“Dessert?” he offers.
“I couldn’t eat another bite. Thank you, though,” I reply.
Maddox nods in agreement to our waiter. “I’ll be right back with your check then.”
We head out the front door of what could very well be my new favorite restaurant, Maddox’s hand once again resting on my lower back so close to touching my rear. We head towards the pier to check out all the little souvenir shops, coffee nooks, and little stands selling homemade goods like jewelry and purses. We wander in and out of shops and browse through all their different offerings. As we wander down the pier, I start to feel the cooler air through my sweater giving me a slight chill. Maddox must notice my small shivers and gently places his arm protectively around my shoulder, pulling me into his broad, warm embrace.
We reach the end of the pier in no time. Both of us stop and stare out at the majestic Missouri River, filled with fishing boats and shipping vessels. I’ve always thought that there was something calming about the Missouri River. Here, it’s wide and full of traffic. Thirty minutes East, there’s a wide fork in the river that swings to the South while a narrower path veers to the North. That’s where you find Rivers Edge. There’s no large vessel traffic on that part of the river, and generally only local fishing boats can be found in the water. But it’s just as majestic there as it is right here.
“You’re getting cold. Let’s head back up and stop by a coffee shop.” We head back up the pier hand in hand and pick the first little coffee shop we find. Inside, I order a vanilla latte while Maddox orders black coffee. We snag a little table by the window and sit down to sip our drinks and warm up.
“I think I want to stop by that little jewelry place across the way.”
“Okay, let’s warm up for a few minutes, and then we’ll head over,” he agrees.
After the feeling returns to our finger tips, we set out towards the little jewelry shop across the pier. I was drawn immediately to the beautiful crystals hanging in the decorative front windows. As we step inside, I see a breathtaking sun catcher made with little blue and silver Swarovski crystals. The center is a big crystal sun with sparkling rays that extend around the colored crystals. I gently remove it from the hanging display and fall in love with the striking little piece of art.
“It’s beautiful,” I say out loud, though not really speaking to anyone in particular.
“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Maddox confirms, though when I look up at him, I realize he’s not looking at the sun catcher at all. He’s looking at me with a look I’ve never seen on Maddox’s face. Longing. Attraction. Desire.
I smile again, not really knowing what to say. I’ve never had someone pay me so many compliments before in my life. Well, besides my mother, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count.
“I want to get this for Brooklyn’s window,” I say as I start to walk towards the front counter to ring up my purchase. As we approach the counter, my attention is caught by another glass case filled with more crystals; this time necklaces. I spot a beautiful piece that has the same blue and silver crystals in it. The necklace has silver charms on it, and upon closer inspection, I see a sun, boat, and crescent moon.
I take in the simple beauty of the necklace and smile. Maddox clears his throat over my shoulder and says, “I’d like to see that one, please,” as he points to the necklace I was just looking at. I straighten up and turn to face him. He’s smiling at me as he holds out his hand for the necklace. Once it’s placed in his big hand, he turns me away from him and pushes my hair over my shoulder. He places the necklace around my neck and clasps it closed behind my neck. I turn slowly to look at him, my hand touching the beautiful necklace that was just placed around my neck.
“Something beautiful to remember how stunning you looked on this perfect night.”
He leans in and places a feather light kiss on the edge of my nose and then on the corner of my mouth. We smile at each other like teenagers as we turn to pay for our purchases. He whips out some cash to pay for my new necklace and makes a grab for the sun catcher in my hand. I quickly pull back and won’t let him grab it. I insist on paying for Brooklyn’s gift, and after a few moments of arguing, he finally agrees to let me pay.
We leave the quaint little jewelry shop and start making our way back towards the parking lot. Tonight has been one of the best nights and probably the greatest date I’ve ever been on. Maddox seemed focused solely on me, which I’ll admit, is a very welcomed change over the few past relationships I’ve been in.