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require muscle to wear, she’d have to shower again because she was too sweaty to walk out the door.
    The blue dress that made her hips look too wide and her butt like two bowling balls smashing together would have to do. She donned it, grinding her teeth, and slipped her feet into flats. Tony had been right about this, too. She didn’t dress very feminine, but she was one hundred percent woman. Take her or leave her.
    She met Nathan at a restaurant downtown, and he was waiting for her when she entered the eatery. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. She paused upon seeing him as he stood at a table and signaled to her. Was he dressed that way because he didn’t think the date warranted more?
    She reached him, and his face reddened. “You probably think I’m an ass for dressing like this on our first date,” he said, and she blinked in surprise.
    “Um, no, I…”
    “I never have a reason to dress up, so I ran out to buy this collared shirt. There were creases in it when I unfolded it. So I borrowed a buddy’s iron, and well…uh…”
    She burst out laughing. “You burned it?”
    “Yeah.” He offered her a sheepish expression. “That led me back to this T-shirt, the best of my collection. I considered wearing my blues, but then you might think I was just showing off. In the end, there was no impressing you.”
    “Who says I’m not impressed?”
    His gaze flicked down over her from head to toe, and she dropped into the seat across from him to quickly hide her figure.
    “You look beautiful,” he breathed.
    She ducked her head, feeling shy. “Thanks.”
    “Haven’t done this in a while,” he said. “I feel a little awkward. How about you?”
    She smiled. “Me, too. Are you always so direct?”
    He shrugged. “Habit I picked up while enlisted, but I like to think I softened up a lot. Melly will do that to you.” He grunted. “I said I wasn’t going to talk about her this afternoon.”
    “Why not? She’s your baby.”
    Nathan reached across the table and took her hand. A flutter stirred in her belly, and he raised her hand to kiss gently. “Because I want to get to know you and not scare you off.”
    “Melly’s a part of you.”
    “Yeah, and a ready-made family from either side is a lot to take, especially with Melly.”
    His logic made sense, but she didn’t know fully what she felt about him and Melly or any similar situation. “About me,” she began, and rushed ahead before she lost her nerve. “I’m not ready for a relationship. I guess I’m jumping the gun thinking that’s what you’re looking for. From the little I’ve seen, you don’t seem like the type of man who’s looking for a string of one-night stands.”
    “You’re right.” He sighed and released her hand when she pulled it from his grasp. “It’s a little soon to be using the R word.”
    She flushed and would have turned away, but he captured her chin. With a small movement, she broke away, hating the embarrassment.
    “Easy. I get it,” he said. “I know what you mean, and I appreciate your honesty. What I was going to say is, it’s too soon to talk about a relationship because we don’t know if we’ll get past lunch. But , I hope we do because I do want a relationship.”
    She gaped at him.
    “Ultimately. Not like you said, just to replace Melly’s mother. If that was the case, there were others who were interested in long term.”
    Kathy.
    “I wasn’t ready.”
    “It hasn’t been that long.”
    He nodded. “I don’t know that I’m ready for long term. I just know…”
    He hesitated, and this time she took his hand. She wished she didn’t because his warmth drew her in and made her crave for more than she should. Nathan brushed a thumb across her lips. She inhaled sharply, trembling. Desire crept into her being, stirring things up, and she didn’t appreciate it. Yet, she couldn’t push him away. Not when he was being so open.
    “I just know I want someone. Maybe it’s physical and I just need