Stages of Grace - By Carey Heywood Page 0,78

I go inside, locking up behind me. After changing for bed I look at my phone, still unsure of what to do with Jon's text. Should I even reply? What can I say in response to that? I have a new text. From him? I feel silly when I see it’s from Nikita instead. She loves the scarf and wants one herself. She specifically requests a purple one. I'm too amped to sleep, and it's still early. I pull out my shawl project, and I work on it as I think about Ryan and how he makes me feel. Stopping once my hands feel like they are going to fall off, I go to sleep.

~*~

Ryan and I fall into a comfortable rhythm, spending most of each day together. On Thursday, Ryan takes a group out fishing and asks if I'd like to be his first mate. The only boat I've ever been on is the kayak. The idea of being so far from the shore is exciting. He's taking a group of six out into the gulf for the day. Darrell is also going. Ryan and Jack own two boats for offshore fishing: a swanky luxury mini yacht named Seabreeze and a simple flats fishing boat named Squirt. The group going out that day consists of local lawyers celebrating a merger. Since they'll be taking Seabreeze, Ryan thinks I'll have fun coming along.

A couple of the attorneys attempt to flirt with me until Ryan announces that I'm his girlfriend and not part of the tour. Hearing that title shocks me. I know we're dating, but it overwhelms me that he already considers me his girlfriend. I’m stressing out over it so much that it must become obvious to him. He pulls me aside to explain he used the term to keep the guys from flirting with me and that he isn’t trying to rush me. Does that mean he doesn’t want me to be his girlfriend? I curse myself for my emotions being so all over the place. I don’t know how to feel about him calling me his girlfriend. Now it seems to bother me that he may not have meant it. Our first official date is tomorrow. I still have no idea where he's taking me.

The charter trip is fun but more work than I'd expected. When Ryan drops me off, I tell him I'll probably eat something and go straight to bed. The next day, I stay in the office having had too much sun the day before. We're busy but somehow the day still seems to drag. I’m counting down the minutes until my date. I'm having fun working with him, even though I spent Friday in the office he makes a point to swing by and steal kisses whenever he's free. I feel so comfortable around him, it doesn’t stop my heart from racing each time he is near me.

I absentmindedly check the time on my cell phone. I have a text from Nikita asking me how her scarf is coming along. I finished the shawl for Kate but haven't given it to her yet. I want it to be special, like a gift to thank Kate and make sure she knows how much everything she does means to me. I haven’t even started the scarf. I'm not even sure if Kate has purple yarn or if I will need to go buy some. I’m really getting into the idea of creation, of how cool it feels to make something. I even talk to Ryan about it during one of our drives into work. He tells me I'm adorable and if I like I can knit at work whenever we're slow.

"Grace?"

I look up. "Sorry."

"Did you hear what I asked?" Jennifer huffs.

"I didn’t. What's up?"

"So do you know where you guys are going tonight?"

"Ugh. No, and it's driving me crazy. I don’t like surprises, and I'm not sure how to dress. Ryan says anything is fine but that doesn’t help."

"Have you guys done it yet?"

"Jennifer!"

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It’s a none of your business."

"Oh, come on. You guys live right next door to each other, and I've totally seen you making out with him when you think no one is watching."

I flush. "Either way…"

"If you haven’t, do you think tonight will be the night?"

I hadn’t thought about that. What if that's what he’s planning? I look down to the dock where Ryan is standing. His back is to me. He must have just gotten