It really shouldn't be a surprise, and he would have assured her of that if it had ever come up. But it was true, things were different now, in so many ways that it was hard to say what might have happened - only that what was happening now mattered, and that was that he felt like she was something special, something he wanted to cherish and keep happy, and make sure she knew just how happy she made him.

And she definitely made him happy, especially when she said things like that - not only because it made him feel good, but because it made him feel loved, and that was all any man could ask for, in his opinion. As the light started to fade and they kept working on their meal, he glanced over at her basket with the cookies. "When we're done... if you want to break out those cookies, I have something that might go well with them. So I guess now is the time to make sure we leave room for dessert."