Wren
Icouldn’tbelieveI was out on a date with Atlas Ranes. Or anyone, for that matter. I’d thought I wasn’t ready for something like this yet, and maybe I wasn’t, but Atlas made me feel brave enough to try.
I hadn’t asked where we were going or what we were doing, but I started to get concerned when we veered off the road onto a very small, very narrow dirt path.
I grabbed onto the upper handle on the truck ceiling as the bumpy road tossed me from side to side. My stomach roiled, and I threw Atlas a concerned glance. He didn’t say anything, but I was pretty sure he smirked.
We were on the questionable dirt road for a short time before Atlas stopped the truck, backed up a little bit, and threw it in park.
He turned to me, hands on the wheel as a sheepish grin curled his lips.
“I’m gonna be real honest with you,” he said slowly. “I haven’t been on a whole lot of dates. Especially not with anyone I cared enough about to worry if they were going to enjoy it. So, I guess I’m asking for a bit of grace here if this isn’t what you expected.”
I gave him a confused half smile, glancing at our surroundings. There was a whole lot of nothing. Trees and tall grass and wildflowers. “Okay, then,” I said, unsure.
He nodded once and hopped out of the truck in a fluid movement. He quickly made his way to the passenger side and opened my door, offering me his hand.
I took it, savoring his warm touch.
I hadn’t been wrong about the whole lot of nothing. But by the soft lapping of water and cries of the birds, we were close to the river.
Atlas opened the small second door of the truck and pulled out a large, woven picnic basket from the back seat.
I stared at it, pressing a hand over my mouth. I’d never seen a legit picnic basket before. Honestly, I didn’t even know they made them like that.
Atlas held it up with a shrug. “I figured since you work at the best restaurant in town, it would be kinda lame to take you there on our first date so…” He tapped the basket.
My mouth fell open. “You made me a picnic dinner? I’ve never been on a picnic.”
His eyebrows rose. “Never?”
I shook my head.
“Well then, city girl, let me show you how we do it down here in the ol’ South.” He walked back to the bed of the truck and lowered the tailgate.
I followed him cautiously, freezing when I saw the inside of the truck bed.
It was filled with cozy, plush blankets and too many pillows to count. I think there might have even been a cushioned mat lining the bottom. It looked so comfortable, like we could sleep there if we wanted to.
I turned to him, mouth gaping. “You turned your truck…into an actual bed!”
He chuckled. “Just for you. Now hop on up there and we can eat.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I climbed onto the tailgate and crawled on the soft blankets. Atlas set the picnic basket in front of me and jumped in.
Our eyes met, and I think mine were probably sparkling. This didn’t feel like a date. When I thought of dates, I thought of crowded restaurants and fancy dresses and anxiety.
This was almost the exact opposite. Fresh air, and two people sharing each other’s company, without any pressure or expectations.
Atlas settled in next to me, so close our legs touched. He gave me a soft smile. “What do you think about the view?”
At first, I thought he was talking about himself, and that was definitely drool-worthy, but his eyes darted forward, and I followed his gaze. My breath lodged in my chest.
From the angle we were parked, we had a perfect view of the river, flowing out before us. The sun was starting to dip in the sky, directly in the middle. If we sat here long enough, we’d have a front-row seat to the sunset as it sank into the water.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, not wanting to take my eyes away. “How did you know about this place?”
Atlas whispered in my ear, making goose bumps rise along my skin. “I like to fish. My dad would take me all over to the best fishing spots and this happens to be one of them. Not many people know about it, so don’t worry about someone coming along. It’s just us out here.”