AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rainey
The ride to the restaurant was quiet—too quiet, and Rainey was beginning to rethink agreeing to going out on this date with Slater. Maybe he had changed his mind too, and that’s why he seemed so quiet and fidgety. If Slater didn’t want to go on with this date, he should have just said so.
She sat across from him in the back booth, in the corner of the restaurant. It was a lovely place, really. Probably one of the nicest she’d ever been too, especially in the last two years since losing her husband. In fact, this was the first date she had been on since losing Jack and now, she was overthinking ever since thing—including the massive spans of silence.
“Listen, Slater,” she almost whispered. He leaned across the table, and she found herself doing the same. “If you’ve changed your mind about going on this date with me, I’d understand. I’m sure that you have a better prospect, and they probably don’t have four kids under the age of seven waiting at home for them. I’m a lot to take on, I get it,” she said.
Slater leaned in just a bit more, and God, he smelled like heaven. He pulled her hand into his own, holding it across the table. “I haven’t changed my mind at all, Rainey. I happen to think that your four kids are pretty awesome little people,” he said.
She smiled and nodded. “They are, aren’t they?”
“Yep,” he agreed.
“If you don’t want to cancel, then why are you so quiet?” she asked. He was still holding her hand and she felt like a teenage girl whose older crush finally noticed her.
He shrugged, “Just nervous, I guess,” he said. “I haven’t been out on a date for some time now. And your sister didn’t seem very happy about the two of us going out on a date, you know?”
“Beck is just overprotective. I guess it works both ways because I gave Knox a bit of trouble when the two of them got together,” she said. When her sister told her that she was sleeping with her boss, Rainey wanted to slap her upside her head and ask her how she could be so foolish. Getting to know Knox had changed her mind and now that he was part of the family, Rainey couldn’t imagine her sister being with anyone else.
“I remember,” Slater said, a smile playing with the corner of his mouth. It was one of the things she found most endearing about the guy. Slater usually put on a tough guy routine for everyone, but around her, he took off his armor and showed her his softer side.
“Don’t tell your sister or Knox this, but it was kind of fun to watch him squirm. He’s used to being in charge of everything and your sister knocked him on his ass,” Slater said.
“Well, you shouldn’t worry about my sister, Slater. Knox seemed good with us going out and Beck just needs some time to calm down,” she said.
“Then maybe we should stay out a bit longer than we planned,” he said.
“I’m all for that,” she said. “We could go back to my place and watch a movie,” she offered. He pulled his hand free from hers and she instantly regretted her offer. “Or not,” she mumbled.
“Don’t you think that’s a little fast, Rain?” he asked. “I mean, this is our first date.”
“Aww—you’re old-fashioned,” she said. She liked that he was older than she was. Slater was hot as hell and him being old enough to be her father didn’t matter to her.
“Old maybe, but not old-fashioned. I just don’t want to push you into anything that you’re not ready for.” The waiter brought the food that Slater had ordered for them, and she dug in, essentially ignoring what he had just said. She was ready for so much more than Slater would ever know.
Rainey waited until they were finished their meal before she leaned across the table, not wanting to shout what she was about to say. “This is the first date that I’ve been on since I dated my husband. I’m not sure what the etiquette is here, but I’m ready for more than you might think Slater,” she said.
He leaned into the table, pulling her hand into his. “I don’t want to rush you, Rain. I can wait because I’m not planning on going anywhere,” he promised. She learned almost three years ago that promises like that weren’t easily kept.
“Slater, my husband promised me that he would come home after every deployment—until he didn’t. I learned that promises and planning don’t always work out the way we’d like them to. How about we agree to just see where this thing takes us? Can we do that?”
He rubbed his thumb over her hand and nodded. “I think that I can do that,” he agreed. “And I’d love to come back to your place to watch a movie, Rain,” he agreed.
“Good,” she said. “Because otherwise, I’ve enlisted my sister and Knox to watch the kids all night for nothing.” If she was being completely honest, she’d tell him that she was secretly planning for him to spend the night with her and that’s why she came up with the whole plan to have the kids spend the night with her sister. She wasn’t sure that Slater would go for her flat out asking him to spend the night but getting him to her house was a good first step in her plan.
“So, I’m the first guy you’ve been out with since your husband?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “When Jack died, I was pregnant with Ella. The very last thing that I wanted to do was date someone. Heck, I didn’t think that I’d ever find anyone I’d want to date again after we lost him. Jack and I might not have had the perfect marriage, but I loved him, you know?”
“I get that,” Slater said.
“Is it weird that I’m talking about my husband on our date?” she asked.
“A bit, but I don’t mind, really. He’s a part of you and your kids,” Slater said.
“You must be the sweetest man on the planet, Slater,” she gushed.
“Jesus,” he grumbled, “can you not go around saying shit like that, Rain. I have a reputation to uphold.” She giggled and he squeezed her hand. “Honestly, Rain,” he said. “I get the whole thing with your husband. My ex and I are still close, even though our marriage didn’t work out.”
