"After dating for five years, Dana Walker decides she's more than ready to become Mrs. Eddie Williams and plans to ask him to make it official. She invites him to Gartano's, a little Italian bistro that has become a favorite spot for the two. As she waits for Eddie to arrive, an unfamiliar voice behind the counter attracts her attention, and she turns to see handsome, young Mitch Tarrington. Her friend Kayla, a waitress at the bistro, tells her that besides being strikingly handsome, Mitch is also single, which Dana laughs off. When Eddie finally arrives, he drops a startling confession on Dana before she has a chance to propose, leaving her alone and devastated. As she leaves the bistro, she feels as if she's being watched and turns to see Mitch, his eyes filled with sadness and concern. It wouldn't be until much later that she would understand why, or just how much, he cares.
Adopting an attitude that men can't be trusted, Dana's heart begins to heal. Her visits to Gartano's are now brief, but each time she shows her face there, Mitch is watching her. From that first night, he has been mesmerized by her beauty, but feels he's destined to only admire her from a far. Dana notices Mitch as well, but the fear of another broken heart keeps her from admitting her attraction. Kayla notices the two, and decides to play matchmaker. She invites Dana to dinner at Gartano's and that night, fate takes over. Through a funny chance encounter, they find themselves face to face, and they can no longer deny their feelings. Finally admitting what their hearts have been trying to hide, they begin their romantic journey together.
As time passes, the two find themselves falling deeper and deeper in love, but like any relationship, theirs is not without its share of ups and downs. Dana soon finds Mitch is full of surprises, and just when she thinks she knows him, she discovers something else that keeps her guessing just what this man is all about. Mitch soon decides that life without Dana no longer makes sense, and after a romantic proposal, they find themselves planning a wedding. Soon after they become engaged, however, a major misunderstanding fueled by both desire and jealousy threatens to stop the nuptials from taking place.
"
Debbie Alferio, Resident Scholar
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