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“Conditionally, yes.” She raised a finger. “First, your brother must agree that it is okay and that I won’t lose my job if we break up.” He nodded so she went on. “Second, you have to know that nothing will stop me from building the career I want. I will own a bakery someday. I love cooking, but my passion is teas and baking. You’re addicted to my cupcakes and muffins, you know how talented I am. Third, you tell your mother that we were faking and that we are now actually dating.”
“Yes, to all of that.” He said, drawing her into a hug. “Is that it?”
“Probably not. I’m sure there is something I’m forgetting.”
“Again,” he said seriously. “I accept your conditions, and those that come. But in exchange, you have to try not to compare me to your ex.”
“Done,” she agreed happily.
“Heather Olsen, can I take you out for dinner? An official date. My treat.”
“Yes, you may.” She was halfway into the car when another condition popped into her mind. “One more condition.”
“Okay,” he said, caution squelched his previous happy tone.
“When that danged phone rings or bings, if it isn’t an emergency, you let it go. You let whoever is on the other end know that you’re busy and will get back to them. I deserve to be the center of your attention.” It was a hard stance. One that was likely to end their newfound agreement, but it meant a lot to her. After he dumped her at The Crab Shack, she understood that she would always come second, never first. If it stayed that way, she wasn’t interested in going forward.
She fully understood animal emergencies, and actual family emergencies. But to rush off because his mother needed baking soda was ridiculous.
“I can promise you that I’ll try.” He smiled hopefully.
She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Was that good enough? “You get three warnings. Three screwups and we’re done. Got it?”
He winced. “I can live with that. I swear,” he crossed his heart and offered his pinky finger over the car, “I swear I’ll do my best to put you first.”
“Except in actual emergencies. And Lexi needing ice cream is not an emergency. Nor is Ella’s need for a ride to her friend’s house. Nor is your mother needing her garden watered.” She listed the three most irksome interruptions she had endured.
His smile went straight to her toes. “It’s hard to deny them. They’re my family and my responsibility.”
“With the exception of Ella, who has other uncles and parents to do her bidding, they’re all adults capable of solving their own problems and running their own lives,” Heather reminded him.
“True.”
She waited because his expression said he was mulling the idea over.
“I agree to decline all non-emergencies,” he said. “I made reservations. Shall we go before we lose them?”
“Thank you.” She slid in and buckled her seatbelt. “Yes, please. I’m hungry. Where are we headed?” she asked.
“You have to wait and see.” He smirked. He drove the short distance to town and pulled into the grocery store parking lot.
“Really?” She raised one eyebrow.
He laughed. “Don’t be silly.” He held out a scarf. “Blindfold yourself. I want this to be a surprise.”
She squinted at him. “This is pretty odd for a fake date.”
“Okay, I had a plan to take you to dinner and ask if we could stop faking. I still have a plan. Cover your eyes and play along. I promise not to hurt you.”
“Okay?” She bound her eyes with the silk scarf and wondered what a bachelor was doing with a wild rose print scarf. Funny, it exactly matched the pink in her dress and in her favorite sweater. The silk was cool and slippery as it whispered against her skin. It reminded her of his fingers on her face.
“I love that you’re being a good sport.”
Her heart tripped into overtime when he said love.Calm down. He doesn’t mean you. You and your attitude are two different things.“I try to be accommodating.” She straightened the scarf. “Okay. Ready.”
The car backed up, turned, and moved forward. She tried to listen for sounds that might give her a clue where they were headed. They turned right. Left. Right again. They went straight for several minutes and took a few more turns. He flipped on the radio, distracting her from thinking about their route. For a long time, they didn’t change directions except for small swerves.
“We’re on the highway,” she exclaimed.
