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inside me not to lean down and kiss her plump lips, but I’m afraid of ruining the last few hours I have with her. The last thing I want is for her to feel uncomfortable, or for things to get awkward between us.
    “Thank you for today,” she says shyly. “I don’t think you realize how long it’s been since I’ve done anything but school or work, and I feel blessed I got to do this with you.”
    “Are you kidding? Thank you! You’re the one who’s taken me, some random visitor from out of town, out for the day and shared this amazing place with me. I’m definitely the lucky one,” I contend.
    She reaches up with her small hand, swiping the pad of her thumb over my tattoo, letting it linger over the script. “I don’t believe you could ever be a wild beast,” she whispers.
    Completely engrossed in her gentle touch and thoughtful words, I can no longer hold back. Taking her hand in mine, I lift it from my chest to my mouth, lightly kissing her palm. “I hope I never am again,” I mumble as I take that same hand and wrap it around my waist, drawing her into a tight embrace, our bodies snugly pressed up against each other.
    “I wish you weren’t leaving tomorrow,” she admits in a hushed voice against my chest. “I want to do this again.”
    “I do too, Trys. I do too.”

    Less than half an hour later, we’re sitting at one of the black metal tables, enjoying some of the best seafood I’ve ever tasted. In order to try a little bit of everything, we decide to split the fish tacos, crab cakes, and lobster burger…and I still can’t decide which one’s my favorite.
    “Do you ever want kids? A family?” she asks, tearing me from my near-foodgasm.
    Chuckling softly, I set the burger down and wipe my mouth. “You know, it’s funny you ask. I was thinking about that just a bit ago, and to be quite honest, I’ve never given it much thought. Most of my twenties, I was focused on my job, and it wasn’t until spending the day with you and…” I pause awkwardly, not knowing how to verbalize my thoughts.
    “It’s okay, Leo; you can say it. I think it’s natural that spending some time with someone who’s about to have a baby would make you think about it,” she replies, smiling. “By the way, what do you do? I’ve been meaning to ask, but each time, our conversation leads us in a different direction.”
    Not wanting to lie to her, nor sidestep another question, I answer vaguely, “I used to work in security, but I retired from that a couple of years ago when I moved overseas. I’ve been playing around with photography lately, just teaching myself online and stuff, nothing too fancy. What about you? What do you plan to do after you finish school?”
    She shrugs and looks down at the table. “Who knows when I’ll finish my PhD after the baby comes, and unfortunately, the only thing you can do with a Master’s degree in Psychology is be a social worker or a school counselor. Sadly, I make more money bartending three nights a week than either of those jobs pay. Do you think you’ll ever return to the states?”
    “I’m not sure. This has been my first time back since I left. Mama’s in Italy now, which isn’t too far from me, and other than Katrina, I don’t have any ties here anymore.”
    “Are you happy there? Do you have a girlfriend?” As soon as the questions tumble from her mouth, I can see the blush in her cheeks rise to the tips of her ears, even through the slight burn she got today. “I’m sorry; that’s none of my business.”
    I grab her hand across the table, partly to assure her it’s okay, but mostly so I can feel her skin against mine again. “I’m content there, and no, I don’t.” Flashing a sincere smile, I rub my thumb back and forth across the top of her hand. “Now it’s my turn for a hard question.”
    “Okay, shoot.”
    “Tell me what happened with your last relationship, the baby’s father.” I’m fully expecting her to brush me off, but she surprises