for a simple meal. “It’s been forever since I’ve had that.” Decision made, I close my menu and place it on the table.
“That sounds good, but so does the homemade chicken pot pie.”
“That does sound good,” I agree. It really does, but I’m still sold on the dumplings.
“Are you nervous about the wedding?” he asks after we place our orders.
“No. Are you?”
“Surprisingly, no.” He reaches over and takes my hand in his. “You’re my best friend, McKinley. You’re putting your life on hold in order for me to keep my daughter. The only thing I’m feeling is admiration. You’re an amazing person and I will never be able to repay you for what you’ve done for me and Lexi.”
“You don’t have to. I love her, Evan. She needs to be with you. You’re my best friend too, and that’s what you do for your friends.”
“Thank you, McKinley Rae,” he says, his brown eyes holding mine.
The waitress brings our food and the conversation moves from how delicious it is to how much extra stuff we have to take home with us. “Really, Kinley, Mom has gone nuts with the shopping. It’s a good thing we didn’t fly,” he says, taking a drink of his water.
“Yeah,” I giggle. “She’s just doing what grandmas do. She’s excited and she knows you’re doing this on your own.”
“I have you,” he counters.
What do I say to that? Nothing. I ignore it like we do most other topics, which we should discuss but don’t.
“Try this.” I once again change the subject. I scoop up a big bite of my chicken and dumplings and hold it out for him. He doesn’t hesitate to lean in and wrap his lips around my fork.
“So good,” he says after he finishes his bite. “Try this,” he mimics me and offers me a bite of his pot pie.
“Delicious,” I say, covering my mouth with my hand.
“Right?” He grins.
We enjoy the rest of our dinner with easy conversation. It’s always easy between us. “Where to now?” I ask once we are back in the car.
“I thought I would take you to one of my favorite spots.”
“Is that all I get? No hints?” I pout.
“You’re cute,” he says, tapping my nose just like I do with Lexi. “My grandparents own some property not far from their house. It has a huge pond, and every time I visit, Gramps and I spend a lot of time there. When I came to visit a few months back, Dad came with us. It was good to spend time just the guys. It’s always been my favorite spot, and I want to share it with you,” he says sheepishly.
“I can’t wait to see it,” I tell him. I really can’t. Anything that’s important to him and makes his eyes light up like that, I’m in.
Chapter 39
Evan
I thought I would be nervous, but I’m not. I know this is the right thing to do. Her parents think the same thing. Hell, even Aaron agrees with me. This whole situation is surreal.
“Is this it?” she asks as I park in front of the old red barn.
“This is it.” I hop out and open the cargo area where I snuck a couple of blankets.
“Where did those come from?” she questions me.
“I put them in there earlier. I was banking on you saying yes to getting out of the house.”
“You calling me a sure thing?” she teases.
I close the hatch on the Durango and throw my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. “Never, baby. I was just hopeful you would spend the evening with me.”
“Let’s see this pond,” she says. She’s trying not to get too close; I recognize the signs. I fought it just as hard, but I don’t want to anymore. She’s going to be my wife, and while she is, for however long that may be, I want this to be real.
I keep my arm around her as we walk down toward the pond. “Watch your step,” I tell her when we reach a section of uneven land. There is a wall of trees sheltering this side of the pond. It’s great for shade on a hot summer’s day.
“You sure you know where you’re going?” she asks as we walk through the tree line.
“You don’t trust me?”
“No, I do. It’s just…”
“Right there,” I say, motioning with my head. She pulls her eyes from mine and looks in front of us. The huge pond is lit with nothing but the moonlight