“Yay!” Paisley throws her little arms in the air and cheers.
“I’ll be here by five,” I say again.
She playfully rolls her eyes. “Well, if things change, don’t worry about us. In fact, I was hoping for a sleepover.”
“Can I Momma, please, please?” Paisley begs.
“Mom, you keep her so much.”
“Of course, I do. That’s what grandmothers are for. Go, we’ve got this. You have fun, live a little. Take all the time you need. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast.”
“I have to be at work at ten.”
“Then you better get up and get moving, lazy bones,” she laughs, and Paisley mimics her, throwing her head back in laughter. “I’ll have pancakes and bacon ready at nine.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I lean in and give them both a hug, kissing P on the cheek. “You be good for Gram.”
“Mommy, I’m always good,” she says dramatically.
My baby girl is four going on fourteen. “You girls behave,” I say with a final wave as I rush out the door. The entire drive to The Vineyard, I try not to think about today, about this date I’ve agreed to. He’s so damn hard to keep resisting.
Pulling into the lot, I see him in his truck. He hops out and rushes to my door, opening it for me. “Hey, Ris.” He leans in and kisses my cheek.
“Hi,” I say awkwardly. I feel like a giddy teenager when I’m with him. I need to get that in check. I’m a grown woman, a mother. He’s just another guy. I need to not let his job, his fame, intimidate me.
“You ready?” he asks.
“Sure, what are we doing?”
“I thought about today a lot and decided I wanted to share something that I love with you.”
“Oh,” I say, because what do you say to that? Easton Monroe is not at all what I expected. He continues to surprise me.
“Yeah, then I thought we could grab a bite to eat. I know you need to be back by five, so I hope I have it all planned out okay.”
I feel a little guilty about the deadline. When I told him five o’clock, it was so I could keep my daughter in her routine. Well, and to keep my distance from him. He’s sexy and charming, and I need all the help I can get. “That sounds good,” I finally say. What I should tell him is there is no time limit, but I can’t seem to push the words past my lips.
The ride is filled with casual conversation. Easton asks me about school and my job. “So yeah, I have just two semesters to go,” I tell him.
“That’s great. You should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished while working and raising your daughter.”
“You do what you have to do.”
He nods. “How is she, Princess Paisley?”
I smile at the sweet name he’s given her. “Right now, she’s in heaven. She’s staying with my mom. They’re going to the park and then baking a cake.”
He laughs. “Uh oh, you think she’ll be hyped up on sugar when you pick her up?”
I hesitate for just a few seconds before I answer him. “Actually, when I dropped her off, Mom insisted she keep her overnight. I hate asking her to do so because she does it so much when I work the evening shift. She was adamant that I live a little. Her words, not mine,” I confess.
He reaches over and gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “So I have you for more than a few hours?” His voice is hopeful.
I bite on my bottom lip and take a deep breath. “I think we should just see how things go.”
With a quick glance in my direction, he gives me his crooked grin. I’m glad I’m sitting because the effects would have surely made my knees weak. “Challenge accepted.”
Shaking my head, I fight my smile. Like I said, charming.
“We’re here,” he says, pulling into a parking lot.
“Where is here?” I ask him. The building is unmarked.
“You’ll see.” He grins. Grabbing his keys, he hops out of the truck and rushes around to open my door. As soon as I’m on solid ground, he laces his fingers through mine and places his phone to his ear with his free hand. “Hey, Larry, yeah, just pulled up. Great, thanks,” he says, ending the call.
“A hint?” I ask. He’s obviously planned this out since he’s let someone know we’ve arrived.
“You’ll see soon enough.” He walks us to a side entrance door and knocks three times. Not a minute later, an older gentleman wearing a uniform, the name Larry on the chest, is opening the door and ushering us in. “Good to see you,” Easton says, holding out his hand for the older man to shake.
“You too, E. Everything’s all set up. Take your time. I’m working on the floors in the locker room,” he tells him.