Page 49 of Wood You Knot

“It won’t take me long,” he assured me before closing the door and walking to the back of the truck. I could hear him opening the tailgate. I turned my head, watching out the rear window as he arranged a bunch of blankets and pillows in the bed of his truck. “No peeking,” he chided with a teasing grin.

I laughed, turning my head to allow him a moment to get everything set up. A few seconds later, he was opening my door, his kissable lips turned up in an excited grin.

“All right, it’s finally ready for you,” he said, holding his hand out for me to take. I took it, enjoying the feel of his warm, calloused palm against mine, and stepped onto the sand.

He released his hold on my hand so he could grab the take-away boxes, and I instantly felt bereft of his touch. He rectified that a moment later by putting the take-away boxes on the roof and placing his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward the bed of his truck.

Nix had set up a comfortable-looking arrangement with the blankets and pillows. He’d even strung up string lights along the back of the cab for ambiance, and there was a wooden breakfast tray with a fancy-looking bottle in an ice bucket and two glass beer steins.

“Whoa, Nix…this is beautiful,” I praised, taking it all in. It was such a sweet gesture and such a perfect idea for a first date. I’d been growing more and more nervous as our date approached, worrying everyone would bear witness to it. But there wasn’t a soul out on the private beach, just us and the beautiful lake.

Nix grinned as if my reaction was everything he’d hoped for and more. He climbed into the truck bed, holding his hand out so he could help me climb up too.

I took it, stepping on the hitch and allowing Nix’s strength to pull me up. We got the food set up and got comfortable leaning with our backs against the cab, our faces turned toward the water. Our food was spread out on the wooden tray positioned at our knees.

“I hope you still like cheeseburgers,” he said, handing me one of the take-away boxes.

“Oh, I’m a vegetarian…” I replied.

“Seriously? Shit.” When he frowned in genuine concern, I burst out laughing.

“I’m kidding. A cheeseburger sounds great,” I told him, opening the box and picking it up. I took a small bite, chewing it and swallowing.

“I mean, it wouldn’t have been terrible if you were a vegetarian; I’ve got nothing against them. Or vegans,” he added. “I just don’t have a non-animal option for tonight, so that would have sucked a little.”

“Speaking of sucking…I hear vegans give good head.” Nix whirled to look at me, his jaw slack with astonishment. “You know. Because they’re used to eating nuts.”

He stared at me for a beat, then started laughing, shaking his head. “Sage Whitaker, did you just crack a joke? And an inappropriate one at that?”

“I couldn’t miss the opportunity.” I smirked, satisfied I’d managed to surprise him a little. Judging by the grin on his face, he’d liked me surprising him.

“Well, I’m impressed,” Nix admitted, picking up his own burger and taking a bite of it. He swallowed, then turned to look at me, and I knew by the glint in his eyes he had a joke. “What do you call a vegan guy who likes to pleasure himself?”

“I don’t know, what?” I asked, trying to ignore the effect hearing him say pleasure himself had on me, or the accompanying visual.

“A nondairy creamer,” Nix replied, and I laughed. “I could go all night, but we’ll table the dirty jokes for now. We haven’t even cracked open the beer yet.”

“You got us beer?”

“Sure did. Do you want a glass now?” he asked, and I nodded. He twisted the cap off the bottle and poured the dark draft into the glasses. He handed me one, and I took it. “I hope you like it. It’s from the Brewery in town. Apparently, it’s really good. Parker recommended it. He said Tabitha loved it.”

I lifted the glass to my lips, taking a sip. The crisp, rich flavour of the chocolate stout hit my taste buds. I held it in my mouth for a moment, trying to get a read on all the different flavours. “Mmm, this is delicious. I’ve never had a beer that’s so…flavoursome.”

Nix took a sip from his glass, letting it sit on his tongue for a moment, too, before swallowing. “Yeah, it’s delicious. I think I taste chocolate, honey, and maybe even espresso. I’m impressed.”

“All of this is really impressive,” I told him, gesturing with my glass to the cute setup and the view of the water spread out in front of us. “Nobody’s ever…done anything like this for me before,” I admitted, taking another sip of the chocolate stout, wondering if I detected a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Interesting, but not in a bad way…it was the best-tasting chocolate stout I’d ever had.

“Really? What’s the most creative date you’ve been on?” Nix asked, taking an onion ring from the take-away container he’d placed between us on the wooden tray.

I thought for a moment. “This one. All my other dates were just out to the movies, or for dinner, or sometimes a club. I’ve been on a few wedding dates—which, are those really dates or obligations?”

“Probably more of an obligation and less of a date, although you can still have fun with the right person,” Nix replied.

“I guess that’s true. What about you…what’s the most creative date you’ve ever been on?”

Nix’s cheeks turned a little rosy, and it was sweet to see him a little bashful. He brought his hand to the back of his head and scratched at his neck. “Well, I won’t lie. I’m creative when it comes to the dating game. I had a great example with my dad and my mom. But this is hands-down one of my top-tier ideas. But personally, I think it’s got more to do with the girl I’m trying to impress than my ability to plan a decent date.” He winked. “But also…there’s been no interruptions—yet, anyway—from nosey busybodies.”

I peered around him, checking out the still-empty private beach. It was quiet, the crickets, grey tree frogs, and the waves lapping against the shoreline the only noises aside from our voices.

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