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Adrian’s eyes twinkle. “Notyet.”

Pacing in the living room, I check my watch. “Hurry up, Sam!” I yell.

“Coming!” Her faint voice calls back from her room upstairs.

“You’re not even the one getting dressed for a date! What’s taking you so long?” I holler again.

Sam appears at the top of the stairs and jogs her way down. “I was getting a couple of things ready for Jason tonight.” She holds up a deck of cards.

“Please don’t teach the kid Texas Hold’em. Danae will never see me again if she comes home from our date to find Jason dealing poker hands,” I say.

Sam walks over to me and pinches my cheeks. “Don’t worry, I’d never do anything to ruin your shot with Danae.”

“Knock it off.” Smacking her hands away, I smooth down my beard.

She smiles at me, a genuine smile instead of her sassy smirk. “The beard trim looks good. As does the suit. Knocking her dead is your strategy, huh?”

“My only strategic move for tonight is taking her somewhere we won’t get the overblown attention she witnessed at the bookstore. I want time to talk and really get to know her better without all the distraction. To try and figure out what it is about her that I’m so drawn to,” I say.

Sam smirks. “You really don’t know why you’re so enthralled by her?”

I quirk an eyebrow. “What, like you do?”

She huffs a laugh. “Of course, I do. But I’ve always known you better than you know yourself. I’m gonna give you a little time to try and figure it out on your own.”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t do anything to ruin my shot? Why not clue me in?” I grumble. Sam shakes her head. Her antagonism is making me antsy. And I was already infinitely more nervous for this date than any past date, ever. My nerves are on par with my first game back after rehabbing my injury. I subconsciously reach up to massage my left shoulder, even though it feels fine.

Sam’s hand squeezes mine on my shoulder, calling my attention to her eyes, which are warm, not teasing. “Stop worrying. I think this is a good match for you. Danae’s a real one.”

“I know. I think that’s what’s making it more nerve-wracking,” I admit. She gives me a sympathetic look. “Let’s go.”

Chapter fifteen

Danae

“This is ridiculous. Why did I agree to do this? There’s no chance of this relationship lasting or going anywhere, so why in the world did I think a date would be an okay idea? The risks far outweigh the positives. What was I thinking? I need to call and cancel.” I’m ranting to Kara on the phone, not pausing for even a millisecond to allow her to respond.

“Stop it, Danae,” she says. “Give your poor carpet a break and stop pacing.”

I halt mid-step, offended by her accurate knowledge of my actions.

“You arenotcanceling this date. You will go out to dinner and have a good time getting to know a nice guy who is interested in you,” Kara states.

I scoff. “A nice guywho’s a professional baseball player,” I emphasize.

“So what?”

“I hate baseball. If I’m going to be in a relationship, I need a steady, reliable man. Now more than ever. A pro athlete constantly flitting across the country doesn’t exactly fit that bill,” I say.

I hear Kara’s eye roll. “Stop regurgitating all the cons that you already considered and countered with pros. You said yes to this date after thorough self-examination. This is your classic round of second-guessing yourself. You’re spiraling, and you need to get a grip!”Kara says. “Besides, it’s not like he’s flitting around the country all carefree for no good reason. It’s his job. With a set schedule and reliable income. That’s stable.”

Huffing a breath through my nose, I process before quietly responding. “This doesn’t make sense. Dating a professional baseball player doesn’t fit into any of the possible life plans I’ve mapped out for Jason and me. I’m blaming Samantha for muddling my good sense with her friendship and connection with Jason. I never should have said yes to this. It’s too risky.”

Kara’s quiet for a beat before responding. “Maybe that’swhyyou said yes, Danae. Maybe your subconscious knew you needed to take a little risk, to step outside the box of what’s safe. I mean, heck, adopting a child out of foster care as a single woman isn’t exactly a ‘stable and secure’ move. Maybe this date with Griffin is precisely what your inner self knows you really need.”

I catch myself picking at the clear nail polish on my thumb.Drat. I was trying to leave that intact for one night.

“Besides—it’s one date. You’re not saying yes to a lifetime by going out to dinner, you know,” Kara adds. It’s the trump card to my objections, and I know she’s won.