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"Instinct, I guess."
"So, what are we doing here then? You asked me to dinner, and you brought me to your house. What am I supposed to think, Orrin?" She sounds upset, and that's just not going to work for me.
Pulling into my driveway, I put the truck in Park, kill the engine and turn to face her. "That's not what tonight is about, Jade. I promise you that. I wanted this night to be special. We only get one first date, and I wanted you all to myself. With my brothers’ help, and that includes Deacon, this is what we came up with. I'll show you, and if you want to leave, I promise you, sweetheart, I will take you anywhere you want to go if you don't feel comfortable here." I take a deep breath, waiting for her reply.
She's quiet for way longer than my poor racing heart can take when she finally says, "Show me."
“Jade?” I wait for her to look at me. “You have my word. At any time if you want to leave, you tell me, and we’ll go. No questions asked. No pressure to stay. You control this. Okay?”
She nods. “Okay.”
“Wait for me.” I point to where her hand is on the door handle. “When you’re with me, I take care of you. That means I open your door.” She sits back in her seat and drops her hand. Satisfied, I grab my keys and phone, shoving both in my pocket as I walk to her door to open it for her.
Pulling open her door, I smile and offer her my hand. She takes it and climbs out of my truck. I link our fingers together and lead her to the front door. Thanks to keyless entry, I type in my code, and the lock releases, allowing me to push open the door, and guide her inside.
“You can set your things wherever. We’re going to be outside in the backyard.”
“Okay.” She drops her purse to the coffee table but keeps her phone in her hand.
“This way.” Once again, I place my palm on the small of her back and lead her toward the patio door. “Sterling texted me when I got to your place telling me they were done.”
“The anticipation is killing me,” she says, smiling over at me.
Relief washes over me that she seems to feel relaxed here. I know this was a risk, but I’m hoping that it pays off. “Remember, at any point in the night, if you want to go, we can. I’m not saying that because I don’t want you here. I want you to stay always, but I also want you to be comfortable.”
“Thank you.” She peers up at me under long lashes, and all I want to do is kiss the hell out of her.
Keeping myself in check, I open the patio door, and we step outside. It’s hot but not unbearably so. As soon as the sun starts to set, it might cool down, but that’s okay. I have a fan and blankets. At least I’m supposed to have them. That was Rushton’s job.
“What is all of this?” Jade asks, her eyes scanning my backyard.
“Well, it’s movie night. I thought about going to the theater, but I really just wanted to spend time with you. I wanted to be able to talk if we wanted to so we could get to know each other better, and I didn’t feel like getting shushed at the theater all night long. So, we have our own screen and projector. That was Declan and Deacon’s job.”
“You gave Deacon and all of your brothers jobs for our date night?” She’s shaking her head.
“Damn right I did. We did some major planning and work to pull this off tonight.”
“It’s perfect. Thank you, Orrin.”
The smile she gives me lights up her face and sets my heart into a gallop. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re here.”
“So tell me about all of this.” She waves at the setup in my backyard. “Who helped with what?”
“So you already know that Declan and Deacon teamed up for the outdoor movie screen and projector. Rush was in charge of the blankets and pillows. Brooks was in charge of drinks, and we have wine, beer, and water in the cooler.” I pause, letting all that sink in. “Sterling was in charge of food. We have chicken salad sandwiches, which Piper said were your favorite.” I wink, and she nods, her cheeks turning pink. “Fresh fruit, chips, and chocolate chip cookies, which are homemade by me if you count opening up the pack and placing the little squares on the cookie sheet.” I flash her a cheesy grin. “And I basically helped them all make sure everything was perfect. I could have done it all myself, but my brothers wanted to help, and honestly, it was nice to have them here with me.” I shrug at my confession. However, it’s the truth. My brothers have my back always, just like I have theirs. Them being here kept me from overthinking my choice to bring her here.
