As she approached, Finn held out his hand for the bag she was carrying, and she passed it to him without a second thought.


    "Whatever you want for dinner, it''s my treat," she said, her voice bright.


    Finn smiled, not refusing. "Excellent. How about a barbecue?"


    He had left the country at a young age and spent most of his life abroad. Since his return, Arabe''sints about the smoky smell had kept him away from such ces, and he''d never been particrly interested himself. But he''d heard that the close quarters of a street-side grill were a great way to build intimacy on a date.


    More importantly, it was affordable. He knew Evangeline was on a tight budget. A high-end sushi restaurant would be a strain on her finances, and choosing somewhere too cheap might make her feel like he was patronizing her. A local barbecue joint was the perfect middle ground.


    Just as he''d predicted, her eyes lit up. She gave him a thumbs-up. "Good choice. Nothing beats barbecue. It''s even betterte at night with a few beers."


    She immediately caught herself, remembering theirst incident with alcohol. "But drinks are optional, of course. They have other stuff." Probably full of artificial sweeteners, she thought, but Finn had likely never tried it. A little couldn''t hurt.


    Evangeline chose a ce she used to frequent, one that was rtively clean. In the past, whenever Poppy and Soren wore her down, she would bottle up her frustrations, telling herself to just endure it. But the emotional toll had built up over time. At her lowest point, she had considered ending it all. Waking up in a hospital bed had been a harsh wake-up call. After that, she started trying new things as an outlet for her pain, which is how she discovered this little grill.


    The owner recognized her. As he sprinkled cumin on a skewer, he nced at Finn and called out, "Hey, beautiful! Brought your husband tonight?"


    Before Evangeline could respond, Finn grinned. "Not only is your food delicious, but you''ve got a good eye, too. No wonder this ce is so popr."


    The owner beamed at thepliment. "You''re the first man she''s ever brought here, my friend. I knew you had to be her husband. She usually onlyes when she''s feeling down. This is the first time I''ve seen her so happy. You two make a great couple-handsome and beautiful."


    Seeing the owner was about tounch into a longer speech, Evangeline quickly cut him off. "We''ll just grab a menu, sir. You look busy."


    The owner nodded cheerfully.


    Evangeline grabbed aminated


    menu and pulled Finn to an empty table. He scanned their


    surroundings. The stic tables were scattered haphazardly ont


    sidewalk, and waves of smoke from


    the grill drifted their way. He instinctively covered his nose for a second.


    Noticing his subtle gesture, Evangeline stood up. "You''re in the direct path of the


    smoke. Switch seats with me, it''s better over here."


    Finn took her hand. He was about to speak when he saw a group of girls at a nearby table stealing nces at him, their faces flushed with


    excitement, as they whispered about How handsome he was.


    He swallowed his words and instead brought her hand to his lips, kissing it gently.


    "But, sweetheart, I have a much better view of your beautiful face from here."


    Evangeline raised an eyebrow, confused.


    Behind her, the girls'' excited whispers died down, reced by a collective sigh of disappointment at the word "sweetheart." The nces they sent his way were now tinged, with the familiar regret of discovering a handsome man was already taken.


    Evangeline had no idea what Finn was up to, but she was used to his random disys of affection and didn''t press the issue.


    Across the street, a ck luxury car slowed to a stop.


    "Brother, look! It really is Evangeline!" Flora Fawkes pointed at the bustling grill,


    her voice sharp with indignation as she turned to Soren in the back seat.