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His eyebrows shot up to the middle of his forehead. Again, she was tempted to laugh, but she didn’t. She hadn’t meant to shock him. Then, she wasn’t sure where the words came from, but she said, “Maybe a different night?”

“Thursday?” he suggested immediately.

“Okay.” The word was out of her mouth before she realized what she was even saying.

She’d just agreed to go out on a date with Dwight. After turning him down at least six or seven times, she’d actually said yes. He looked like he was about as surprised as she was.

“Seven okay?”

She nodded, still unable to believe that she had said yes. Was she making a big mistake?

He’d done a lot of talking about himself and been what she considered a show-off. But she had a feeling maybe her friends were right. Maybe he was just trying to catch her eye.

To her surprise, he reached around and opened her car door. She hadn’t been expecting such a gallant gesture. It took her a moment before she smiled and said, “Thank you,” as she got in.

Maybe their date would turn out better than either one of them thought.

Chapter 3

Continuing to learn and grow together. - Kimberly, Harbour, CA

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“SHE SAID YES.”

Dwight could hardly contain his excitement. The feeling that he wanted to dance around the parking lot. He hadn’t even pulled out before he called his best friend, Bryce Shaker. Knowing Bryce would celebrate with him. Bryce knew about every rejection, and Dwight knew Bryce was pulling for him. Even if the Piece Makers weren’t.

“Wow, how did you get her to do that?” Bryce said, not needing to ask who in the world he was talking about. Like a good friend, he knew.

“I helped with the auction and chatted with her in the parking lot. When I asked, she said yes.”

He did not usually call his buddies and talk about girls, but Orchid was special.

With his phone on speaker, he pulled out of the auction, going in the opposite direction that Orchid had. Some part of him had wanted to follow her, to make sure she got home okay. Not in a stalker kind of way, but in a way that he was just concerned about her and wanted to protect her. A perfectly natural thing for him to do.

“Maybe you won’t need the Piece Makers, then.” Bryce’s calm voice came over the line, saying exactly what Dwight had been thinking.