Page 97 of Lee

All morning, every time his phone had chimed with a message, he’d braced himself to read that Rori had changed her mind. But there was still no cancellation text, so he was proceeding with the agreed-upon plan.

When he reached her building, Lee got out and headed for the door. The lack of security still worried him, but he pushed it aside as he jogged down the stairs to the below ground floor where Rori’s apartment was situated.

In the dim hallway outside her door, Lee paused for a moment and prayed that God would guide their time together that afternoon. Then he rapped on the door and waited for Rori to open it.

When she did, she had a smile on her face, and the knot Lee had been trying to ignore in his stomach loosened.

“Hi,” Rori said, her smile going soft.

“Hi.” Lee took in her appearance. She was wearing a pair of denim shorts that ended just above her knees, and she’d paired them with a sage green T-shirt. “You look beautiful.”

“Oh.” She glanced down at herself, then back up at him, her cheeks pink. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned sideways and held out his elbow. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yep. Just let me grab my bag.”

She walked to the counter in the kitchen to pick up her camera bag. When Lee had told her to bring it along, her curiosity had definitely been piqued. But all he’d told her was that she might want to take some pictures.

When she stepped into the hallway, Lee took the camera bag from her, then waited as she locked her door. Together, they climbed the stairs, then headed out of the building to his car.

“Have you explored outside of Serenity much since moving here?” Lee asked as he pulled away from the curb.

“Not really.” She shifted in her seat, and Lee glanced over to see her angled to face him. “Aside from when I was here to cat-sit. That place was out of town. I usually spent some time each day walking around that property.”

“Well, we’re not going anywhere near as fancy as the grounds of a mansion,” Lee said. “But I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I will.”

Her confidence in his ability to plan a date she’d like made him smile. More than anything, he wanted her to enjoy this time so they could do it again and again.

He drove past the outskirts of the town and headed toward the road that circled the lake that wasn’t far from Serenity. They drove around to a gravel road that led away from the lake. About a mile down the road, he pulled the car into a small area with a packed dirt section.

“This is a remote wooded area,” Rori said. The words might have been wary from someone else, but he didn’t hear any concern in her voice.

Lee chuckled. “Well, it is wooded, but not so remote. We’ll probably have company at some point.”

They got out of the car, then Lee grabbed the stuff from the back. “Let’s go this way.”

Together they walked on a dirt path, following alongside the creek that ran through the area until they came to a spot where there was a wide stretch of grass under towering shade trees. There were a couple of picnic tables in the area, but he didn’t choose one of them.

“Now,” Lee began. “I want you to wait right here.”

Rori looked around. “Okay?”

Leaving Rori on the path, Lee walked across the grass, looking for the best spot to lay the blanket. Once he’d found it beneath the cathedral-like canopy of trees, Lee laid out all the picnic items with the meticulous care of a stage director setting the scene for the opening night.

The warm summer afternoon air was fragrant with the scent of wildflowers and fresh earthiness. Sunlight cascaded through the leaves of the towering trees like ribbons of gold. Water bubbled softly in the creek, joining in concert with the rustle of the leaves in the light breeze that stirred them.

It all wove together to create a dreamy, romantic atmosphere that was way beyond anything Lee could have planned himself. He had chosen this spot not only for its natural beauty but also for the way the light danced through the leaves, casting ever-changing patterns on the grass, hoping Rori would find the scenes irresistible to photograph.

He had wanted Rori to be comfortable and to enjoy herself for this first date, which was why he’d catered to the hobby she seemed to love. And though it was all quite simple, he hoped the food would also be to her liking.

Once everything was placed to his satisfaction, Lee walked over to where Rori stood. “Sorry to make you wait.”

“No need to apologize,” she told him. “It’s so beautiful here.”

He took the camera bag from her, then offered his arm. They walked across the grass to the blanket. It was set back from the path, near the tree line, so if anyone came along, they wouldn’t interrupt their picnic.

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