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“So you don’t have a curfew?” I tease, keeping my voice down so my sister and anyone else nearby can’t hear.
“Technically, no, but I do have to work again Sunday at six in the morning.”
“I know. I won’t keep you out too late,” I say.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
I shake my head and take a step away. Her subtle perfume is doing things to me, making me want to reach out and pull her into my arms or kiss the hell out of her, audience be damned. “It’s a surprise, but I think you’ll like it.”
She makes a face. “How am I supposed to know what to wear?”
“Just be you, El. Be comfortable,” I state as my nephews run over and grab my hands.
“Come on, Uncle TD. Brody said the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream will be gone if we don’t get there soon! I can’t miss the cookie dough,” Rogan insists, pulling on my hand.
“Yeah, and then we’ll have to get gross pistachio ice cream,” Hagen adds, sticking out his tongue.
“Pistachio is the best,” I insist, but it falls on deaf ears.
Rogan starts gagging and acting like he’s throwing up, while Hagen lists every flavor of ice cream that’s better than pistachio, which includes black licorice apparently.
I start to walk over to where my sister and husband stand, but glance back over at Ellie. Her eyes are glued to my ass, making me smile as big as the Mississippi River. When she looks up and realizes I’m watching her, her beautiful face turns ten shades of red as she covers her mouth with her hand. Winking, I return my attention in front of me with a little extra spring in my step.
Ellie was staring at my ass.
I’ll take that as a good sign she might be as attracted to me as I am her.
And tomorrow night, I’m taking her on a date. It’s not my usual first date activities but geared more toward Ellie and her comfort level. I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited for a first date as I am for ours. I’m hoping tomorrow is the first of many dates.
The start of something great.
I raise my hand to knock on the door, only to have it open before my knuckles connect with wood. Ellie is standing there, wearing a pair of jeans that hug her curves and an off-the-shoulder, three-quarter sleeved sweater in a rich green that practically matches her eyes. Her hair is curled and left down, something she doesn’t do nearly enough because of her job, and her makeup is subtle and flawless. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and takes my breath away.
“Wow,” I find myself saying, my eyes slowly returning to her face after their leisurely stroll up and down her gorgeous figure. “You look amazing.”
Ellie blushes. “Oh, uh, thank you,” she replies nervously, fidgeting with her hands. “You look pretty great yourself.”
I’m wearing a pair of comfortable bootcut jeans and a black polo shirt that cost more than just about anything else in my wardrobe. It’s nothing fancy by any means, but a bit more dressed up than I’m used to. “Thanks. Are you ready?” I ask, holding out my hand.
She nods and locks the door before placing her hand in my own. Once she makes sure the door is secure, we descend the stairs and head for my truck. “Any hints yet about where we’re going?”
“Mum’s the word, El,” I reply with a wink.
She chuckles and shakes her head. “All right then, keep your secrets.”
I open the passenger door for her, just the way my dad taught me when I was a young boy, and the moment she slides inside my truck cab, everything just seems to click. Sure, she’s been there before, but this is different. My heart feels happier once I’ve seen her there, as if I’ve been waiting for her to take her spot beside me all this time. As cheesy as that sounds, having her there just feels right.
Once I shut the door, I head around to the driver’s seat and suck in a deep breath of cool air. The nights are getting longer now, the temperatures slowly starting to drop. Before we know it, snow will be flying and the cold winter in full swing. I take a quick second to calm myself and open the door, climbing behind the wheel.
“It’s starting to get cooler out,” I state, starting my truck and backing out of the parking spot behind the diner.
“I know. I’m not ready for heavy coats and thermal underwear for football games,” she says, and while thermal underwear isn’t exactly sexy, I can’t help but want to see her in them anyway.
Smiling, I pull onto the main artery running through our small town and drive toward the last place she’d expect to be taken on a date. “You’ll have your blanket with little footballs on it out in no time.”
She chuckles. “It gets so cold,” she replies, taking in the scenery as we drive.
“I don’t feel a thing.”
