“You don’t think it’s too much?” I turn around slowly, giving her the full view of the dress.
“Absolutely not. When’s he supposed to be here?”
At first, I was hesitant about him picking me up, but Liv pointed out that he has already met Jake, which was the only reason for my hesitation. However, I did ask him to text me when he’s here instead of coming to the door, so I have a chance to slip out without answering too many questions from my son about where I’m going or why I’m dressed up.
“He should be here any minute,” I tell her. “You’re sure I look okay?”
“I promise, you look amazing. I wouldn’t lie to you. As long as you’re not wearing basic cotton underneath that, you’ll be fine.”
I scoff, planting my hands on my hips. “I might be new at this whole dating thing, but I’m not stupid.” I should probably talk to Logan when he gets here about setting some boundaries, but the thought seems absurd when we’ve already had sex. There’s a part of me that wants to sleep with him again and enjoy everything he has to offer, but another part—the more rational side—thinks we should back up a few steps and take things slow. Still, just in case… “I may have splurged and treated myself to some new lingerie.”
Liv pushes herself up and shifts until her legs are folded beneath her, sitting cross-legged on my bed. “For Logan?”
“I mean, yes. But also for myself. I need every boost of confidence I can get,” I say, fighting back the nervous laugh attempting to burst free. “I don’t know what to expect, but even if the date ends with nothing more than a kiss, I’ll feel better about myself knowing what I’ve got on underneath the dress.”
“I know you’re nervous about this being your first date since losing Ryan, but you deserve this, Tess.”
My gaze shifts to the wooden dresser that used to hold all of Ryan’s clothing and settles on one of the framed photographs displayed on top. It’s a photo from our wedding day but not one of the professional ones taken by the hired photographer. In it, we’re sitting in the front seat of his truck, smiling as we lean in toward each other and hold up our left hands to show off our wedding rings. I remember him being the one to hold his phone out in front of him and insist we capture the moment and the smell of his cologne as he whispered promises of forever in my ear.
Neither of us could have anticipated that forever wouldn’t last nearly long enough.
Staring at the photo, I say, “Sometimes I swear I can still hear his laughter when I’m watching one of his favorite movies, or I’ll walk into the room after a long day and smell his cologne. I know that sounds crazy, but—”
“It’s not crazy,” Liv says. “You might always have those moments, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make room for new memories with someone else.”
My phone chimes from where I left it on top of my dresser, and I spin around to grab it, smiling when I see his name.
Logan:I’m here. Can’t wait to see you.
Heat spreads through my chest and rises to my cheeks. “He’s here,” I murmur, turning to face Liv.
She follows me to the living room and plops down on the floor next to Jake, who’s currently building a LEGO tower on the coffee table. “Hey, buddy, Momma is going to go out with a friend for a bit, and you’re going to hang out with Auntie Liv, okay?”
He slowly tears his eyes away from the colorful tower, looking between Liv and me. “With who?” he asks, confusion painting his face. Besides my parents, she’s the only person I spend much time with.
“A new friend. I won’t be gone too long, okay? I’ll be back before bedtime.”
He nods and gets to his feet, running toward me as I crouch down to meet him for a hug.
“I love you, buddy,” I say, and he pops a kiss on my cheek as I ruffle his hair. Liv is digging through his bucket of LEGO, and he runs back to join her at the coffee table, excited to play.
I watch them for a moment as the swirling in my stomach settles. I've spent the last six years doing everything in my power to make sure my little boy knows he's loved, to make sure he never feels the pain of loss. I had finally reached a point in my life where I'd made peace with being a single mom and the love I have for my son becoming the greatest love of my life. Now, I realize there's room in my heart and in my life for something new. Somethingmore.
Chapter fifteen
Tessa
“Iswearyou’retakingrandom streets just to throw me off,” I laugh. We’ve been in the car for about twenty minutes, and each time I think I know where we’re going, he takes an unexpected turn.
He’s driving with one hand, his other arm resting on the center console between us, looking every bit as handsome as I remember. Like me, he’s dressed nicely without it being over-the-top. He’s wearing beige Chino shorts that hit right at his knee, a black short-sleeve button-up, and that damn baseball hat.
“Now, why would I do that?” His tone is light and teasing, a smile spreading across his face as he looks at me.
I know it’s not a question to be answered, but I do it anyway. “Because I’ve lived here forever, and you know I’ll figure it out eventually,” I snap back playfully.
The light in front of us turns yellow, and he slows to a stop just as it switches to red. His eyes trail over my body, lingering on my thighs before they flick back up to meet mine. “Who says you haven’t already guessed it?” he asks, a smirk tugging at his lips.
My head turns away from him as I glance out the window, running through the few places I’ve rambled off as possible locations. My first guess was that he’s taking me to Blue Ridge Winery, but we’re nowherenear there. I’ve rattled off a restaurant or two, but that was before I noticed the small cooler sitting in the back seat. The only other place that makes sense is…
