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into the oven. Still reeling from Alex’s disturbingly accurate
assessment of her past, she was glad for tasks to keep her busy. It
was hard to fathom that he still wanted to spend an evening with
her. And more important, that she wanted to spend an evening
with him. Deep in her heart, she wasn’t sure she deserved to be
happy, nor did she believe that she was worthy of someone who
seemed… normal.
That was the dirty secret associated with her past. Not that she’d
been abused but that somehow she felt that she deserved it
because she’d let it happen. Even now, it shamed her, and there
were times when she felt hideously ugly, as though the scars that
had been left behind were visible to everyone.
But here and now, it mattered less than it once had, because she
somehow suspected that Alex understood her shame. And
accepted that, too.
From the refrigerator, she pulled out the raspberry sauce she’d
made earlier, and began spooning it into a small saucepan to
reheat. It didn’t take long, and after setting it aside, she pulled the
bacon-wrapped Brie from the oven, topped it with the sauce, and
brought the cheese to the table. Suddenly remembering, she
retrieved her wine from the counter and joined Alex at the table.
“This is just to start,” she said. “The peppers are going to take a
little longer.”
He leaned toward the platter. “It smells amazing.”
He moved a piece of Brie to his plate and took a bite. “Wow,” he
said.
She grinned. “Good, huh?”
“It’s delicious. Where did you learn to do this?”
“I was friends with a chef once. He told me this would wow just
about anyone.”