Fiona and Henry arrived in the dining room promptly at half-past eight. Henry hadn't been joking when he said it would only take him a minute to get ready because all he had done was brush his teeth and put on a clean shirt.

Fiona, however, had taken her time getting ready because she hadn't any interest in joining the others for drinks in the bar. In fact, if she could leave and go home without it being a thing, she would.

Henry was correct when he had said that her friends weren't heartfelt in the friendliness. It was clear to Fiona that her so-called friends had invited her down to make mischief. At least, Becky and Valerie had, Stephaine hadn't said a single word, so she couldn't tell if she were in on it or not.

Henry looked great in his button-down shirt, and Fiona noted all the attention he was getting as they followed the hostess across the dining room. Fiona had chosen a simple black backless cocktail dress that was sleeveless and stopped above her knees. She was also pleased to wear her three-inch heels with Henry and not tower above him. Her hair was a loose ribbon of shinning gold down her back.

"If looks could kill," Henry whispered in her ear, sending a shiver up her spine as his warm breath brushed her ear. When he put his hand in the small of her back and touched her bare skin, she felt an electric shock all the way to her toes. She swore she felt his finger lightly caress her bare skin before he pulled out her chair.

"You look beautiful as always," Becky said as Fiona smiled her thanks at Henry while she took her seat. Fiona kept her eyes trained on Henry as he took his seat and didn't turn her attention onto Becky until Henry was settled.

When Fiona finally did look at Becky, she pulled a page out of her Aunt Laura's playbook and studied her for a minute before thanking her. There was no returned fake compliment about how Becky looked nice too.

Henry draped his arm across the back of Fiona's chair in a totally relaxed position, giving the waitress a friendly smile as she approached.

"Would you care for anything to drink, Fiona?" Henry asked

"I'll stick with water, thank you." Fiona smiled at the waitress as she gave her response.

"Look at all of those muscles. Have you been working out, Fiona?" Valerie asked with so much fake sweetness it made Fiona feel sick.

"No, but the work I do is physically demanding," Fiona said with a fake smile of her own. It was going to be an excruciatingly long night. She hadn't let herself look at anyone but Becky and Fiona as she sat, but now she took the time to let her glance slide across everyone at the table, and they were all staring at her.

"Henry, what do you do?" Clayton asked all smiles as well.

Everyone was being so polite.

"I work with Fiona at the ranch," he replied with total self-confidence as usual. If he had ever been shy, he certainly wasn't now as he stared down Clayton.

"Really, so she's your boss?" Clayton asked, making it sound like an insult.

"This month she is," Henry smiled, not taking the bait.

"Henry and I have known each other for over twenty years. It's our busy season at the ranch, so he agreed to come and help." Fiona explained, not wanting them to think poorly of Henry.

"Funny, you never mentioned him when we were dating." Clayton reached for his drink as he said the words as if he had delivered the winning point.

"Henry was stationed on the west coast when we were dating, and I would like to add that it's in very poor taste to bring that up." Fiona reached for the water glass that the waitress had set in front of her.

"Stationed?" Stephanie asked with a confused frown.

"Henry is in the Navy," Fiona explained. "He's on leave this month."

"A navy man!" Valerie's husband, Todd, exclaimed as he lifted his drink. "My father was a Navy man." Todd appeared to have already had one too many.

Henry grinned and lifted his glass with Todd.

"Do you have to wear those bellbottom pants?" Clayton smirked.

"No, not for a long time." Henry shook his head, a smile still playing around his lips as he turned to Fiona. "Let's dance," he suggested.

Fiona looked at the small dance floor where no one was dancing, but a small trio played light jazz. She wanted to point out that no one else was dancing, so they should wait, but she didn't want to look like an idiot.

Henry stood and held out his hand.

"Should we order first?" she asked in hopes of getting him to change his mind.

Henry simply looked over at the waitress, and she was with them in an instant. Fiona hadn't realized how well he could command those around him without saying a word. It was impressive. Usually, he stayed in the shadows as he had told Fiona in the truck.

"What are your specials this evening?" he asked the blushing girl.

The waitress told him in a soft voice, and he nodded his agreement.

"That sounds delightful. Would you put us both down for that? I want to dance with this beautiful woman." Henry looked over at Fiona taking in her appearance with a long appreciative look that made her knees a little weak.

The girl nodded her agreement, pulling out her order pad and writing it down as she asked their room number.

"Is it possible to get dessert sent to our room for a later?" Henry asked, making it sound as if he wanted to be alone with Fiona as soon as possible.

Fiona swore she heard the waitress sigh as she nodded and asked what they would like.

"I'll leave that with you. You look like you know what the most romantic thing on the menu would be." And with those words, Henry swept Fiona across the dining room and onto the dance floor.

"That was an impressive show," Fiona softly said as he took her into his arms. His hand found her bare back again, and she suppressed another shiver.

"Thank you. I thought it wise to let them know we weren't going to stay all night." Henry said as he pulled her body close to his.

Fiona felt her heart break a little at his words. In her mind, Fiona knew he hadn't meant the romantically, but her heart had hoped he had.

"Are you all right," Henry asked as he looked down at her averted face.

"I am," she assured him.

Henry put his finger under her chin and gently lifted her face to his, taking his time studying her.

When his lips quickly captured hers, she inhaled in shock.

Henry didn't pull away immediately, and he didn't deepen the kiss as his gentle lips explored hers. Fiona's heart stopped, and her stomach flipped as her whole world tilted on its axis. It was such a simple kiss, but it meant more to her than any other kiss ever had.

When he pulled away, he smiled down at her, and Fiona felt her cheeks turning red in anger.

"I suppose that was part of the show as well?" she demanded.

"No, that was because you are so lovely, and I wanted to kiss you very much." Henry pulled her close and tucked her head under his chin.

"Do you suppose we'll get chocolate or something fruity for dessert?" Henry mused as he danced her across the floor.

His question made Fiona want to cry and laugh all at the same time. Was he doing it to put her at ease and curb her anger, or because it hadn't meant all that much to him?

"Clayton's an ass. I have no clue what you saw in him." Henry spun her around as he spoke, and Fiona felt giddy at the move.

"He noticed me." Fiona shrugged.

"Honestly?" Henry slowed his dancing and looked down at her.

"Yes, he noticed me and did something about it. It made a nice change." Fiona cleared her throat. She had never said the words aloud, and she realized they made her sound highly pathetic.

"Fiona, every man in the room notices you. I have always noticed you." Henry tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"But you've never done anything about it, Henry," Fiona pointed out.

Henry stopped dancing altogether and looked down at her with a shocked expression.

"I didn't know you wanted me to," his voice sounded hoarse.

"Should we rejoin the others?" she asked, wishing she could call back the words.

She usually didn't speak her thoughts so freely. The only thing she could think was that being held in Henry's arms with her body pressed to his had addled her mind and made her act out of character.

Henry was still so stunned by her words that he let her walk away from him without a word of his own.