He had to chuckle at how very pleased she looked - but given how he'd wanted her to look that way, he considered the entire thing a success. "Well, I guess the secret had to come out sometime," he said, though of course, "I wouldn't mind cooking for you sometime. I'm pretty good with a barbecue, too." And now that it was hot outside, it seemed the perfect time to use one.

Though right now, he leaned happily into her touch, though not so much so that he couldn't shove a forkful of salad into his mouth. "You're welcome," he said, once he'd chewed and swallowed. "I just wanted it to be special... I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, right now, or anyone I'd rather be with." And he wasn't just saying that for her benefit, it really was true. "You've been so great to me, I wanted to be great to you, too."