AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My insides froze as a flush hit Hardin’s cheeks. She clearly hadn’t been expecting Hazel to drop that little nugget, but now that she had, it was the only thing spinning around in my brain.
“You have a date?” I asked, my voice sounding more hoarse than normal. It felt like I’d swallowed sandpaper, my throat was so damn dry.
She slowly rose to her full height. “Um, yeah. Saturday night.”
“With that guy from the party?” Christ, I hated that fucking guy. “You really think it’s smart to go out with a man you don’t really know?”
Her jaw ticked with how hard she was grinding her teeth, and I had no doubt that if we didn’t have tiny ears all around, she’d rip right into me. “Silas was a really nice guy. Asher and a bunch of women from the club all vouched for him. I’m excited.”
And I’d rained on her parade because I was an asshole. I couldn’t seem to help myself. I was losing my goddamn mind. That was the only explanation I could come up with.
“What about Wednesday?” I blurted. “That’s my next shift. I can give you guys the private tour then.” If that Silas jackoff was going to get some personal time with her, I wanted a couple hours of my own, damn it.
“Oh, um...” She was looking for a way to shoot me down. She’d been avoiding me for days, and if I were being honest with myself, it was starting to grate on my nerves. “I don’t know—”
“Please. Please. Pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top?” Hazel begged while I kept my gaze locked tight to hers, holding it hostage and refusing to let her look away.
“Yeah, Hard. Pretty please?” I challenged.
Her eyes narrowed infinitesimally with a scowl she was trying to hold back in front of the kids. “Okay, fine. Wednesday.”
I let my smile loose then, feeling like I’d won a battle.
12
HARDIN
“Maybe this was a mistake,” I said as I stood in front of the mirror, examining myself from every angle. “Honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready to date.”
Asher brought her face as close to the screen as possible. She’d FaceTimed earlier as I was getting ready for my date with Silas and insisted I keep her on the phone as I went through my wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear.
My phone was currently propped on my dresser by a couple books and a perfume bottle so she could get a full picture.
“If you bail on this date, I swear, I’m going to murder you so hard there won’t be a body for anyone to find.”
“Just the pep talk she needs, baby,” I heard my brother tell her in the background. “You’re doing great.”
She threw a killing look at Owen off the screen that promised he’d have hell to pay as soon as she got off the call.
“Seriously, Ash,” I said in a quieter voice so my dipshit big brother couldn’t overhear. I picked up the phone and moved to my bed, plopping down on the edge of the mattress. “I’m not so sure about this. I haven’t dated in... God, it’s humiliating to think of how long it’s been. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. What if I make an ass of myself?”
She shrugged simply. “Then you make an ass of yourself.”
I gave her a deadpan look. “Owen was right. You suck at this.”
Her laughter carried through the phone and into my bedroom. “What I mean is, you shouldn’t worry about stuff like that. If you spend all your time freaking out over making an ass of yourself, you aren’t leaving any room for fun. If you’re so focused on the negative, the positive is going to pass you right by. Averyhandsome man chatted you up at a party and liked what he learned about you enough to ask you on a date. That’s a positive, babe. Another positive, he’s taking you to The Groves.” She bugged her eyes out exaggeratedly.
I had to admit, I was pretty excited about that myself. The Groves was one town over and the absolute best steakhouse in the area, if not the state. The food melted in your mouth, the ambiance was classy as hell, and the restaurant itself was absolutely beautiful. Built to look like a log cabin, it was tucked into the foothills, surrounded by trees so tall they kissed the sky. Twinkle lights, gas lanterns and candles made what would seem rustic a downright romantic vibe.
It was pricey as hell and worth every penny. Not the type of place you’d go on a whim, but usually designated for a date or a special occasion. We’d celebrated Owen’s last birthday there, and I was dying for another melt-in-your-mouth steak ever since.
Asher’s little pep talk was starting to work, and I felt myself relaxing bit by bit. She was right, Silas was a great guy. Just because he didn’t elicit the same reaction in me as, say Ford, didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. I just needed to give the man a chance.
And if nothing else, I had to admit it felt good to have a reason to get all dolled up. It had been so long since I’d taken time on my hair and makeup and worn something that was chosen for fashion as opposed to function.
I’d managed to step out of my comfort zone while still comfortable in a pair of black high-waisted faux leather shorts with a sash belt I’d paired with a tucked-in white blouse. The shorts were stylish, but the loose fit managed to hide the skin on my stomach that was loose from pregnancy while nipping in enough at the waist to show I had curves. Best part, they hadpockets,the main selling point for me.
I cuffed the long sleeves of my shirt to show off the silvery bracelets layered on my wrists and added a pair of strappy stilettos Asher had given me for Christmas. I’d fallen inlovewith the sandals, but this was the first time I had a reason to wear them outside of prancing around in my house with a glass of wine simply to feel feminine.
