“Really?” I didn’t bother to hide the surprise in my voice. It’d be a nice, low-key place, but I’d expected she might want something fancier rather than the opposite, even with her daughter in tow.
“Is that a problem?”
I shook my head, despite the fact she couldn’t see me. Reflex, I guess. “Sounds perfect. Would five-thirty work on Monday? You need to pick her up from school, right?”
“Yes, that works. Yes, I do. Since we’re doing something different, you should know she’ll be a little hyper.”
I laughed. “If I can negotiate international business deals, I can deal with a hyper five-year-old.”
“Famous last words.” Emily chuckled, and it was the first time she’d seemed a bit lighter since we started the conversation. “Okay,” she said. “See you Monday, Logan.”
“See you Monday, Emily.”
She hung up.
I lowered my phone, a mix of excitement and disappointment warring in me. Whether or not I’d screwed up after the date, it didn’t matter, as I now had another chance. My only regret was that I’d have to wait another day.
I couldn’t deny it anymore. I wanted this woman.
Chapter Eleven
EMILY
I stared at Juniper in my rearview mirror. The only things keeping her from bouncing all over my backseat were the seatbelt and her car seat. This was the trouble with telling my daughter things ahead of time. She would work herself up into a frenzy. An adorable frenzy, but still.
“Are we there yet?” Juniper asked. “Are we there yet? Are there yet?”
I chuckled as I turned a corner. “Almost, sweet pea. Just keep calm.”
Maybe I was concentrating on my daughter so my nerves wouldn’t get to me. My heart had been pounding since I picked Juniper up from school. This wasn’t just another Monday afternoon for either of us.
This was a date. An official date scheduled not by my Mama or Logan’s mother but between us. I’d have no excuse to hide behind if things got screwed up. Well, I could pretend it wasn’t truly a date, but what else did you call a man and woman who weren’t already close friends getting together for a meal?
Not that Juniper cared about meeting Logan. She vaguely remembered him from the party at my mother’s, but she’d spent most of the time in the toy room. She was mainly excited about the idea of going out to eat.
Turning the final corner on the way to the café, I wondered what this date even meant. I’d thought Logan wasn’t interested, but then he’d gone out of his way to set up another date with me, even going so far as to suggest Juniper come along.
That had to mean something, but I wasn’t sure what. I also wasn’t sure how to deal with the fact I was going out to eat with a man at all, let alone a man who wasn’t put off by the fact I already had a kid.
It was nice to be wanted, but the more I thought about it, the less of a good idea it seemed. Yes, Logan Hawkins was nice to look at, and from what he said, it sounded like he was a great kisser. Or maybe I was the great kisser. I wished I could remember.
He didn’t seem to be a bum, but more than anything, my daughter needed stability, and I now regretted bringing her along. I was no better than Lionel.
We finally pulled into the parking lot of the café, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.
Juniper clapped. “Can I get a milkshake, Mama?”
“Now, Juniper, I don’t think you need a milkshake for dinner.”
“Please,” she whined.
“We’ll talk about it.”
I stepped out and moved to the other side of the car to let Juniper out. She jumped to the ground, doing some strange little dance before giggling. I didn’t bother to ask her what it meant.
Holding her hand, I walked to the front of the café, a bit of relief settling over me. By avoiding a fancy place, I wouldn’t raise Logan’s hopes any more than they already had been. Whatever strange and embarrassing connection we had made at my Mama’s house, I had to let it fade, if only for the sake of my daughter. Maybe in a few more years, when she was a bit older and more emotionally settled, I could worry about dating men.
Logan emerged from the front door and offered us a wide wave. I waved back, and Juniper let go of my hand to wave back with both hers.