Page 62 of Wildflowers and Wide Receivers

I didn’t either. After all, I’ve done nothing but fantasize about this girl for years. But now that she’s finally here, and reality is setting in, given the cards Vivi has already been dealt in life, I’m not sure there’s another way. They say parenting is about making tough choices for our kids, and they weren’t wrong.

Chapter 25

Sophie

Right at six thirty, Jonah knocks on the door. It’s been almost a week since I’ve seen him, and I’m way more nervous than I should be. Did we talk all week? Yes. But only through text messages, and those were more along the lines of, “How was your day?” and “What did you and Vivi do today?” There were no deep and serious discussions. I’m not even sure I really got to know him more than I do.

Smoothing down the skirt to my dress, I open the door, and there he is.

I’m immediately hit with his clean and delicious smell, and I breathe in as his frame fills the doorway. His eyes find mine, and he smiles so big. It’s easy to see that it's genuine, and he’s happy to see me. With that smile, the butterflies in my stomach enthusiastically flap their wings like they’re waving. They’re happy to see him too.

It’s quite possible I’ll be in big trouble when it comes to this guy. Especially since he’s not part of the plan.

“Wow, you look beautiful,” he says, his eyes quickly dragging over the length of me before he steps forward, leans in, and kisses me on the cheek. His lips are warm, his cheek is soft, and my eyes fall shut at the sensation.

His smell intensifies to where I can now recognize notes of fabric softener, vanilla, and coconut. It’s the same smell from the beach and the perfect pheromone concoction to make me want to bury my face against his chest and breathe him in indefinitely.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I tell him, taking in his date attire of dark slacks and a button-down with the sleeves rolled up.

“I’m kind of having a moment,” he says almost quietly, his cheeks tinting red.

“What do you mean?” I ask, my eyes searching his hazel ones that are so unique and so pretty. There are flecks of gold and patches of green—so many colors I could never pick a favorite.

“This place. Your door.” He shakes his head. “You have no idea how many times I wanted to stop here and knock just to see if you still lived here.”

“I wish you would have,” I whisper, feeling a longing for the time lost that we could have had together.

Regret slips over his features, and I can’t have that, so I run my hand down his arm and take his hand.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re here now.” I smile up at him, and his gaze dips to my lips.

Does he want to kiss me?

God, I hope so.

Clearing his throat, he takes a step back and asks, “You all set?”

“Yep,” I tell him, moving out of the front door to lock it.

Slipping my hand into his, I lace our fingers together as we walk toward his SUV. For it being June, the evening is mild and not humid. I almost wonder if we’re going to be sitting outside?

“As far as date nights go, while there are a lot of places that I’d love to take you, there's only one place that means the most to me. You in?” he asks as he opens my door.

“Of course. Now you have me even more excited.”

He winks as he closes the door and makes his way around to the driver’s side. That one little movement takes my butterflies from flapping to somersaulting. He might have had a moment on the doorstep, but I’m kind of having one now. I’m about to go on a date with Jonah Dallmann. In a way, it doesn’t even feel like last weekend happened. This, now, feels foreign and brand new.

Slipping into the car, he turns it on and then shifts to look at me. His gaze is so open and so clear, the line of his jaw is smooth, and his skin is golden from the week in the sun. Add in the blond hair, wide shoulders, and impressive frame; he’s so striking that he could be a Nordic king. How good he looks should be illegal.

“Thank you,” he says, reaching over to again take my hand. His is so much larger than mine, and goose bumps race down my back as his thumb starts rubbing from the inside of my wrist down into my palm.

“For what?”

He blinks. “For saying yes to tonight.”

A smile stretches across my face. As if there’s anywhere else I’d be.

As he pulls away from the curb, a comfortable silence wraps around us as he drives, and we cross the bridge that leads to Davis Islands. We pass the shops and restaurants, make a few turns, and then pull up to a house and park on the street. It’s not a small house, but it’s not a large one either. The two-story white house almost looks Mediterranean with the clay pot roof, and I know instantly it has to be his house.