揧ou抮e pregnant, working, and chasing after two kids already. Sit while you can.?
She laughs, shaking her head but she can抰 help but smile. She loves those boys with her whole heart. She抯 truly a good mom. 揊ine, grab me a water then and some crackers.?
In the kitchen, I give myself a chance to take a few deeps breaths to calm my racing heart. Despite the fact that I know Thayer so well, and my confession is out in the open, my nerves are at an all-time high. This feels so different. Official in a way we never were before. It抯 out in the world, knowledge for everyone, that we抮e going on a date. Not some sneaky secret.
I fix Georgia a glass of water and grab a pack of crackers from the tiny pantry. She takes both from me with a smile.
揌ow excited are you for your date??
揝he抯 worn a path in the rug if that tells you anything,?my mom interjects before I can say anything.
揑t抯 been a long time since I抳e been on a date,?I defend.
There抯 a mirror above the small table near the stairs, that I use to check my reflection yet again, trying to slick back stray hairs. Maybe it would抳e been a better idea to keep my hair down, but I had wanted to do something different.
The doorbell rings and a legitimate scream flies past my lips, making both my mom and sister laugh.
揙h, yeah, she抯 nervous,?Georgia cackles. 揙h, no.?She looks down at her lap. 揑 think I peed a little.?
I stick my tongue out at her playfully before opening the door.
Thayer stands there looking ridiculously good梚f he had any idea just how much I抦 attracted to him he抎 laugh. Or run the other way.
He抯 clearly put more effort into his hair than usual, it抯 brushed back and not as unruly. His facial hair is trimmed and neat. I was worried I might have overdressed梕ven though my dress is far from fancy梑ut I feel better seeing him in a nice pair of jeans and a pale blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
揟hese are for you.?He holds out yet another bouquet of pink peonies. I wonder where he抯 getting them all. I can抰 imagine our local florist has much.
揚eonies are going to take over the house,?I warn him with a smile, taking them and cradling them in my arms. 揕ucky for you, I don抰 mind.?
He chuckles, shoving his now empty hands in his pockets.
揌ere, I抣l take those.?I didn抰 even notice my sister get up from the couch. She holds her hands out for the bouquet and I pass it over. 揧ou two kids have fun now.?She smacks me on the butt before waddling toward the kitchen.
Thayer holds out a hand for me to take before poking his head in the door. 揑抣l bring her back soon, Allie.?
She smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. 揓ust take care of her for me.?
His gaze moves down to me, his smile growing. 揑 will.?
Shutting the door behind me, I let him hold my hand on the way to his truck that he抯 moved into our driveway.
揑 would抳e walked over. You抮e literally right next door.?
揘ope.?He shakes his head forcefully. 揟his is a date. That means it starts with me picking you up from your house, not mine.?He opens the passenger door of his truck, offering a hand to help me up.
Once I抦 safely inside he closes the door, walking around the front of the truck to climb in the driver抯 side. He cranks the engine, grinning at me before he puts it in reverse.
揥hat??I ask, wondering why he抯 staring at me like that.
揑抦 making a memory right now.?
My heart tugs at his statement. 揑 am too,?I whisper.
He leans over, cupping the back of my neck. 揑 refuse to let you be the one who got away.?
揥hat does that mean??My eyes zero in on his lips, thinking of the kiss we shared in his truck only a week ago.
揑 don抰 want you to be someone I think about for the rest of my life, wondering what if? What if I抎 tried harder? What if I had just told you how I felt??He lowers his forehead to press gently against mine, our breaths sharing the same space. 揑 want you to be the one. That抯 it. No second guessing. No wondering. Just a sure thing.?
揑棓
揇on抰 say anything,?he pleads, pulling away. 揑 want to do this right. Get to know who you are now, date you for real, and I want to take my time.?
揟ake your time with what??
He wets his lips, looking at me like he抯 afraid I might disappear. 揗aking you fall back in love with me.?
I don抰 say anything to that as he backs out of the driveway, but I can抰 help thinking that I抦 not sure I ever fell out of love with him.
CHAPTER 23
SALEM
I抦 surprised when Thayer turns into the parking lot of the local park. I抦 not sure what exactly I was expecting but it wasn抰 this.
揥hat are we doing here??I turn around, looking for any sign of why he would抳e chosen this spot for our first date. But it looks the same as it always did. Lots of open fields, a wooden playground for the children, and a walking trail along the perimeter.
揥e抮e having a picnic.?
揂 picnic??I brighten, never having thought of that.
揙riginally, I planned for us to eat on a blanket in the grass, but the storm last night kind of ruined that. But there抯 the gazebo so I figure that can work.?
Somehow, I had forgotten about the storm, but that explains why it抯 mostly empty at the park today with no one wanting to risk the muddy mess of grass.
Thayer reaches to open his door, quickly looking back at me. 揧ou wait there.?
揥ha棓
He doesn抰 let me finish before he抯 out and closing his door. He comes around the truck and opens my door, holding out his hand.
揑抦 doing things right with you.?
My heart does a somersault.
I accept his help without protest. When my feet land on the ground, his hands go to my hips. He doesn抰 say anything, and I don抰 either. But I wonder if he抯 thinking the same thing I am梩hat I never thought we抎 end up here. When I got back together with Caleb, I made myself say goodbye to this part of my life, to him. I mourned the loss of what we could抳e been.
But now, here we are with this second chance, and even though this, him梙as the capability to obliterate me all over again桰 can抰 turn away. Some things are worth the risk if you抮e brave enough to take the leap.
Thayer opens the back door and pulls out a packed basket梐 literal basket like you see in movies when the couple goes on a picnic梐nd a blanket he drapes over top of it. Closing and locking up the truck, he offers his hand to me, and we trek across the muddy grass toward the gazebo. I抦 thankful I wore a pair of Converse sneakers instead of the sandals I had planned on. I抣l have to wash these later, but it抯 worth it.
The gazebo is white with vines of flowers crawling up the sides. It matches the one in the middle of town but is larger in size.
Letting go of my hand, he sits the basket down and spreads the blanket out.
揑s this okay??He looks a bit unsure of himself which is unusual for Thayer. Normally nothing ruffles his feathers.
揑t抯 great.?I hold onto the side of the gazebo and take my shoes off, not wanting to get mud all over the blanket. Thayer does the same, then opens the top of the basket, pulling out covered dishes of food.
揥hat did you make??I gather my skirt up, tucking it under me as I sit down.
He uncovers a bowl and passes it to me. 揚asta!?I cry in delight. 揑s that lobster in it??
He laughs softly, ducking his head as he rummages through the basket. 揧es.?
揥ow, you really went all out. I feel special.?
揧ou are.?He says it so simply, like it抯 a fact I should already know.
He sets out bread and dipping oil on top of a cutting board along with a knife. He passes me a fork before uncovering his own bowl.