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Lucas stepped back just as the door opened.
“Mr. Keagan. We’ve been waiting for you. Come in.” Ella’s father pulled the door wider and motioned for him to enter.
It was too late to chicken out, but as Lucas stepped over the threshold, he realized something profound.
He wanted to see where this relationship could lead. Like he’d told his brother, he was willing to take the risk.
16
Ella
“Oh my gosh! How long did you have to talk to my dad for?” Ella glanced backward toward the house, the blush still scorching her cheeks. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t ready.”
Lucas slipped his hand into hers. It was the most foreign thing she’d ever experienced in her life. She glanced down at where he held her and then back to his face just as they made it to his truck. He chuckled, opened the door for her, then helped her into her seat. “Surprisingly, it wasn’t the worst talk I’ve had with a father.”
She didn’t know whether to be amused, relieved, or disappointed. Just that statement alone was enough to remind her how many women he’d dated in the past. She was probably one of hundreds. Lucas reached across her lap and picked up a bouquet of roses from the middle seat she hadn’t even noticed. He handed them to her with a flourish and then shut the doorbefore she had a chance to react. In no time he was in the driver’s seat, and they were on the road.
The roses were beautiful. Not a petal was out of place, and they smelled divine. She lifted the flowers to her nose and breathed deeply, then glanced in his direction. Lucas really knew how to make a good first impression.
Ella fidgeted, not sure where to take the conversation next. If she asked him about the other chats he mentioned, then she could come off as being a little obsessive. For the life of her, she couldn’t come up with something else to say. She didn’t want to be the person who wasn’t able to ignore his past experiences.
Lucas glanced in her direction and flashed a smile. “Really, it’s no big deal. I wasn’t bothered by it. Your dad loves you, and I’m… well, I’m not exactly the kind of guy he’d probably want you to date.”
“Why not?” she blurted. “You’re a hardworking cowboy in a town that needed a volunteer, and you filled that role.”
His side-eyed stare almost forced her to look away, but she stayed focused.
“It doesn’t matter if you signed up to impress someone. You still signed up and you stayed. I think that makes you just as good as any other guy.”
Lucas grinned. “Well, I suppose that’s all that matters then.” He held out his hand and she stared at it, unsure. Then he laughed. “I’d like to hold your hand if that’s okay.”
Her eyes darted up to meet his. This wasn’t something she was used to at all—not on the first date, at least. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Lucas was the kind of guy who seemed to prefer this kind of contact.
And she couldn’t deny that it made her feel important. Lucas wanted to be near her. Could it get any better?
Their hands clasped together firmly, and she set her eyes on the road ahead. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m the one who asked you out, aren’t I?”
“Sure.”
“So, I should be able to plan what we’re going to do on our date. That’s the way things are supposed to go.”
“I suppose.”
He flashed his charming grin in her direction, and she could have swooned right there. She hated to admit that she had wondered what it would be like to go out with a guy like Lucas—a guy who had so much experience in wooing women, and it appeared she wasn’t going to be disappointed. He was pulling out all the stops, and she couldn’t wait to see what he had planned.
They drove longer than she expected, and only when they left Copper Creek city limits did she understand this wasn’t going to be just some date. They were heading out to somewhere special.
“And you’re really not going to tell me where we’re going.”
He shook his head. “Stop being so bossy. This is my territory. You can boss me around when we get back to work on Monday.”
She snickered. “Fair enough.”
