His grip tightened around the flowers’ stems as Nathan ushered a speechless Didi closer. This wasn’t the time to falter. He knew how he felt about her, and this night was designed for her to both see and feel it.
Unable to take not being near her any longer, he met them halfway. Everyone stopped. His eyes took her all in. The pink dress brought out the cream in her skin, and in the lamplight she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The thought of missing her crippled him.
“Caleb,” she whispered.
He swallowed. The sound of his name from her lips snapped him out of his paralysis. With shaking hands, he handed her the bouquet—the color of which reminded him of the dress she’d worn at the garden party. Nathan quietly observed from his side.
Didi didn’t make a move to reach her hands out. She just stared at the roses. His heart stopped, disabling him. Then Nathan took her left hand and tugged it toward Caleb. The move encouraged him. He slipped the flowers into her grasp. His fingers touched the back of her hand, sending tingles up his arm.
“Oh,” she gasped, then pressed her nose against the blooms. “They’re beautiful.”
Nathan chuckled. “Mission accomplished.”
Caleb endured the shoulder squeeze from his cousin before he left them. As much as possible he wanted to maintain a poker face. He wanted to show her that he was in control, because one word from her could shatter his world. He couldn’t allow that to happen. For both their sakes.
He held out the crook of his elbow to her. Every second it took for her to wrap her arm around his was a second he died a little inside. Only when her hand was firmly on his forearm did he start breathing again.
“The museum?” she asked, a twinkle in her eye.
“You said van Gogh was your favorite, so . . .” He faced her with renewed confidence and said, “Diana Alexander, will you go on a date with me?”
A soft flush turned her cheeks as pink as her dress. “Why, Caleb Parker, I believe this is a first for us.”
“Is that a yes?”
“That is most definitely a yes.”
As much as he wanted to dance in place, he collected himself and entwined her arm with his again. He led her across the threshold beneath the Vincent van Gogh banners and guided her into the marble lobby. Taking her hand, he veered left toward the first exhibit hall. Her eyes widened when she saw the paintings. She let go of him for a moment and danced toward one showcasing children playing.
“Would you believe this is only the second time I’ve been here?” she asked as she moved to another canvas, this one featuring a mother holding her child.
“Why?” He had to force himself to speak. Her presence awakened emotions in him he had never felt before. Elation at seeing her healthy again. A protectiveness begging him to keep her safe at all costs. Fear she might reject him that night. And the strength to stay until the end, regardless of the outcome.
When she smiled so openly at him, he thought his chest would explode. “Doesn’t matter. I’m just happy to be back.”
He dared to hope. “Because you’re with me?”
“That. And because van Gogh is here.”
He stamped down the rising jealousy for two reasons. One, he was getting worked up over a dead guy. And two, she had loved van Gogh long before she met him. So he reached out for her hand. Didi could hardly contain her glee as she entwined her fingers with his. He kissed the back of her hand as they continued their trek deeper into the empty museum.
“Do we have this place all to ourselves?” she asked when they entered the second exhibit space, which featured a collection of still lifes by various masters.
“Until midnight,” he said with a tinge of self-accomplishment.
“How did you—” She stopped herself. “Of course. You’re Caleb Parker.”
“No bills were exchanged during the planning of this date.” When she merely looked at him curiously, he rolled his eyes and sighed. “I volunteered here a couple of summers back. I know the security guard.”
“Did Nathan help?”
He shook his head adamantly. “If it were up to my cousin, party-planner extraordinaire, the floor would be littered with rose petals and a four-piece orchestra would be playing. This is all me.”
She laughed. He had sorely missed that sound too. “You never cease to amaze me.”
Her wonder went straight to his heart, spreading much-needed warmth. “We haven’t even really started yet.” He led her into the room he had a feeling she had been eagerly waiting to see, based on how much she bounced on the balls of her feet.
“Caleb!” She squealed, letting him go once more in order to run toward the first painting she saw. The artist’s self-portrait. “Did you know he used a mirror while painting this? So when you’re looking at the right side of his face, it’s actually his left.”
“Because the mirror reflects the opposite image.” He stood at her side, soaking up as much of her happiness as he could.