Page 25 of Hello Trouble

HAYES

Somewhere between slow dancing with Della and walking down Main Street eating caramel popcorn, I stopped worrying so much about doing the date right. Because I was having fun with her.

It was confusing—feeling like she was a friend I could hang out with while also feeling like I wanted to do so much more with her, too. Wanting to hear her talk about nothing and everything while simultaneously noticing how amazing she looked in that dress.

She was charming. Magnetic. Fucking magic, as far as I was concerned.

But the darker the sky grew, the more it felt like I was the guy version of Cinderella and my chariot was close to turning into a pumpkin.

I didn’t want to go back to my old, ordinary life. Not when just eating funnel cake and walking around with Della had been a hundred times better than any of my regular days.

And then the thought crossed my mind... I’m going to marry her one day.

I stopped abruptly on the sidewalk, inadvertently jerking Della’s hand, and then someone behind us bumped into me, making the bag of caramel corn spill from my free hand.

“Shit,” I muttered. “Sorry.”

The person behind us walked around while Della and I bent down to clean up my mess. While cleaning, I glanced up at her, catching her pale-green eyes for a moment, getting a closer look at the dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

That’s her. She’s the one.

She caught me looking, so I glanced down again, making quick work of the rest. My heart was pounding as we stood up. She must have been able to tell something was off, because her gaze was full of genuine concern. “Everything okay? You look like you might be sick.”

I might be , I thought. Why the fuck was my brain thinking about marriage on a first date? “I’m fine,” I said, trying to make my voice sound casual. Never mind the fact that my heart was about as casual as a fucking impact wrench.

Where had that thought come from?

I’d never even considered marriage before. And here I was on the first date with Della, a sense of knowing spreading through me just as surely as you could feel rain falling from the sky.

Wait... Rain was falling from the sky . I looked up, in utter disbelief, and then over at Della. Her curly hair was growing bigger by the second.

“It’s raining!” she cried.

Everyone around us was shouting similar statements, scurrying off toward their vehicles while vendors rapidly packed things under their tents.

“Any chance you have an umbrella in that bag of yours?” I asked.

“No, they said it was only a ten percent chance,” she said to me, frowning. “I can’t believe I didn’t bring it.”

“Come on.” I took her hand, leading us back toward my truck.

But it was no use. We were still three blocks away when a complete downpour let loose.

Instead of running the rest of the way, we ducked under the flower shop’s awning.

It seemed like everyone else had found shelter under a tent or in their vehicles as well.

“I’m soaked,” Della said, holding up a thick strand of her red hair and twisting it. Drips of water fell from the strands, and she giggled at the sight.

The sound warmed my chest, causing me to smile right along with her. Until I saw her shiver. She rubbed her hands over her bare arms, doing nothing to quell the gooseflesh there.

“Let me warm you up,” I said, drawing her into my arms. I rubbed my hands up and down the soaking fabric covering her back.

“Mmm,” she hummed, linking her fingers behind my waist. “That’s better.” Her temple leaned against my chin.

I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling. Something about having her in my arms just felt right. With her hair damp, the scent of her mixed with fresh rain was amplified.

She looked up at me, and the light from a streetlamp filtering through the rainfall caught her eyes. They were now beautiful shimmering pools somewhere between light gray and washed-out green.

I reached up, cupping her face in my hand. The tattoos across my skin seemed so at odds with the pale, delicate freckles on her face. I stroked my thumb over her damp cheek, feeling my heart rise and fall with the motion.

And I couldn’t hold back. Now that I knew my future, there was no point in waiting. This was it for me. She was it for me.

I lowered my mouth to hers, knowing this was my last first kiss. Her kiss was soft, plush, tender, cautious. Everything .

Never before had I savored a kiss like this, but I didn’t want this one to end.

Every second that our lips lingered, the more I learned about her.

Like how her fingers felt as they fisted my shirt against my back.

How her gentle moan of appreciation vibrated my mouth.

How delicately she parted her lips before sliding her tongue against the seam of mine.

I deepened the kiss in response, desperate to taste her, to savor her and the faint hints of caramel on her tongue. She was a cautious kisser, and I loved how each second that passed seemed to embolden her.

I wound my fingers into the damp tangle of curls at the nape of her neck, drawing her closer yet. My reward was her hand teasing at the hem of my shirt, fingertips brushing over the bare skin above my jeans. A simple touch had never been so intense before.

I broke the kiss, pressing my forehead to hers. “We should stop.”

Della would be my undoing. And yet, she had no idea she was slicing the strings holding my carefully constructed life together, changing everything for me.

“You’re right,” she breathed softly. “We’re not alone.”

Old Hayes might have made a comment about taking this somewhere more private. But the guy I thought she deserved said, “Let’s get you warmed up.” I disentangled my hand from her hair then reached for her hand. It was warm and soft in mine.

She eyed the rain still coming down past the awning and gave a reaffirming nod. “Okay,” she said and hustled toward the truck.

“Knees to chest, Hayes!” she tossed my way.

Laughing, I jogged alongside her, easily keeping her pace. “Did you run track in high school?” I teased.

“At least I wasn’t hitting on the coach!” she fired back.

I took the jab, laughing, wondering how she could make something like getting caught in a rainstorm so much fun.

We reached my truck, breathing hard, and climbed in on either side. I hurried to turn it on so she could warm up. But since it would take a while for the heater to work, I lifted my arm, the woven seat covers scratching over my skin. “Come here.”

Music played softly over the radio, masking the sloshing of her dress as she scooted into my embrace. I rubbed my hand over her arm to warm her up, thankful for the excuse to touch her. I wanted to touch all of her, now. But I also wanted to be the man she deserved.

And the guy she deserved would take care of her in and out of the bedroom.

“Thank you,” she said, curling into me, letting me know I’d done right. “I should have brought an umbrella, but I thought that might be bad luck.”

“Bad luck? To be prepared?” I asked. “That sounds strange coming from Miss Wear a Helmet Even on Main Street.”

She narrowed her gaze at me. “Haven’t you heard the parable about the guy who prepared his field for rain and then got rain . If I brought an umbrella, it would have been asking for it.”

“That’s an old wives’ tale,” I replied.

She folded her arms across her chest, managing to be huffy while curled under my arm. “Just because wives said it, it’s not relevant?”

I pinched my brow. “That’s not it, its—” I shook my head, realizing I was smiling. Arguing with her was too much fun. “You’re crazy,” I replied.

She grinned like she didn’t mind one damn bit.

“Let me get you home before I pop a blood vessel arguing with you,” I said, putting the truck in gear.

She chuckled. “Looks like you just don’t want to be proven wrong. Again.”

“Again?” I retorted, pulling onto the road.

“But who’s keeping score.” She winked.

Rain spattered on the windshield as I drove, and I flicked on the windshield wipers. We’d be at her house in just a few moments so she could change into dry clothes and get warm. My stomach dropped as I realized the date would soon be over... and I had no idea what to do next.