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He froze. Wait. He hadn’t meant to say that. His lawyer was going to be furious with him. The paperwork wasn’t set in stone. Grant didn’t have full custody yet. They were still working out the details. He needed to play nice.
A lump formed in his throat.
That wasn’t good.
Nope, not good at all.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Why had she done it?
What was she thinking when she accepted Grant’s invitation to go on a date? This had to be the worst decision she’d made since she willingly agreed to come work in Rocky Ridge. If it weren’t for that mistake, she wouldn’t even be pacing her front room waiting for Grant to pick her up.
Bella went over their last conversation in her head several times. She was still reeling from the fact that he’d told her he was attracted to her. He’d been so upfront about it that she hadn’t had time to think of anything to say but that she wanted to go.
Her stomach churned and she placed her hand over it to quell the motion. She couldn’t get sick. Not now. Grant would be showing up at any second and as nervous as she was, she didn’t want to miss out on this date even one bit.
Lights flashed through the darkened window, and she hurried to peer through the blinds. His new truck pulled into the driveway. She couldn’t see Grant until he stepped out, but when he did, her heart did several more flips.
Grant cleaned up nice—not that he wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous as it was—but wearing dress pants and a jacket he looked comfortable and at ease. A man who was at home in jeans or a suit was a dream boat.
He ducked down to look at himself in the side mirror and glanced toward the house. Bella released the blinds and stepped back.
It would be fine. This was just a date. They’d spent enough time together for her to be comfortable with him. A date shouldn’t make any difference.
Even as she thought it, she knew she was wrong. This was very different. This was a man she was attracted to who had admitted he felt the same way. There were so many ways the night could end, and she was finding it hard to be centered.
The knock at the door spurred a quiet yelp from her chest. Bella took a deep breath and let it out slowly then she opened the door and smiled.
Grant’s gaze swept over her appreciatively—he wasn’t even trying to hide it. Bella blushed, undoubtedly matching the rose color of her dress.
She motioned toward him. “You look nice.”
“Not as nice as you,” Grant held out his hand and she took it only for him to spin her around. “You look amazing,” he murmured close to her ear as he drew her near. If music had been playing, she might have thought he was going to pull her into a dip.
The pulse in her throat fluttered wildly as she stepped back. “Thank you.”
He opened the door for her and they drove with only the music playing to fill the quiet. As strange as it was for her to be on a date, she thought it might be just as weird for him. He’d been married before. He had a kid. There were probably certain expectations for him.
No, she wasn’t going to let herself get in her head. This was supposed to be a nice night out and she was going to enjoy every last second.
They arrived at the Grand Mountain Lodge and were seated in a booth away from most of the other guests. The secluded, private area made it feel ten times more intimate than if they’d been at a typical table. She nearly asked him if there was a reason for their seating arrangement, but thought better of it. There was likely no reason save for this was an open table.
Grant stared at her from across the table, causing her to fidget even more. She had a hard time meeting his eyes and chose instead to go over the menu. Unfortunately, as soon as they’d ordered, she no longer had it to keep her distracted.
“I’m glad you came out with me.” Grant spoke first.
“Me too,” she said softly.
“You have no idea how nice it has been to have someone on my side for once. Being here, in Rocky Ridge, it’s tough to know where I belong. I feel like everyone here has been here for ages.”
She smiled, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “I understand completely. I’ve only been here for six months. It takes some getting used to, for sure.”
“Yeah.” Grant leaned back with a sigh. “I still can’t wrap my head around Dee wanting to stay here. She hated her family when we were together…” His voice trailed off. “I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t be talking about her.”
Bella lifted a shoulder and dropped it. “Honestly? I don’t mind. That was a part of your life. You should be able to relive the things that bring you joy without fear of judgment.”
Even as she said it, she disagreed. Of course she cared. No one wanted to hear about an ex. Bella picked up her spoon and fiddled with it, wondering even more if this was a mistake.
