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The hostess turned, menus in hand and began walking toward our table. Grayson gently pushed me forward, unfreezing me from the shock of his words and the heat of him seeping through the thin fabric of my dress.
We walked through a door that led us back outside to a small patio with a few tables. It was surprisingly comfortable for late spring in south Texas and I was happy to take advantage of the beautiful night. A pergola overhead wrapped in beautiful vines and string lights just dim enough to see the stars through gave the illusion that we’d left the restaurant and were now dining in the middle of the woods. I couldn’t think of a more perfect setting for my date with Grayson.
The small table only had enough room for two and our knees brushed together when we sat down. I instinctively began to move away but Grayson’s warm hand landed on my thigh and he held me in place as he bracketed my legs with his own, effectively trapping me in place. He didn’t need to bother; I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Do you want something to drink?” the waiter asked kindly. A glass of wine was tempting but I wanted to make sure that I remembered every second of this night, I shook my head and decided to stick with my water.
Grayson did the same and when the waiter left, I braced myself for whatever questions he may ask. I’d been preparing myself all day to be as honest as I could be without dropping my entire history in his lap like a bomb ready to explode. Tonight, I didn’t want to be the damaged girl from the trailer park, I just wanted to be a woman enjoying her first date with a man that she really liked.
“How are things at the bakery?” My tense shoulders loosened, this was something I could answer easily.
“They’re great. We have more custom orders than we can handle most weeks and we just hired two girls from the high school that were looking for summer jobs. It should be a huge help and I’m really looking forward to showing them the ins and outs of a bakery.”
“Is teaching others how to bake something you’re interested in?” His thumb stroked gently back and forth on my thigh as he listened to me. The movement was small but incredibly distracting.
“I’ve never really thought about it to be honest. But it’s always exciting to share something you’re passionate about with someone who is interested in learning. Even though Benji and I work together, I know he gets tired of hearing me wax poetically about different icing tips and the designs they can make.”
Grayson’s smile was warm, his gaze never leaving me when the waiter returned to take our orders. He was engaged in what I was saying, genuinely wanting to listen to what I had to say.
“What about you, have you always wanted to have your own private security firm?” I asked once we were alone again.
“As a kid I wanted to grow up and be a G.I. Joe which turned into me wanting to be a Marine. I thought I’d spend the rest of my career with them but then Daisy came along and for the first time I found myself wanting something more than the uniform. The thought of spending months at a time away from her made me physically sick. I told Kane my plans to stay home for good and he was all in with me, no questions asked. We sat down and made a list of jobs we could do with the skills we’d gained and Falls Security was born.”
“You kind of did grow up to be a G.I. Joe,” I teased, causing the tips of his ears to turn pink. Who would have thought that Grayson could blush? “I find it really admirable what you’ve built while taking care of Daisy on your own.”
“I can’t take all the credit; I’ve had a lot of help on both fronts. Kane likes to pretend like I’m the boss but we’re equal partners and he does just as much work as I do. The asshole just sticks me with all the face-to-face meetings so he doesn’t have to deal with clients.”
I’m also pretty lucky that if Daisy is ever out of school or gets sick and needs to go to the doctor, I can usually take her myself. If not, my parents or Winnie can. They’ve been there for us since the beginning.”
We paused our conversation as our meals were delivered and we took our first bites. Jo had described all her first dates as awkward and uncomfortable; I was worried I’d be too anxious to even eat. But the ribeye and garlic mashed potatoes I’d ordered smelled too good to pass up.
“I know the bakery keeps you busy but what do you like to do in your free time?”
His question brought back the memory of Jo setting up my dating profile on Spark. I’d honestly forgotten all about it considering moments later Grayson was taking up every bit of space in my mind. I’d need to see if I could find the login information she’d sent me so that I could delete my profile. It didn’t feel right having a dating app now that Grayson and I were something more.
“Lily?” I must have been thinking longer than intended because Grayson was looking at me with concern.
I smiled at him to ease his worry. “I like to read mostly. Sundays are the only days we’re closed and I tend to spend at least part of the day curled up on my couch enjoying whatever books are in my TBR pile. I can’t imagine you have a lot of time for things like hobbies.”
“You’d be right about that. Having an active five-year-old doesn’t give me a lot of quiet time. I spend a few hours in our gym each week, working out or sparring with the team.” He laughed as I scrunched my face in distaste. The thought of working out as a hobby sounded awful.
“I know, I know, I sound like a boring jock but in my defense, I have to keep this dad-bod in check and your cupcakes are not helping the situation.” He pointed his fork at me in accusation.
“Um, I think you’re good.” My eyes swept what I could see of his body and every inch of him was defined muscle. His knowing smirk had me rolling my eyes and I bumped him with my shoulder, making him laugh again.
“I probably should try out some new hobbies. Daisy is going to be spending the first part of the summer traveling with her grandparents and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with all the free time on my hands.” His eyes dropped to the table, clearly upset at the thought.
I knew firsthand how lonely it could be coming home to an empty house each night. Eating dinner alone and turning on the television to drown out the silence. He looked so upset, I wanted nothing more than to help him push aside his worries, at least for tonight.
“Ms. Anna gives quilting lessons at the community center on Monday nights.” My suggestion had the gloominess disappearing as his smile returned.
“Interesting, and do you attend these lessons?”
“She comes by the bakery to pick up cookies for the group and I’m honestly running out of excuses of why I can’t come. I think it’s all a ploy to talk up her grandson because she’s been trying to give me his number for the last month. She even slid it in between the cash once, Benji found it in the register when we closed up that night.”
“I went to school with her grandson and trust me, you are dodging a bullet there. Let me know the next time she comes in and I’ll make sure she knows you’re off the market.” His fingers returned to my thigh and my lusty brain took a minute to comprehend his words.
The waiter returned to clear our plates, asking if we would like dessert, both of us shaking our head at the offer. Everything up to this point had been easy, I had no idea what came next but I was eager to find out. This may be our first date but Grayson and I had already been intimate on more than one occasion and now I was wondering if we’d take the next step.
