He took her to a nice restaurant she'd never been to. It was quiet and secluded. It was elegant yet a bit rustic with brick walls and exposed wooden beams. The lights were dim, but enough you could see your surroundings.

Colt whispered in the waiter's ear, the man nodded and led them to a gorgeous patio out back. Italian music played in the background. White lights hung from trees and flowering bushes all around them. There were small tables set up with white tablecloths and a hurricane lantern in the middle. It was like walking into a fairy garden, Dana thought.

They followed the waiter to a table for two. It was by a brick wall on one side and they had a view of the neighborhood behind them. The restaurant had its front facing the main street, so the back patio was the quiet side.

"This okay?" Colt asked her, pulling out a chair for her.

Dana stared at him, still stunned at his behavior. He'd been a gentleman since he'd picked her up, opening doors and now pulling out her chair.

The restaurant was beautiful and romantic. It was almost like they were on a date.

Dana nodded and cleared her throat, "Fine."

She sat down and watched him round the table and sit down. Colt set a small laptop on the table.

Dana and Colt thanked the waiter as he handed them each a menu and took their drink order.

"We'll do this quick," Colt said, once the waiter left.

"Wow," Dana sat back amazed as Colt played a 3D presentation of what her apartment would eventually look like.

She liked what she saw. The kitchen was half the size as the original plans. There were pocket doors that could close across the kitchen so you couldn't see it from the dining room.

Colt had included a nice sitting area with a big couch and armchair in the library area with built-in bookcases.

The master bedroom suite featured an incredibly sized walk-in closet with built-in shelving. The master bath had a soaking jetted tub, a separate shower, and dual sinks.

There were two other bedrooms. One, she planned on using as an office, so she could sometimes work from home. And the other would be a guest bedroom. Not that she ever had guests, but it was nice to have. And Summer and Jesse insisted on the three bedrooms.

They had said hey, if she got married, she could still stay there for a while if she wanted.

Dana had laughed. She hadn't any prospects of boyfriends, let alone a husband. She had thought Jeremy was the one. But he had only been playing her to get her to sleep with him and all the while he was sleeping with another girl.

She had lost her virginity to Jeremy and there was no way to ever get that back. She wasn't sure if she could ever trust a man again.

"You like?" he asked, studying her face.

"Yeah, I like," she answered grinning.

"What is that?" he asked, smiling back.

"What?" she asked with a laugh, surprised at his smile.

"Never mind," he answered, closing up the laptop as the waiter came with their drinks.

"What did you mean by that?" she asked when the waiter left.

Colt took a drink of his wine. "You smiled at me."

"So?" she asked with a laugh.

"You don't smile at me. It's not in your nature," he answered, studying her.

"It's not in your nature to apologize to me, either," she answered.

Colt shrugged.

"I apologize too. Really, Colt, I'm sorry. I don't know how it all began. But we shouldn't have kept it up."

"Yeah," he answered, taking another slow sip.

"Do you know?" Dana asked frowning.

"Know what?" he asked, setting the glass down.

Dana tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why we fight. How it all started?"

Colt leaned back in his chair. "Does it matter?"

"I guess not. What's done is done, right?"

Colt sighed. "I don't know, Dana. I suppose it was because I was a messed up kid with adult problems. I took it out on the world and you happened to be in my way."

He took out a cigarette he pulled from the pack in his pocket. "Mind?" he asked holding it up.

She shook her head. He lit it and took a long puff. Colt flipped the lighter in his hand and looked at it. He showed it to her. "Look familiar?"

Dana took it from him and studied it. It was gold and in the center was a gold eagle "That's Grandpa James' lighter," she said, recognizing instantly.

He nodded. "All I have left," he said, taking it back, and stuck it in his pocket.

"He loved you, you know," she told him reassuringly.

Colt blew out a hard breath of smoke. "Yeah, I know," he said and tapped some ashes into an ashtray.

"Do you remember when he caught you smoking in the tree house?" she asked with a laugh.

He nodded. "I was fourteen. I'd been smoking since I was eight. He didn't know that though. Never caught me before. Grounded me for a month. Little that did," he said, taking another puff.

"Eight?"

"Told you I was messed up," he said, picking up the wine glass and set it further away from him.

"How'd you start?"

He shrugged and then frowned. "My old man smoked. I don't remember when I started exactly. I'm guessing at eight. Could have been before that. I was young, that's all I remember. I stole some of his one day and then..." He shrugged, "just never stopped."

"Why?" she asked in interest.

Colt chuckled. "You have a question for everything?"

"Pretty much. I like to know things."

"Sometimes it's best not to know," he said quietly.

The waiter brought the food they ordered and ended that conversation.

Dana was amazed at the easiness of the conversations they were having. No longer was there bickering. She talked to him as if she was talking to Jesse. Easy, carefree, occasional laughs.

When she thought about it, it made her uneasy. This was Colt. Colt, who she always fought with. They couldn't be five minutes in the same room with each other. But here they were in a restaurant, having dinner, and having a very enjoyable evening.

"More wine, madam?" the waiter asked.

"Sure," she said and the waiter poured her a second glass. She and the waiter looked over at Colt's glass which was three-quarters full, his first glass. The waiter walked away, lifting an eyebrow. Another waiter came and re-filled Colt's water glass.

Dana lifted her wine glass and took a sip studying Colt.

"What?" he asked, taking a bite out of his steak.

"I've gone through a glass of wine already."

"So," he said, taking a drink of his water.

She looked pointedly at his glass. "You don't like wine?"

"No, I like it," he said, setting down the water.

"Saving it for later?"

"Why do you have to nitpick?" he asked annoyed.

"I'm not nitpicking. I'm just asking."

"I drink slow, okay?"

He had had two large glasses of water already, she had noted.

"Fine," she answered, turning back to her dinner.

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"Dana," he said softly and she looked up. "I'm sorry. I'm trying to be...sociable. I know that's always been hard between us," he said. She shrugged.

He sighed. "I don't drink much because... my father drank too much," Colt finally said.

"Oh."

"You didn't know?" He asked surprised at her tone.

"No. Sorry."

"I thought everyone knew."

"Nope. Hadn't heard."

Colt studied her. How could she not know? Hadn't the James' told her all about his family? About him? "You're serious?"

"I'm serious."

"What do you know about him?"

"Nothing," she said, looking away.

"I know everything. You might as well tell me what you know," Colt said, his eyes narrowing. She was Jesse's best friend. He had to have told her.

"Just that he used to smack you around a bit," Dana answered hesitantly.

"Smacked me around a bit?" he answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Dana nodded, her cheeks blushed, embarrassed to reveal she knew that one secret of his.

"That all?" he chuckled.

"There's more?" her eyes widened.

"Damn." Colt shook his head.

"What?" she asked with a frown.

"It explains a lot is all," Colt answered, leaning back in his chair to study her.

"Like what?" Dana asked curiously.

He shook his head again. "It doesn't matter," Colt replied, leaning back in to eat his food.

"Colt, come on," she begged.

He was finally talking to her. Finally, not arguing with her, finally being a person with her.

"Just...things," he said slowly.

"What things?"

"Jesus, Dana!" Colt snapped, dropping his fork.

"Sorry! I won't pry. None of my business," she said, watching his eyes grow cold.

"No...I'm sorry." Colt rubbed his forehead. "I'm trying here, really. I just don't talk about my personal life. Especially, that part of my life."

"I understand," Dana said softly. And she did.

"I wish you really did," he said quietly and took another bite out of his food.

Dana cleared her throat. "So, I was thinking of Summer's baby shower,"she said to change the subject.

Colt smiled. He was happy to talk about the baby. Jesse was over the moon about it and he was incredibly happy with Summer. Colt wished them well.

He glanced at Dana as she rattled ideas off about the shower. Her eyes were lit up in excitement and he tried not to want what Jesse had...but with Dana.