Other times, she got swept away in the doubt and unknowing.
Because even if he was telling the truth—which she believed—there still remained the fact that he was a bachelor who had no idea what it was like being a single mom. Raising a child all by her lonesome.
She was responsible for so much more than just making sure Mollie went to bed on time and ate three meals a day. She needed to manage this fragile, loving being’s emotions and expectations. Which meant that she needed to tread very carefully.
If he broke a promise to Michelle, she could handle it. But Mollie? When he made promises to her, he needed to keep them. Michelle had faced an entire twenty-four hours of pouting and disappointment from Mollie, which broke Michelle’s heart even further. Whether or not they’d planned on it, Blake had carved a space for himself in their lives.
She just hoped that he understood that his place in her daughter’s life was becoming more and more important. Things were fun for now—but did he really take this seriously? Doubt flickered in her more than she liked to admit.
She frowned as she finished touching up her eye makeup. She hated that this was what she dwelled on prior to her big Friday night out. She should be cultivating a happy and lighthearted mood. She and Blake were meeting his friends for a group belated birthday dinner for him, and she wanted it to be a great night—not only for her and Blake, but for him and his friends.
This was a big deal. It was a step forward. She would be meeting his two best friends who were as close to him as brothers, as well as their significant others. Which meant Blake was bringing her as his significant other. It was as exciting as it was nerve-wracking.
Especially because she still couldn’t entirely convince herself that Blake was ready to be in a serious relationship with her.
Will you stop it already? She made a kissy face into the mirror. It was time to let go of these negative thoughts. She needed to stop worrying about Blake and their relationship and just let things unfold naturally. Organically.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Blake that said, “I’m here babe—ready for you.” She grinned and hurried downstairs, her heels clipping softly against the wood floor as she grabbed for the jean jacket she’d paired with a bright and vibrant multi-jewel tone dress. She slipped her purse over her shoulder and breezed out of the house, butterflies filling her stomach as she saw Blake step out of his SUV to greet her.
He had dark designer slacks on, paired with a button up that had the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His sexy grin nearly sent her to her knees as she rushed toward him for a hug.
“It’s been too long, babe,” he whispered into her ear.
“I feel like I haven’t seen you in a year.”
“And I just saw you Wednesday,” he said. Which was true—except it had been at work. She’d been waiting for him to offer to come over—she’d even hinted at it plenty of times in their frequent texts—but he hadn’t taken the bait until the weekend. More doubts flooded her. Why had he waited so long?
“Well, I’m ready for a fun night out,” she said, heading for her side of the car. But Blake grabbed her wrist, bringing her against him.
“Don’t I get a kiss?”
She grinned up at him, pushing onto her toes to kiss him once, and then twice more. Blake hummed as he squeezed the tops of her hips.
“You can’t say hi without a little tongue,” he chided her jokingly.
“Ah, of course. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
He led her to the passenger’s side, kissing her hand before opening the door so he could climb in. Once he was settled into his seat, he sent her a sexy smile. “You have no idea what’s waiting for you tonight.”
“Oh, jeez. I thought it was just going to be your best friends, but now I’m wondering.”
He snorted as he pulled out of her driveway. “Well, that part is right. But this restaurant…” He clucked his tongue. “Out of this world. I can’t wait until you see the menu.”
“Wow. That really is saying something, coming from you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, you’ve seen and done everything.” She squeezed his knee. “At least it seems that way to me.”
He smirked, sending her a look. “I’m hardly as well-versed in life as you