“You mean your obsession?” She laughs.
“Yeah, that.”
“I like this,” she says, resting her head on my shoulder. “Do you want to spend the night? I know you’ve been gone for the week, so I’ll understand if you want to go home.”
“I was hoping you would ask, so I packed for it. But you need to know something.”
“What’s that?” Her face is still flushed as she stares into my eyes.
“I don’t put out until after the first date.”
Twenty-Five
“So where are we going?” I ask Ryan for the third time since he picked me up less than ten minutes ago.
This morning—right before leaving our mostly PG-rated sleepover—he told me to dress for comfort and to pack a bag. No explanation. No hints. Just be ready to go at six p.m. I have been going crazy all day trying to guess what we’re doing and when he had time to make the plans. Options are kind of limited in Emerley this time of year.
“Be patient, Trouble,” he says, cutting me a glance. “You will find out soon enough.”
“Are we going to your place?” I waggle my eyebrows at him when we turn onto his road. “I didn’t know it was that kind of date.”
He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, you will know when it becomes that kind of date.”
Reaching across the centre console, he takes my hand in his. Bringing it to his mouth, he places a soft kiss on my knuckles. “Trust me. This will be fun.”
Gravel crunches under the tires as the truck comes to a stop in front of his house. Every light in the place is on, spillinga warm, bright glow across the porch into the yard. And over Logan’s truck. Huh?
“I didn’t know what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t Logan joining us on our first date. Is Hannah here?”
“No, just Logan. Come on, let’s go inside.” He gets out and walks around the front of the truck to open my door. “Everything will make sense soon, I promise.”
“If you say so.” I take his offered hand, letting him help me down, before reaching into the backseat to grab my bag.
I can hear classic rock playing over the stereo as soon as we walk through the door. After removing our outside clothes, we walk into the kitchen hand in hand and find Logan leaning against the counter with his hat on backwards and an apron wrapped around his waist.
“Okay, what is happening right now?” I ask, looking between the two men.
“I asked Hannah what your favourite food is. She said pasta and that you love lasagna. My fun date idea is for us to learn how to make it together.”
“That’s where I come in. Ryan asked if I would teach you.” Logan beams, gesturing towards the array of ingredients spread over the island. If anyone was going to teach me how to cook, I’m glad it’s Logan. While he was figuring out what he wanted to do with his life, he worked as a prep and line chef for a few years. He has the patience of a saint, and he knows what he’s doing.
Giggling, I say, “Oh my God, this is great.” Turning to Ryan, I ask, “Was this really your idea?”
“Yeah. I’m over forty and still have no clue where to start in the kitchen. It’s embarrassing. Between the two of us, I’m sure we can learn to make at least one edible dish.”
“Let’s do this.” I clap my hands together and ask, “What’s first?”
“Step one. Wash your hands.”
By the time we have assembled our four-layer meat and cheese lasagna and put it in the oven, the kitchen is a complete disaster. The sink is full of dirty dishes, pots, and pans. Cheese crumbles and tomato sauce cover the counter. Despite the mess, Ryan and I are both smiling from ear to ear.
Logan slips the apron over his head and places it on the island. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and help with the cleanup?” He grimaces as he looks around the space. “I can’t say I have ever seen anyone cook with so much…enthusiasm.”
“Nah, we’ve got it from here,” Ryan says, shaking Logan’s hand. He chuckles when Logan pulls him into one of those side bro hugs. Patting his back, he steps away. “Thanks for agreeing to do this.”
“No problem. Let’s do it again, and next time I’ll bring Hannah. We can make it a double date.”
“I would love that.” I lean into Ryan’s shoulder, and he loops his arm around my waist, pulling me close and kissing the top of my head.
