Page 47

I snorted. “Cool is about the furthest thing from how I feel. I need all the help I can get.”
Mara hooked her purse around her shoulder. “So not true. Tyler’s not going to know what hit him.”
I smiled, following them out of my room to the living room. But our quick exit quickly turned into my mom and grandma squealing about my outfit and hair and how excited they were that I was going out with Tyler.
Tears shone in my grandma’s eyes, and she put her hand to her mouth. “I remember going on my first date with your grandpa. I wore a dress my mama made for me—little pink and blue flowers on the fabric. He took me to a barn dance out in the country, and we spent the whole night dancing with each other.”
Mara asked, “How old were you?”
“Seventeen,” Grandma answered, her eyes in her memories. “He borrowed his daddy’s car to drive me. We thought we were styling.”
The doorbell rang, jerking us out of memory lane. I glanced at my watch and said, “Crap! He’s ten minutes early!”
Mom nodded approvingly. “That’s the sign of a good man.”
“Or an eager one,” Mara said with a wink.
I would have laughed if I wasn’t so panicked. “He’s going to think I’m pathetic if he sees everyone in here! Go hide!”
Grandma raised her eyebrows. “I ain’t about to hide behind no couch.”
“Please? Just until he gets me to his truck?”
Mom had an amused smile on her lips. “Come on, everyone. We can go out back. I want to show you my verbena.”
I waited until they were all safely in the backyard to walk to the front door. I placed my hand on the knob, knowing minutes had already passed since he rang the bell, but I took my time, allowing myself a deep breath.
I’d gotten my associate degree, worked as a professional for eight years... I could do this. I could go on a date with Tyler Griffen.
I opened the door, and the sight of him standing there took my breath away. He held a full bouquet of purple blooms of all kinds, interspersed by greenery and baby’s breath. So tasteful and beautiful.
I covered my mouth with my hand, never expecting this. “These are beautiful, Tyler. Are they for me?”
“Unless you know another Henrietta,” he said, a teasing smile on his lips.
He held the flowers out for me, and I breathed in the floral scents. Regardless of how things ended, I wanted to remember this moment when I was my grandma’s age. I wanted to reminisce on the fact that this handsome man had thought of me, cared for me, in a way that was so unexpected, so wholesome.
“I’ll get a vase for these,” I said.
Tyler chuckled, pointing toward the back window just in time for me to see Grandma hide again. “Looks like you’ll have some help.”
My cheeks felt hot as I set the bouquet on the counter. “I’ll let them take care of these.”
He walked beside me out the door and down the sidewalk, his hand resting gently on my middle back, reminding me he was there but not suggesting any more. I liked it, especially mingled with the smell of his cologne and the fresh sunshine-filled air.
He opened the door for me, helping me in, and then when we were on the road, I asked the question. “Where are we going?”
Glancing my way, he replied, “Not too much longer until you find out.”
I watched out the window, practically vibrating with excitement. I was on a date. With Tyler Griffen. The cute contractor with a smile that could replace the sun, muscled arms that would make any woman drool, a laugh that melted my insides, and enough ink to make him interesting without scaring off my parents. How could this be my life?
“What?” he asked, smiling my way.
“Nothing. This just doesn’t feel real,” I admitted.
And just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better, he reached across the center seat, sliding his fingers through mine. “I feel the same way.”
I stared at our intertwined fingers, my skin dark against his pale. There were a few freckles on the back of his hand, and a small bit of hair on his fingers. This was a masculine hand, one that spent hours on hard labor. But the tender way he held me... this man was full of so many surprises.