everyone else, he was bound to notice.

It took a few minutes to get everything she needed gathered over by the stove. She knew exactly what she would make for him.

“I’m gonna grab a beer. You want something?” he asked, walking out of the kitchen.

“I’ll take a beer too.”

A few minutes later Sal walked back into the kitchen, carrying a tin bucket of Coronas on ice and small bowl with sliced up lime wedges. “So what are you making?” He opened up a beer bottle then stuck a wedge of lime in it and handed it to Grace.

She took the beer. “It’s a surprise.” She squeezed the lime into the beer and pushed the wedge all the way in. It wasn’t until she sprinkled the salt on the rim that she noticed he was staring at her. Her heart fluttered and she took a longer drink than she normally would, hoping it would take a little edge off her nerves. “This isn’t on your menu either, but I think after you taste it you’ll consider adding it.”

Sal opened a beer for himself and leaned against the counter. “Consider? If it’s anywhere near as good as your casserole I’ll be demanding it is.”

Grace regretted taking such a big drink of her beer because she needed to burp now. It wasn’t happening in front of Sal. She turned her back on him and placed her hand on her mouth praying it wasn’t loud. Thankfully, it wasn’t and she turned around to face him again.

“You okay?”

She assured him she was and put the beer down to begin cooking.

“Oscar said you’re seeing someone. Yet here you are on a date with me. So what gives?”

Grace looked up at him completely taken off guard by his question. She knew they’d be talking tonight but this was totally unexpected. Even when he mentioned this being a date several times, she didn’t actually expect him to take it this seriously. His eyebrows went up and he didn’t smile. Apparently, he was very serious.

CHAPTER 14

Grace’s expression wasn’t what he expected when he asked the question and Sal wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, so he waited while she picked up her beer and took another drink.

“You asked him if I was seeing someone?”

“No. He just mentioned it the day after he gave you a ride home—said you were talking to someone.”

She put the beer down and began pouring rice into a saucepan. “Did you say something to him about staying away from me or me being off limits?”

Sal laughed. “He told you?”

She stopped what she was doing again and looked at him. “So you did?”

With a shrug he took another drink of his beer. “Something like that.”

“Why?” She walked away to pour water into a cup.

Sal took advantage of the moment to size her up. The craziest thing was happening. The more he had her here to himself the more intense his need to know if she was free for him to make his move got. “Oscar’s a good guy but he tends to look at women like objects. I just reminded him not to do that with you or any of the employees.”

Grace glanced at him before pouring the water in the saucepan with the rice. She hadn’t fried it beforehand and she added nothing else but a little salt. Steamed white rice was not something he’d ever considered putting on their Mexican menu.

“Oh. I think he took it differently,” she said, looking up at him.

“I know he did, and I’m glad.” Sal stared at her. “Means he’ll definitely be staying away. But Gracie…you haven’t answered the question.”