Left for Wild - Harloe Rae Page 0,110
wall of windows.
“I’d suggest sitting on the same side, but this is only our first date.” Halder slides onto the bench across from me with a smirk.
“Yeah, we should probably take this slow.” I bite my bottom lip to trap a laugh.
He passes me a menu before opening his own. “Looks like they have more than pasta.”
“Uh-huh. It’s a wide variety.” A thought occurs to me, and I allow my smile to break free. “I love you. I’ve agreed to marry you. I’m carrying your baby. But I have no idea what you like to eat.”
“I enjoy a thick sandwich with a lot of meat.”
“A real handful?”
“You can’t go wrong with that. He snorts and rolls his eyes. “But I prefer what’s on your daily specials.”
“Oh, that’s a good one.”
“I guess you’re rubbing off on me again.”
A server stops by to drop off cups of water. She takes our order before disappearing into the fray. I circle a finger around the rim of my glass. “So, there’s still plenty for us to catch up on.”
“Not sure about that. We’ve covered a lot of bases.” His gaze slides to my engagement ring before lowering to my stomach.
I quirk a brow. “Very funny. We’re not rushing things, right?”
“Do you feel like we are?”
“No.” There’s a solid amount of conviction in my voice.
“Neither do I. Who else gets to be a judge on our relationship?”
“Not another soul.” I almost have the urge to slap my palm on the table.
“Exactly, sweetheart. We’ve been upside and inside out from day one. Why stop now?”
“You’re right. As always.”
“You’ll get used to it eventually.” He winks at me.
I love that his confidence is already flowing more freely. With that, I raise my glass for a toast. “It seems everything is getting resolved the way it’s meant to.”
Halder clinks his water against mine. “Karma is still watching out for us.”
“I prefer her being a friend, rather than foe.”
“I’ll definitely drink to that.”
“Never did I ever imagine being abducted and dropped in the center of nowhere would lead to a happily ever after.”
“Yet here we are. Crazy officially works for us.”
“I’ve never been more thankful to get left in the wild, boss.”
“Me either, sweetheart.”
I get lost in the emerald swirls of his eyes for a moment. An easy sigh escapes me. “Where’s our next stop?”
“Well,” he says, pulling two tickets from his jacket. “How about a hockey game?”
“Are you gonna buy me a huge foam finger?”
“Is that even a question?”
I clutch a hand to my chest. “All of my cliché dreams are coming true.”
“And if we find a decent sightseeing spot, the Northern Lights are supposed to be visible tonight. If the weather holds out, we won’t have to worry about freezing our asses off.”
“This is turning out to be quite the adventure.”
“You did say we have a lot of catching up to do. I’m just trying to fill in some gaps.”
The smile splitting my face can be described as nothing short of dopey. This man slays me. “So long as you’re by my side, the journey is a guaranteed success.”
“See? You do like being next to me.”
Well, of course. Just don’t withhold a few views from the backside.”
“Only if you give me full frontal in return.”
I choke on my sip of water. “And here I thought you were more of an ass man.”
His eyes droop to half-lidded. “I’ll take it all when it comes to you. That’s a promise.”
Before I can offer another saucy retort, our food gets delivered with a flurry of movement. The steaming bowl of pasta in front of me immediately snags my full concentration. That is until I peek over at Halder’s plate. “Are you going to eat that pickle?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, Lee. That’s the best part. I save them for last.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Ugh, I was hoping you hated them.”
“You want my pickle?”
“I do. Really bad.” My mouth is practically salivating for it.
He holds the spear up. “We can split it.”
“Damn, I love you.”
Halder’s lips stretch into a blinding grin. “Because I’ll share my pickle?”
“Among other valuable qualities.”
“Like my baby-making abilities?”
I laugh at the adorable grin he shoots my way. “And the list only continues to grow.”
“Adding experiences with you will undoubtedly be my highest honor, along with the life we’re building.” He thumbs the ring of vines on my finger.
I track his subtle motions with a wobbly smile. “The future is very bright.”
“Not even two months ago, we were strangers thrown into an impossible situation. Look at us now.”
Leaning forward, I