First Impressions

multimillion-dollar company by being decisive. Now a slip of a woman whose hair curled chaotically under his cheek was changing the order of his life.
    “Shane.” Vance drew her away to kiss her brow.
    “Vance.” Laughing, she kissed him soundly, more like a friend than a lover. “You look so serious.”
    “Have dinner with me.” It came out too swiftly, and he cursed himself. What had become of his finesse with women?
    Shane pushed at her windblown hair. “All right. I can fix us something at the house.”
    “No, I want to take you out.”
    “Out?” Shane frowned, thinking of the expense.
    “Nothing fancy,” he told her, thinking she was worried about her bulky sweater and jeans. “As you said, neither of us has done anything but work in weeks.” He brushed his knuckles over the back of her cheek. “Come with me.”
    She smiled, pleasing him. “I know a nice little place just over the border in West Virginia.”
    Shane chose the tiny, out-of-the-way restaurant because it was inexpensive and she had some fond memories of an abbreviated career as a waitress there. She’d worked the summer after her high school graduation in order to earn extra money for college.
    After they had settled into a cramped booth with a sputtering candle between them, she shot him a grin. “I knew you’d love it.”
    Vance glanced around at the painted landscapes in vivid colors and plastic frames. The air smelled ever so faintly of onion. “Next time, I choose.”
    “They used to serve a great spaghetti here. It was Thursday’s special, all you can eat for—”
    “It’s not Thursday,” Vance pointed out, dubiously opening the plastic-coated menu. “Wine?”
    “I think they probably have it.” Shane smiled at him when he peered over the top of the menu. “We could go next door and get a whole bottle for two ninety-seven.”
    “Good vintage?”
    “Just last week,” she assured him.
    “We’ll take our chances here.” He decided next time he would take her somewhere he could buy her champagne.
    “I’ll have the chili,” Shane announced, bringing his thoughts back.
    “Chili?” Vance frowned at the menu again. “Is it any good?”
    “
Oh, no!”
    “Then why are you—” He broke off as he lowered his menu and saw Shane buried behind her own. “Shane, what—”
    “They just came in,” she hissed, turning her menu toward the entrance and peeping around the side of it.
    Curiously, he glanced over. Vance spotted Cy Trainer with a trim brunette in a severely tailored tan suit and sensible pumps. His first reaction was annoyance; then, looking the woman over again and noting the way her hand rested on Cy’s arm, he turned back to Shane. She was fully hidden behind the menu.
    “Shane, I know it must upset you, but you’re bound to run into him from time to time and . . .” He heard a muffled sound from behind the plastic-coated cardboard. Instinctively, Vance reached for her hand. “We could go somewhere else, but we can’t leave now without his seeing you.”
    “It’s Laurie MacAfee.” She squeezed Vance’s fingers convulsively. He returned the pressure, furious that she still had feelings for the man who had hurt her.
    “Shane, you’ve got to face this and not let him see you make a fool of yourself.”
    “I know, but it’s so hard.” Cautiously, she tilted the menu to the side. With a jolt, Vance saw she was convulsed not with tears but with laughter. “As soon as he sees us,” she began confidentially, “he’s going to come over and be polite.”
    “I can see that’s going to cause you a lot of pain.”
    “Oh, it is,” she agreed. “Because you’ve got to promise to kick me under the table or stomp on my foot the minute you see I’m going to laugh.”
    “My pleasure,” he assured her.
    “Laurie used to keep her dolls lined up according to height, and she sewed little name tags on all their clothes,” Shane explained, taking deep breaths to prepare herself.
    “That certainly clears everything up.”
    “Okay, now, I’m going to put the menu down.” She swallowed, lowering her voice a bit more. “Whatever you do, don’t look at them.”
    “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
    After a final cleansing breath, Shane set the menu on the table. “Chili?” she said in a normal tone. “Yes, it’s always been good here. I believe I’ll have it too.”
    “You’re an idiot.”
    “Oh, yes, I agree.” Smiling, she picked up her water glass. Out of the corner of her eye, she