“Never once.” He pulls out a Tupperware filled with meat and cheese and a packet of crackers. “You’re the first.”
“I’m honored.” I genuflect, meaning it. “You can really clear your head up here.”
“This is kind of like my equivalent of the ocean.” He continues pulling out goodies. Fresh fruit from the market, a crudité platter with hummus.
“It may even be better.” I grab a seat, pulling the two glasses out of my wine holder. “You can’t eat like this at the beach unless you want sand all up in your teeth.”
Stark winces a little. “Gritty.”
“Yep.” I open the wine and pour two glasses as we settle in. The gentle breeze blows my hair back, cool enough to ease the slight sweat I worked up hiking up here. “Cheers,” I say, raising my glass. Stark follows suit.
“I’m glad you asked me out.” He says.
“Well, someone had to make the first move.”
His mouth drops open. “Hey, I approached you at the bar.”
“Actually, your friend approached my friend.” I take a sip of the white wine, crisp and perfect for a day like today.
“Great.That’ll be the story we tell our kids.” He says, and I nearly choke on my wine. “Oh shit.” His face goes red. “It was hypothetical. You know how people always talk about shit likethat, and…oh fuck it.” He takes a long sip of the wine while I giggle at his misstep.
At this moment, though, all I can think about is how adorable our kids would be. Who knows if they’d be blonde or dark-haired, blue-eyed or green, but if they had the slightest bit of Stark’s genes, they’d be gorgeous. “And here I thought I blew it by talking about sleeping outside.”
“Yeah, yeah. This date is over.” Stark starts to stand, and I reach out, protesting playfully. His laugh is musical, a little lighter than I would’ve pictured. It suits him. For a man with such a testy temper, he’s so beautiful when he smiles.
I raise my glass again. “To our future kids.” Stark’s smile fades, a seriousness taking over. “Let’s hope they get my temperament.”
“Jesus Christ, I’ll drink to that.” We clink glasses, my stomach dancing with butterflies, and I realize just how smitten I am with the giant man sitting across from me.
Chapter Seven
Stark
The day passes quickly,but I drink in every moment. Teddie’s beauty far surpasses that of the view. From her slightly tanned skin to the way her nose crinkles when she laughs, it’s safe to say I’m completely taken with her. She’s sitting close enough that our knees touch, but I haven’t found the exact right moment to kiss her.
“So your family’s back on the West Coast?” I grab a chocolate chip cookie, brushing the crumbs off my shorts.
“Yeah, my dad, step-mom, and two little brothers.”
“My parents are divorced too.”
“Mmm.” Teddie tenses up, her gaze shifting toward the empty plates before us.
“Do you talk to your mom?”
She lets out a long sigh and tosses her hair over her shoulder before straightening up. “I don’t know where she is, and to be honest, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass.”
“Wow.” It comes out without thinking. Her head snaps in my direction. “I’m not judging you. My dad was a total asshole. I don’t talk to him anymore. It’s better for everyone.” This softens her a little.
“My mom cheated on my dad when I was little. She walked out on my brothers and me and left my dad a total wreck in the process.” She sucks her lip in between her teeth, pausing for a moment. “He got kind of crazy, started drinking a lot, and then started getting volatile with my brothers.” Teddie’s perceptive enough to see my fists clench. She wraps her hand over mine. “Not abusive, just…angry. I mean, his wife walked out on him, leaving him three kids under ten.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s not a bad man.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“But he did need some help with the trauma of it all. He’d get so mad he’d break things. One time I found him in the kitchen throwing the dishes against the kitchen floor one by one.”
“Christ.”
“Yeah. It woke me up. I was eight and had no idea what was happening, but something had taken over. It was like I saw through his anger and realized how sad my daddy was.” Teddie takes a sip of her wine. “I walked into the kitchen barefoot and took his hand. When he looked into my eyes, he just started crying. He picked me up and held me so tight.” She wraps her arms around herself. “I’ll never forget that feeling.”