Hidden Shadows (The Shadow Series Book 1)

SEVEN

The melted cheese made a stringy mess from the boiling pot to Ben's mouth. Jenna couldn't help but laugh. The atmosphere, the feeling, the food, and the company at The Melting Pot in downtown Nashville were all contributing to what she decided was a perfect date.

"You made the best choice for dinner tonight."

"For you maybe," he laughed, pulling the threads of cheddar into his mouth. "I'm looking like an idiot."

"No," she shook her head, smiling. "Just like a man who can have fun."

"You're a good woman. Looking past the uncultured idiot." He winked as he popped another cube of bread into the bubbling cheese. "Like the food so far?"

"Love it."

Her head swam gaily with the wine, the soft lights, the warmth emitted by the table. Being tucked in a cozy booth with a gorgeous man didn't hurt either.

She surveyed the apples, bread, and veggies, considering what to pair with her cheese next, before spearing a cauliflower, setting it in the pot.

"So let's get to the important stuff."

"Like?"

"Your truck. It says Aston and Sons. How many sons do you have?"

He laughed. "None. That I know of. I'm the son. Bruce is my dad. He started Aston Landscaping. Built it from the ground up. He's a hard worker, and the best man I know."

"Mom?"

"Great, too. Annette. She and Dad have been married for . . . I think it's thirty-seven years this December."

"Wow."

He nodded. "If my own is half as loving as theirs, I'll be doing good."

"You're lucky. Blessed. It's wonderful to have a family like that."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Mmm." She finished her cheddar-coated cauliflower, took a sip of water. "I wish. My parents are still together, too. But it's no fairy tale. Mom's pretty strong willed. Dad deals with it through apathy, absence. They're like oil and water. No matter how you merge them, they always separate in the end. And, of course, you know about my own broken home."

"Not broken from where I'm sitting."

"Sweet."

"True."

Jenna reluctantly took her eyes from Ben as the waiter came and removed their scorching pot of cheese, replaced it with a fragrant broth. He presented the plate of meats they'd ordered—shrimp, filet, tuna, and rib eye. Though it was raw now, Jenna knew it'd be delicious once it was placed in the steamy, flavored broth.