up?” She did a doubletake. “You look nice.”
“Why do you seem so surprised?” I asked on edge.
“Didn’t think the drama kids would do so well,” she said lightly, then glanced at the stove. “You have five minutes to get that living room ready. Ten if he has bad manners.”
My heart sank. I forgot to tell Ray about the five-minute rule. I hefted the trash bag and went outside to dump it. Before coming in, I fired off a text.
Ginger: You need to be here five minutes early.
I was nearly finished rushing around the living room, picking up throw blankets and tossing the girls’ toys out of the way, when my phone chimed. As I lifted it from my pocket, the doorbell rang.
The twins stampeded to the door, while I pulled out my phone.
Ray: Do you know me at all?
The door opened, and I glanced up at him, at his wide grin and the cowboy hat in his hand, and I knew… Ray was the guy for me.
Thirty-Two
Immediately, Tarra said, “Can I wear your cowboy hat?”
“Sure thing,” Ray said, handing it over.
She dropped it on her head and galloped away. Cara ran after her, yelling, “I want to wear it! I want to wear it!”
Despite the commotion, our eyes collided, held. I’d been in Ray’s world, and now here he was in mine. Headlights panned over him, diffusing light through his dirty golden hair. Cold air from the open door hit me, snapped me away from the depths of Ray’s eyes.
“Come in,” I offered.
He stepped inside, and from behind me, Cori said, “Hi, Ray. Can I take your coat?”
Clearing his throat to speak, he said, “Sure.” He shrugged it off, and she took it from him.
“Did you find our house okay?” she asked. “My friends usually have trouble the first time. Did Ginger tell you it was the house with the gnomes? That’s what I tell my friends.”
“I found it okay.” Ray’s eyes were still on me, and I was beginning to feel...exposed. Could he see the butterflies dancing in my stomach? Feel the goosebumps tingling on my skin from his open stare?
The door handle turned, and Dad appeared behind Ray, haloed by the porch light. “You’re early,” he said. “I appreciate a man who’s punctual.”
“Thanks, sir.” Ray extended his hand, and Dad shook it.
“Nice firm shake,” Dad complimented.
I’d never seen Dad like this, never watched Ray put on the charm for an adult other than his mom, but it made me like him that much more. Ray didn’t need a suit of armor—he had everything it took to blow a Nash away.
Dad put a hand on Ray’s back and said, “Let me introduce you to Ginger’s mom.”
They went ahead of us, and Cori came over to me, a grin splitting her face. “You are so going to date him.”
“You think?” I whispered back.
She nodded and squealed. Okay, we squealed.
“Shh,” I finally said to both her and myself. “We’ve got to play it cool.” I leveled my hand through the air. “Smooth.”
“Smooth’s practically your middle name.”
I nodded sarcastically. “Oh yeah, I basically invented the word.”
The twins galloped through the living room, Cara now wearing his hat and yelling, “Yeehaw.”
Cori facepalmed. “How are we related to them?”
“Is it bad that they’re cooler than me?”
Laughing, she said, “Come on, we shouldn’t leave him in there to fend for himself.”
My stomach bottomed out. “Right.” We walked into the kitchen just in time to see Ray carrying a casserole to the table using two red gingham pot holders.
Mom gave me an impressed look behind his back and then said, “Now, if my girls want to be helpful too, they can get out the tea and start cutting lemons. Do you take your tea with or without lemons, Ray?”
“With,” he said, gently setting the pan on the table.
Cori grabbed the pitcher, and I took a clean lemon out of the basket to begin cutting. I peeled off the organic sticker, got a knife, and sliced off the ends.
Near the table, I heard Ray ask Dad about his day and strained my ears to answer. Then I felt a stabbing pain in my finger. Literally.
Blood poured from a gash in my finger, turning the skin of the lemons red. Juice got into the cut, and it burned so bad, I cried out. “Ouch!”
“Oh no!” Mom yelled, hurrying to me. “Cori, get the first-aid kit!”
“Again?” she said.
“Go,” Mom ordered.
I walked my hand to the sink, knowing the drill. Heat built in my eyes, half from embarrassment and half