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“Chuck Norris himself couldn’t steal me from you.”
I stop her when we get to the car, palming her cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
She gives me the cutest smile and shrug before I help her into the car and shut the door. I point the car toward Rizzo’s, the finest restaurant in town. Luckily, they’ve always been friendly to football players since the owner is an alumnus.
Though it’s November, the town is already prepping for Christmas. Twinkling lights on every lamppost make the drive down Main Street almost magical.
“Are you going home for Thanksgiving?”
Charley looks at me, then back out the window. “Yeah. We don’t usually make a big deal out of it, though.”
“No? My family does. All my cousins will be there. There’s always too much food and pie and who knows what.”
“That sounds nice,” she says wistfully. “Big family?”
“Very. Younger sister, then there are my aunts, uncles, cousins. My grandparents’ house can barely fit all of us, but that’s part of the fun. They still make me sit at the little kids’ table, which is actually more like the twenty-somethings’ table. Most of my cousins are my age.”
“I love that. Our family is…small. Really small.”
We pull into the parking lot of Rizzo’s, and I grab her hand. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look? Because you do.”
“You look really handsome, too, Cade.” She turns in her seat and places a hand on my shirt. “You clean up nice. But then again, you look good in everything you wear. Your tight football pants, regular clothes, dress-up clothes…nothing.” The corners of her mouth quirk.
“Me? You should see you through my eyes.”
She holds my gaze, and my heart stutters. I fish around in my pocket, bringing out the little box with her present in it. I was going to wait to do this, but I’ve never been patient and this moment feels right. “I got you something.”
“What?” she asks, peering down at the small blue velvet box. She presses her lips together and tears gather at the corner of her eyes.
“Don’t…freak out. It’s something stupid. Something I’ve always wanted to do when I found the perfect girl.”
“I didn’t get you anything.”
“I didn’t expect you to.”
“Cade, I…”
She looks away, and a single tear falls down her cheek. “Hey.” I reach out to wipe it. “I didn’t mean to make you cry. It’s really no big deal.”
“I can’t get you anything,” she says again.
“I don’t want you to. Sunshine,” I make her look at me, moving her chin so she can see the honesty in my eyes, “I don’t need anything from you except you.”
She places her hand in mine, and I flip it over, palm up and spread her fingers before placing the box there.
“Open it.”
With shaking fingers, she lifts the top. I watch her face, seeing in real time when her lips part. She smiles at me. “It’s your number.”
I take the box, delicately pulling the necklace out of its holder. “I thought it would be perfect for you to wear on our first official date. And…to make it official… Will you be my girlfriend?”
“You told me it wasn’t a big deal.”
“I may have downplayed it because you were getting in your head.” I hold the necklace out, the number seventeen winking in the interior light. “This has been my number since middle school when we could choose our own numbers. I’ve worn it on my chest proudly, and I wondered if you might want to wear it, too?”
She brings her hand up to rest it on her heart. “That was…beautiful, and yes. I’d love to wear your number.”
I motion for her to spin, and then I wrap the chain around her neck, closing the delicate clasp. She pulls her hair out from underneath it and then turns, fingering the necklace as it rests on her chest.