Page 7

Laughing softly, she stepped onto the porch and found Reece still standing in the driveway. He looked incredibly handsome in the moonlight—dark hair slightly askew, hands tucked into his pockets, and that hint of a smile that showed his dimples.

She was in serious trouble.

Finally, he stepped away from the truck and walked toward her. Alesha met him halfway.

“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind,” she said.

Reece chuckled softly. “Why would you think that?”

“You were standing there for a while, so I thought…you know…maybe you were having second thoughts.”

“Alesha…”

“It’s okay. Really,” she rushed out. Almost too quickly and felt a little foolish.

“Alesha,” he said again, a little more firmly. She stopped talking and looked at him. “No second thoughts. I definitely want to take you out tonight.”

“Oh.” She blinked. “Then why were you just standing there? Why didn’t you come up to the door?”

He hesitated.

“I was nervous,” he finally admitted.

She stared at him. “Seriously?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

“You might not believe this, but…” He shrugged slightly. “I never forgot you. A lot of time has passed, and we’re not kids anymore. I just don’t want to do anything to mess this up. Ever since you said yes yesterday, I’ve been thinking about tonight. About you. And I’m really looking forward to getting to know you again.”

Her heart fluttered at his admission.

“Me too,” she said softly. “I felt a little guilty about leaving my dad alone after just getting here, but he seemed to love the idea of us reconnecting almost as much as I did.”

Reece visibly relaxed. “Oh. Okay. Good.”

“So…” she said with a small smile. “Are we good to go?”

“Absolutely.” He gestured toward his truck. “I probably should have borrowed my dad’s SUV. This is my work truck, but I promise it’s clean.”

“It’s fine. No worries.”

It was a big pickup, and he had to help her climb in, but once she was settled, it felt perfectly comfortable. When he slid into the driver’s seat beside her, she smiled.

“Are we still going to the resort?”

He nodded. “I made reservations at the restaurant. I thought afterward we could walk around and check out the holiday lights. There’s more to do during the day—or if you’re a guest staying longer—but for tonight it seemed like a good place to start.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

He pulled out of the driveway and headed down her father’s block. Alesha watched him for a moment as he drove, marveling at how easily the boy she'd once known had become the man now making her heart race. A soft sigh escaped her before she could stop it.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“I think I’m just feeling a little nostalgic being back in Harbortown,” she said. “I can’t believe I stayed away so long, but…my parents’ divorce wasn’t exactly amicable. My mom was openly hostile about coming here to visit my dad.”

“I always wondered why you never came back,” Reece said. “It’s been a long time.”