Page 38 of New Hope

Chapter Thirteen

FORD

“Have a great time and be good,” I reminded Ellie.

“I will. Papaw said he had a surprise for us. I can’t wait to see what it is.”

My heart squeezed as I heard the name she used for River’s father. Ever since she’d spent the night there, she’d taken to calling his parents Nana and Papaw, the way Hannah did. They were wonderful people, treating Ellie as a second granddaughter, but I’d been surprised at how quickly Ellie had adopted them. A part of me felt sad that she would never have a chance to know my parents that way. They would have made terrific grandparents. But mostly, I was thankful that River’s parents were willing to fill that role. As far as I was concerned, the more people Ellie had in her life that loved her, the better.

I smiled at her. “Surprises are fun. You’ll have to tell me all about it tomorrow.”

I gave her a kiss, then opened the door when I heard a car pull into the driveway. Hannah hopped out, running to hug Ellie, the two of them talking excitedly about their fun night ahead. River popped the trunk of his car, then turned to me as I walked down the steps. “Hey.”

“Hi.” We stood there, grinning at each other like two lovestruck teenagers.

Others may have found it cringe-worthy, but I was enjoying it, the anticipation of knowing I would see him, the swirly feeling in the pit of my stomach when he smiled that special smile reserved just for me, the way his eyes lit up whenever I walked into a room.

River had made good on his end of our deal, cooking dinner for us a couple of times throughout the week. We’d taken advantage of the time together to explore the changes in our relationship. Private looks over the dinner table, whispered words as we stood side by side, washing dishes, holding hands under a blanket while we watched a movie with the girls, and stolen kisses when we thought no one else was looking. It was exhilarating and I never wanted it to end.

I tucked Ellie’s overnight bag inside the trunk then helped River usher the girls into the back seat. With a final kiss and hug for my girl, I shut the car door, walking around to where he was. “Is there anything you need me to bring tonight?”

“Nope. I told you, I’d take care of everything. All I need is you.” The last part was said quieter than the rest, but its meaning spoke volumes.

I raised a hand between us, my fingers itching to trace the curve of his jaw, to feel the softness of his cheek, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I let my arm drop, shoving my hands in my pockets instead. My eyes darted to the back seat, relieved to see the girls with their heads bent together, flipping through a book and completely oblivious to us.

He took a step further into my space. “Tonight,” he whispered. “Just you, me, and no one to see if we want to kiss or hold hands or…anything else.” With only a few words, he had my cock stirring to life and my blood turning to molten lava. River Adams might just be the death of me, but try as I might, I couldn’t think of a better way to go.

I swore under my breath, making River’s grin turn wicked as if he’d read my thoughts. “What time do you want me there?”

“I need to take the girls to my parents and handle a few last-minute things. Give me an hour?”

“Okay. See you then.”

He winked. “I can’t wait.”

I watched them drive away then turned to the house, grinning like a fool as I climbed the steps and went inside to get ready for our first date.

Forty minutes later, I was freshly showered and dressed. I stood in front of the mirror, messing with my hair as I tried to force a few wayward strands to cooperate. I stepped back, giving my reflection a good once over. Shirt tucked in, check. Buttons through the correct holes and pants zipped, check. Fresh breath? I cupped a hand over my mouth and blew into it then sniffed. Smelled fine to me, but I grabbed the bottle of mouthwash and swished some around in my mouth just to be sure.

River had insisted on making all the arrangements for our date, so I had no idea where we were going or what he had planned. It was romantic for sure but made choosing the appropriate attire difficult. After rummaging through my closet for something to wear, I’d finally settled on a nicer pair of black slacks and a gray dress shirt. I debated on whether or not I should wear a tie but, in the end, decided to go without, leaving the top two buttons of my shirt undone.

Noting the time, I hurried to the front door, snatched my keys off the small table, and headed outside. The drive to River’s house only took a few minutes but I spent that time trying to calm my nerves. I was excited about our date. I’d been looking forward to it all week and was anxious to have some time alone with him, but part of me was also a nervous wreck.

I hadn’t been on a date in over ten years and never with another man. I was woefully out of practice when it came to wooing someone. What if I was no good at it? What if I did something wrong and ended up making a complete fool of myself? A wave of doubt washed over me. Only the thought of River, with his kind eyes and warm smile, kept me from turning my truck around and heading back home.

This wasn’t some blind date with a random stranger, I reminded myself. This was River. I knew him and trusted him. I also trusted the fact that he wouldn’t leave me to figure everything out on my own. He understood a lot of this was new to me and had promised we’d navigate this relationship together, wherever it was headed.

I felt much calmer by the time I pulled up to his house. I hadn’t wanted to show up empty handed, so I’d bought a bottle of wine earlier in the week. I grabbed it off the passenger seat and made my way up the sidewalk and onto his front porch. Before I could even knock, the door swung open with River on the other side, that special smile affixed to his face. He looked gorgeous in a dark gray pair of slacks and a thin, lighter gray sweater and I breathed a sigh of relief that I’d chosen the right clothing.

“This is for you,” I said, holding up the bottle of wine. I swore I’d buy him a bottle of wine every day for the rest of his life if it got him to smile at me the way he was right then.

“Thank you. You look amazing by the way.”

I felt myself blush at the compliment. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

“Mmm. You just earned yourself a kiss.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine a couple of times before deepening the kiss.

I groaned, disappointed when he pulled away after only a few seconds. “What about the wine? Do I get a kiss for that too?”

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