Page 4 of A Very Grumpy Ranger (Wolf Valley: Grumps #9)

FOUR

Luca

“So, we’re betting on love now?” Meyer asks.

“It’s kind of our thing.”

“Hm,” he says noncommittally.

“What?”

“Well, does she like you or just want to win the bet?”

My stomach drops.

“She likes him,” Camden interjects. “No one bets on everything.”

Except, we kind of have been…

I swallow hard and try to calm my racing heart.

Blake likes me. Right?

“You look like you're going to throw up.” Camden grins as he sets a glass of water down in front of me. “You sure you're ready for this date tonight?”

“He’s fine,” Meyer says from the other end of the couch. “Just nervous because it’s his first date with the girl he’s in love with.”

“I’m not?—”

"Spare us,” Meyer cuts me off. “Milo said you’re already planning what color throw pillows you’re putting on the couch when she moves in."

I groan and drop my head into my hands. “You guys are the worst.”

“We’re the best,” Camden counters. “Now, let’s get serious. What’s the plan tonight?”

I glance up at them. “I was going to take her on a sunset walk through the meadow, maybe have a little campfire picnic set up, but the rain put a damper on that.”

“Yeah, the weather’s going to be rough all weekend,” Milo chimes in as he walks into the room. He tosses me a small box. “Here. Housewarming gift.”

I open it and grin when I see the keychain that reads, 'Home is where the chaos is.'

“Very funny.”

“So, what's plan B for date night?” Milo asks.

“I texted her. We’re doing dinner at my new place. I'm going to cook for her.”

“Damn,” Meyer mutters. “You're going domestic already.”

“I want it to be special. I finally have my own place again, and I want her to be the first person to see it.”

They all exchange a look.

Camden nods. “Okay, then. This is the real deal.”

“Yeah,” I say softly. “Blake’s the one.”

A beat of silence follows my declaration.

“Well, shit,” Meyer finally says. “Don’t screw it up.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mutter.

“Just be yourself,” Milo says. “Not the grumpy ranger version. The guy who buys her every flavor of Pop-Tarts to see which one she likes best.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you did that for your girl?”

Milo nods, his expression serious. “I had to. Turns out she likes anything with sugar, so the flavor doesn’t matter.”

We all chuckle.

I want to take their advice—I should since all three are happily settled and in love with their girls. But it’s hard to remember it all when I’m so nervous I could throw up at any moment. This is the most important date, the most important bet, of my life.

I check the clock. “I need to go home and get everything set up.”

“Good luck,” Meyer says, raising his beer.

“You’ve got this,” Milo adds.

“Call if you need anything,” Camden shouts as I stand and move to the door.

I nod and grab my jacket, heading out into the drizzle.

I make the short drive to my new place and jog up to the front door. I spent this afternoon unpacking as much as I could. It was easy since I don’t have much. My couches and TV stand were delivered and set up today, and the place looks decent, though a bit empty.

I check the fridge, making sure I have all of the ingredients for dinner tonight. Checking the time, I hurry upstairs to shower and change before driving into town to pick up my girl.

Fifteen minutes later, I pull up in front of her place. Blake is already waiting by the door, bundled in a hoodie and leggings, her hair twisted up in a messy bun. She looks gorgeous, and my heart races as I jump out of the car to greet her.

“Hey,” she says, her smile lighting up everything in me.

“Hey,” I manage. “Ready?”

She nods, and I help her down the steps and into my truck. We pull away from the curb, and I drive slowly as the storm picks up. The rain is coming down fast, the sky dark and gloomy as we drive the backroads to my house.

“How was your day? Did you get everything unloaded before it started to rain?” Blake asks.

I smile. “Yeah, just barely.”

We pull up in front of my house, and I hop out to get her door for her. Taking her hand, we race through the rain to the front door.

“This is it,” I say.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmurs as she steps inside. “I love the porch.”

“Thanks. I’m still decorating and unpacking,” I tell her as we shake off the rain. “Come on. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

I take her hand and lead her further into the house. “This is the living room.”

“I love the fireplace,” she gushes.

“There’s a half bath here,” I continue.

She pokes her head in and smiles.

“Kitchen is back here.”

“How many bedrooms?”

“Three. They're all upstairs. I have two bathrooms upstairs. One in the master and one between the two guest rooms.”

“Nice.”

“I’d show up, but most of the rooms are empty. The master only has a bed and some boxes.”

“I’ll check them out later, then. Once they’re furnished.”

I nod, finding hope in the fact that she’s making plans to see my bedroom. That has to be a sign that she wants to spend time with me, and it’s not just about the bet. Right?

“What’s the plan for tonight?” she asks as we head into the kitchen.

“Well, I was planning a picnic and hike, but now we’ve shifted to dinner. How does steak and potatoes sound?”

“Delish. Want me to help?”

“No, you relax.” I smirk. “I’ll show off my culinary skills.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Yeah? You want to call off the bet and admit defeat now?”

She grins. “Not a chance.”

I smile as I take out the steaks and other ingredients. Blake sits on a bar stool at the counter as I prepare everything. I haven’t bought a kitchen table yet, so we’ll have to eat at the counter.

“Can I get you something to drink? I have water, milk, some pop, or merlot.”

“Just a water would be great, thanks.”

I grab her a bottle of water out of the fridge and pass it to her.

“How do you like your steak?” I ask as I heat the cast-iron pan.

“Medium, please.”

I nod and get to work preheating the oven and dicing up the potatoes. I season the steaks, peeking at Blake as I work.

“How was your day?” I ask.

“Fine. Boring. I worked and talked to my friend Jade for a bit. Planned our date.”

“What do you have planned?”

“I’m not telling. It’s going to be a surprise. Just be ready for the best date of your life.”

“All right.” I grin as I add the steaks to the pan.

“I mean it. I’m going to win this bet easily.”

My stomach flips. I turn so she doesn’t see my smile drop and realize something is wrong.

The rain picks up, heavy drops splattering against the windows. A flash of lightning lights up the forest surrounding my place, and I look over at Blake to see her watching the storm.

“Do you like the rain?” I ask.

“Love it. It makes everything feel so cozy. What about you?”

“I’ve never minded it. I’ve never minded anything except the heat.”

“Yeah, same. The weather has been good here so far.”

I nod, flipping the steaks in the pan.

“Where were you stationed?”

“Fort Benning, Hunter Army Airfield, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Then I did a few deployments overseas.”

“Where are those bases?”

“Fort Benning and Hunter Army Airfield are in Georgia, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord is in Washington.”

“Which was your favorite?”

“Lewis-McChord. I liked the weather there more. And I had a lot of friends.”

“You miss it,” she says softly.

I nod tightly. “Yeah, but I miss it less and less every day.”

The timer goes off, so I pull out the potatoes and add the steak to the oven for a few minutes.

“Still okay with just water?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

I nod and blanch some broccolini while I prepare our plates and grab water for myself. I pull the steaks out and make up two plates.

“Dig in!” I tell her as I slide onto the stool next to her.

“It looks great. Thanks.”

We cut our steaks, and Blake moans as she takes a bite. My cock hardens in my pants. I clear my throat and try to focus on my food.

The lights flicker as the storm picks up, so I light out the candles I bought from the store this afternoon.

“So romantic,” she says with a theatrical sigh.

I laugh. “I try.”

“What’s the best first date that you’ve ever had?” Blake asks as she takes another bite of steak.

“Uh…I’ve never been on one before,” I admit.

“What?” She looks at me in shock. “How is that possible? Look at you.”

“Uh, thanks? I think…”

“You’re hot. How have you never dated before? You’ve never had a girlfriend?”

I shrug. “No. I was never interested. I was busy with school and working part-time before I joined the Army. I went from boot camp to Ranger School to my first duty station before being deployed. The time went by fast.”

“Hmm,” she hums.

“What about you? What was your best first date?”

“This.”

“Really?” I smile proudly.

“Yeah, it’s also my only date,” she says shyly.

“How is that possible? You’re smoking hot.”

She snorts and rolls her eyes. Her cheeks glow with a blush. Has anyone ever told her how beautiful she is?

“No one ever asked you out?” I probe.

“No. I was always the chubby girl people overlooked.”

“You’re not chubby.”

“I am.”

“No. Curvy. Beautiful. Perfect.”

“Well, you’re good for my ego.”

“It’s the truth.”

Blake goes back to her dinner, but I see her smiling as she eats. She likes compliments, and I make a mental note to tell her how amazing she is more often.

We both eat, and the conversation turns to our childhoods.

We discuss our favorite subjects in school, our favorite foods, and our favorite holidays.

I discover that she’s always wanted to travel, and she makes lists of all the countries and sights she wants to see. I make a mental list of all of them.

Dinner is perfect. We eat by candlelight, laughing and talking, and it feels so natural that it’s almost surreal.

Afterward, we move to the couch. I flip on a movie, and she curls into my side.

I can’t stop looking at her.

“Thank you for tonight,” she says softly. “This was… more than I ever expected.”

“You deserve the best,” I say, my voice low.

Her eyes meet mine, and I can’t stop myself. I can’t hold back any longer.

My eyes drop to her lips, and her tongue darts out to lick them. I groan at the sight, and then I’m leaning in to kiss her.

It’s soft at first. Testing. Then she sighs against my mouth and grips my shirt, and everything in me unravels. She kisses me back like she’s been waiting her whole life.

When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathless.

“Well,” she says with a dazed smile, “This is going to be a tough bet to win.”

I smile, my eyes dropping back to her mouth. “Do your worst.”

She laughs and tugs me down for another kiss.

Either way, I know I’ve already won.