“Well my mom says you beat her up, but it was worth it. She wanted to start hiking with her little posse again.”
Our waiter brings our meals. I lean down, inhaling the delicious scent—when I look up, I find Walker smiling at me before cutting into his. Conversation halts as we both dig into our meals. “This is the best steak I’ve ever eaten,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I’ve never eaten here, but I heard good things,” he says before taking another bite.
When our plates are cleared away a while later, I drink the last little bit of wine and excuse myself to go to the bathroom. Like a gentleman, he stands up and pulls my chair out for me. “I’ll be right back.” Once I reach the bathroom I do my business, and then wash my hands. I pop another mint into my mouth and fix my lip gloss.
I hope he’ll say yes when I suggest going somewhere for coffee and dessert. I head back out to our table and see he’s already paid the bill. He stands up. “Do you want to grab coffee?”
I smile and shake my head. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
Walker wraps an arm around my waist and leads me out of the restaurant. “Do you want to follow me or leave your car here?”
“Um… I actually took an Uber so, I’ll just grab another when we’re done.”
He squeezes my hip lightly. “I could give you a ride home too, if you want.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Shit, he’s nice.
“Of course I wouldn’t.”
We reach a dark grey Ford Explorer and he opens my door for me. I climb in and he shuts the door. The inside smells just like him and again makes me tingly. It’s worse, but better when he climbs inside—he’s causing my brain to short circuit in the best possible way. Eminem comes through the speakers when he starts the ignition, but he turns it down.
“I’ve had a really great time so far,” Walker says as he starts driving us toward the coffee shop.
Is it crazy that I want to tell him that this is the best first date I’ve ever had? Instead of saying that and possibly scaring him off I just smile. “Me too.”
TWO
Kara
AFTER WE GRAB our coffees, we walk hand in hand over to a little loveseat in front of the window. I take a sip of my coffee and then turn toward Walker. “You said you have a brother. Is he older or younger?”
“Weston is older, he’s thirty—I’m twenty-eight, if you wanted to know how old I was.” He winks at me, making me smile. “He and Heather have been together nine years and married for six. Their oldest, Hope, is eight, and Wes is five.”
I smile. “I always wished I had siblings, but my dad passed away when I was two. Mom just never remarried.”
“I’m sorry about your dad. My parents are both still alive, divorced, which sucks, but they’re friends now, which makes it easier for them to be around each other. My stepdad, Allan, is a really cool guy. He’s a detective with the Moline Police Department.” He takes a drink of his coffee and stretches his arm across the back of the loveseat and begins playing with the ends of my hair.
“Do you want something sweet?” My eyes widen because I realized how that just sounded. “Oh god, I can’t believe I just said that.”
Walker throws his head back laughing and I can’t help it but to join in. We both stop laughing as tension builds between us — is it sexual, oh most definitely. He nods slowly, and gives me a smile that makes me feel tingly. “I could go for something sweet.”
“I’ll be right back.” I get up and go to the counter, ordering us a couple of cake pops.
I carry them back to the loveseat and sit down. I pull a pink one and chocolate one out of the bag. “Birthday cake or double chocolate?”
He pinches his chin like he’s thinking about it. “I’ll take chocolate.” I hand it to him, and he looks at it. “What is it?”
“You’ve never had a cake pop? It’s basically cake and frosting mixed together and rolled into a ball dipped in frosting. Just pop the whole thing in your mouth.” I shake my head as, yet again, my cheeks heat up.
He holds his up. “To an amazing night.”
I tap mine to his. “To an amazing night.” I pop it