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“Yes, sir.” She buckled her belt and then put a hand on his thigh. “I feel like it’s a real first date. I’m actually nervous.”
He laughed. “I shouldn’t admit this. But I am too.”
When J.T. turned into the driveway to his trailer, Joey looked at him. “Why are we going to your trailer?”
“I need to pick something up.” He parked in front of the trailer and opened his door. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
He came back to the truck a few minutes later with an insulated tote. He handed it to her. “Hold on to that.” He started the truck, but instead of heading back for the road, he continued past the house and through a stand of trees. On the other side of the trees was his house, which now had walls and a roof.
“You have walls.”
“I do.”
“Why are we here?”
He got out and went around the truck to open her door. “Welcome toChezO’Connell.”
She laughed. “We’re eating here?”
“Yes. It was really tough getting a reservation. But I have a connection. I actually know the owner.”
“How lucky for us.”
He took the tote from her, then took her hand. They went up the porch steps, then circled the house to the back side of it. The back deck was finished and there was a table with two chairs set up for dinner with candles and a bottle of wine. There were twinkle lights wrapped around the railing and a fire in a small fire pit.
“Oh my gosh, J.T.”
“Is the fire too much? It’s too warm, right?”
“It’s perfect. Beautiful.” She put her arms around him. “And I think you just might get lucky tonight.”
“On our first date?”
“It’s highly possible.”
He kissed her, then took the tote to the table and removed a casserole dish and a loaf of bread, then set them both in the middle of the table.
She smiled. “Aunt Genny’s lasagna?”
“It’s the O’Connell go-to special occasion meal.” He pulled a chair out for her. “Have a seat.”
She sat, and he took the other chair, then filled the two wine glasses. He raised his, and she did the same. “To first dates.”
They both took a sip, then she set her glass down. “Since when do you drink wine?”
“Since I started going out on dates with my high school sweetheart.”
“Is that your first glass, then? Or do you have another high school sweetheart I don’t know about?”
“You’re the one and only. And yes, this is my first, and probably last, bottle of wine.”
“You can drink a beer if you want.”
He nodded toward an ice chest. “I was hoping you’d say that. But I’ll drink this glass of wine first.”
“After dinner will you give me a tour of your house?”
“Yes. But first, lasagna.”
