Page 54 of Waiting for Acceptance (Nashville Nights #5)

FITZ

“We’re at a thrift store.” I look over at Lauren after parking in the lot she told me to pull into.

“No. We’re at my favorite thrift store.” She unbuckles and goes to open her door, but I reach across her and shut the door again.

“Absolutely not.” She frowns at me and I unbuckle my seatbelt. “I’ll get your door.” Her smile returns and I smirk.

“Okay. So, line dancing this weekend. You in?” We walk up to the door and I open it for her.

“If you’re there, I’m there, Sweetheart.” I can’t read her expression when she looks up at me, then she turns around and continues talking.

“Perfect. We can look for something for you to wear too. Taylor requested a cowboy hat, but I don’t trust thrifted hats.

” Her nose scrunches as she grabs a cart.

“Okay. Let’s go.” She walks with purpose and I follow her to a section with color-organized tops.

She thumbs through them quickly, picking out a few tops that have me dying to know what she would look like in them.

When she picks up a blue and white checkered tank top with lace trim around the neckline, and turns it around to reveal a single tie in the back, leaving the rest open I grab it from her hands and throw it in the basket. She quirks a brow at me.

“It’s the same color as your eyes.” Her cheeks turn red and she takes a breath and looks around the store.

“Okay. If we’re both going to have time to shop, we’re going to need to split up.” She peeks her head up over the aisle and points in the opposite direction. “Men’s clothes are over there. Think, western throwdown, yee-haw, going to the rodeo outfit, and pick something accordingly.”

I snort and nod. “I think I can manage to find something to wear line dancing.”

“Go.” She shoos me away and I laugh. I make it through the entire men’s section and when I make it back over to her, my arms are full.

“Do you see this?” She looks up from examining a pair of jeans and smiles.

“They have this shirt that still has the tags on it for three dollars . Then this.” I put it in the basket, holding up the next item.

“A whole freaking collection of designer dress shirts that look brand-fucking-new, all in my size.” Her smile grows as she watches me.

“I even found this pair of boots over there that look like they just need a little bit of polish and they’ll be good as new.

” I hold up the pair of square-toed boots and her expression changes.

“Well, looks like we both had a successful trip. I am getting that top you picked, these jeans, and how cute is this?” She holds up a brown suede fringe jacket. “It’ll match my boots perfectly.” She lets out a happy sigh. “I love thrifting.”

“No shit. It’s like finding hidden treasures.”

“You’re not joking. I found my favorite pair of designer pumps here for ten dollars !” I stare at her blankly so she elaborates. “They’re almost a thousand dollars retail.”

“Jesus Christ.” My eyes pop. “I want to see you in them tonight.” I smirk at her and her expression turns sad.

“Unfortunately, that won’t be happening. Ginny chewed them up the night I brought her home. I cried for two days about it.” She checks the time and turns the basket around. “Oh, time to go!”

“Hey Lauren, find anything good today?” The woman at the counter asks with a smile on her face.

“I always do,” Lauren answers with a wink.

“Well, I know you didn’t find him on the rack, I would have kept him for myself.” The woman sizes me up and I chuckle.

“Ms. Margaret, are you hitting on my man?” she teases, but I stay hyper-focused on how that sounds coming from her mouth.

“Well, out of all the things we have come through here, you two are by far the prettiest. Y’all sure would make some pretty babies.” Lauren laughs and shakes her head. “Those blue eyes and that dark hair? Oh, what a little angel.”

“You have quite the imagination, you know that?” Lauren hands the woman money for our things and I curse myself for not paying enough attention to beat her to it.

“It keeps life interesting for me.” Lauren smiles at her and squeezes her hand.

“I’ll see you Sunday.”

“See you Sunday, dear.” I grab the bags from the counter and we walk out into the summer heat as Lauren pulls her sunglasses from her purse, sliding them onto her face as she waits at the passenger door for me.

“Smart girl. I’m proud of you for learning so quickly not to touch your bags or door handles when I’m around.” I kiss her temple and open her door as she slides into her seat with a smirk on her face.

“So, Margaret is fun.” I sigh when I settle into the driver’s seat. Lauren lets out a laugh and pulls her seatbelt on.

“Yeah. She lost her husband to cancer a few years back and opened the thrift store not long after. I saw it on my way home from work one day, stopped in, and we ended up talking until closing. I think she’s lonely, you know?

I just want to make her feel…less lonely.

” The sadness on her face as she looks back in the window of the store makes me love her even more. Her heart is so big.

“We would have some cute babies, you know?” She shakes her head and pulls out her phone.

“Drive the car, Fitz.” I can’t read her expression, but it seems this is a conversation we won’t be having… For now, anyway.

I went to Lauren’s showings with her today, simply because I haven’t heard from my father since his birthday, for work or otherwise, so my workload is light, to say the least. We’re back at her place now and she’s just gotten out of the shower when I come back in from being on the phone.

She’s standing in her towel staring at the clothes hanging in her closet.

I walk up behind her, inhaling every bit of her scent that I can.

“What’s the matter, baby?” I rest my chin on her head.

“What do you mean?”

I turn her around to face me, appreciating her natural beauty. “You seem…nervous?” She exhales and I know I’m right. I just don’t know why I’m right.

“Well, that’s just a side effect of these dinners as a whole. It has…very little to do with you.”

“Me?” I frown.

“Not you . Just my parents meeting you. I just… I hope they’re nice, that’s all.” A forced smile appears on her face and I would do anything to turn it into a real one.

“I promise, everything is going to be fine. Okay? I have thick skin. They could call me garbage and I’ll stay by your side until you’re ready to go.

Then we can go buy me a shirt that says Hefty on it.

” Her brows pull together in confusion when I run my forefinger and thumb across my chest. “Like, the trash bag brand?” I explain and she starts laughing.

“There’s that smile.” I grab her face and pull her lips to mine.

She finishes getting dressed, and I match her style accordingly.

She’s wearing a blue dress, much like the ones she would wear to work, with a pair of tan booties, and her hair straight, so I chose a pair of cropped khaki slacks, my white sneakers, and a navy blue sports coat with a simple white T-shirt underneath.

She stands back and assesses me, arms crossed over her chest as her head tilts. “You might be the only guy I’ve ever liked in khakis.”

“Thank you?” I squint in confusion.

“Ready?” she asks, grabbing her bag from the kitchen counter, petting Ginny’s chin before heading for the door.

“Let’s go, good lookin’.” I slap her ass and she looks back, her hair whipping around her face as she rolls her eyes at me.

Lauren demanded she drive us tonight, and at first, I didn’t know why, but when we pull into the mile-long driveway with a circle drive and a fountain in the center of it, I’m even more confused than I was before.

Whoever lives here is absolutely fucking loaded.

You won’t find a place like this in Nashville for anything under a million dollars.

I look at her in confusion, seeing her throat work as she swallows.

“Welcome to my childhood home.”

Well… I didn’t see that coming.