“The hotel needed to be saved. It’s part of me, and Marietta, and it was supposed to be demolished. The building had been condemned, and I couldn’t let it happen. So I didn’t.”

Her gaze held his, her expression intent. “Do you regret saving it?”

“No.”

“Even if it… hurts you… financially?”

“Jane’s been talking.”

Taylor pursed her lips. She appeared to choose her words carefully. “The whole town’s been talking.”

“Not surprised. But I have good instincts. I think it’s going to be alright.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Because even if I have to sell it at some point, and even if I take a loss, I’ve still won. I’ve given something back to my hometown. I’ve created something that my children and grandchildren can enjoy. And that makes it all worth it.”

Taylor looked down at her plate, and blinked, fighting the most ridiculous urge to cry. Her eyes had burned and turned gritty as he’d talked about creating something for his children and grandchildren. She understood his love for old buildings and the past. She’d always been fascinated by old black and white photographs of Montana’s past. If she looked hard enough into one of those photographs she could imagine herself there…

“I wish I could have seen the Graff before you restored it,” she said. “But maybe it’s good that I didn’t. It would have made me sad.”

“She was too beautiful to be neglected like that,” he agreed.

For a long moment Taylor said nothing, her emotions turbulent, her thoughts whirling. She shouldn’t say what she was so tempted to say. She shouldn’t even be feeling what she’d been feeling all night.

She should get her purse and coat and go home right now.

Right now without saying a single thing about the ball. Or maybe, possibly going to the ball with him.

She couldn’t. She’d already told him no. She’d made up her mind. Taylor wasn’t flighty. At least, she’d never been flighty before…

Taylor swallowed hard and reached for her leather satchel. She needed to leave before she said something she might regret.

And yet her heart raced. She couldn’t remember when she last felt so torn.

“I’m glad we did this,” she said. “It was nice. Thank you.”

“I enjoyed it, too.”

She pulled the satchel onto her lap, and reached for her wallet.

He saw her open the wallet and shook his head.