“That’s okay. I won’t cook anything with shellfish,” he seemed amused. “I’m Gregory Williams, by the way.”
“Kinsley,” I said, shaking his hand. “Adams. Kinsley Adams. That’s me.”
“Well, Kinsley Adams, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
His eyes twinkled. I’d only ever read about things like that in books, but the cowboy’s eyes actually twinkled as he looked at me, and I realized, in that moment, that I was in terrible trouble. We hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers yet, and already I was thinking about this guy’s twinkling eyes.
Dinner was going to be…
Incredible.
2
Gregory
Asking the little lady to come for dinner had been out of the ordinary for me. I wasn’t exactly the dating type. I was a busy man, and I was trying to raise Bailey all on my own, bu
t something had come over me when I’d seen her standing there looking so forlorn. I’d wanted to save her in that moment. I’d wanted to give her something to smile about. It was ironic, perhaps, since I myself was such a bundle of nerves. There was just something about seeing another person in trouble, though. I really wanted to be the kind of guy who made her smile.
“Mmm, something smells good! What are you cooking?” My 13-year-old daughter bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. She moved her nose around in the air, dramatically sniffing to see what I was making.
“Pasta, meatballs, garlic bread, and a salad.”
“Wait a minute…” Bailey’s eyes narrowed, and she looked at me suspiciously. I could see the wheels turning in her head. I knew I probably should have told her we were having company, but I hadn’t. Having a woman over for dinner when my daughter would be present was unconditional and a little weird, but I hadn’t tried dating someone since Ashley died. I wasn’t really sure what the rules were for dating a widower, so I figured it was best to just get everything out in the open all at once. “You’re cooking something fancy. Why?”
“We have a guest coming,” I said.
“Who? The Browns?”
“No, I didn’t invite our neighbors for dinner.”
“Janet?”
“No, I didn’t invite the other neighbor for dinner.”
“Someone who helps you with the animals?”
“No, I didn’t invite any employees for dinner.”
“Then who?” Bailey shook her head, exasperated. “Dad, I’ve guessed everyone I know!”
“A woman,” I winked at Bailey and turned back to the spaghetti. I didn’t know whether this was an appropriate first-date dinner or not. I hadn’t been on a date since I was 19 and I’d asked Ashley out. We’d gotten married shortly after. Our entire relationship had been a whirlwind of happiness and contentment. Bailey had joined us, and then Ashley had left us. For a long time, it had just been me and my daughter. Ashley had passed away nearly a year ago. Sometimes it felt like an eternity. Other times, it felt like the blink of an eye.
“What?” Bailey shrieked. “What!?”
“A woman,” I repeated. I stirred the sauce next, careful not to let it burn. “Her name is Kinsley.”
“What?”
“Which part of the story do I need to repeat?” I asked gently, smiling over at Bailey. She didn’t seem mad or upset. She was just wildly surprised. Her jaw was hanging open, as though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Maybe I shouldn’t have sprung everything on her like this. After all, it was definitely a bit shocking.
“The whole thing. Dad, you met a girl! Where? How? When is she arriving?”
“She’ll be here in about half an hour,” I explained. “I met her at the bakery yesterday. She works there. She was standing outside of her car, and I don’t know what came over me, but I invited her for dinner.”
That was the truth. I wasn’t exactly a spur-of-the-moment kind of fellow. Most of the time, my decisions were carefully calculated. I liked to play things safe when it came to my life. It wasn’t because Ashley had passed away. I’d always been that way. My late wife had been very gracious when dealing with me. Now, I was slowly starting to ease out of my comfort zone.
“I can’t believe you invited a girl over, Dad. You never invite people over.” Bailey shook her head again, obviously perplexed.