Page 38 of Small Town CEO Grump

I hoped that in the future there would be times when I could take both of them out to dinner, but for our first official date, I wanted it to be just the two of us. We had never let ourselves address all of the romantic tension that was there between us, and now that we were going to, I figured it wouldn’t be appropriate to have Tyler there. I could tell that she felt the same way.

“How about I pick you up at six?” I asked. “I was thinking we could get dinner and then go for a walk on the beach if you would like.”

“Oh, that sounds delightful,” she said.

“Indeed,” I said.

Jenna turned and looked at the office one last time. “You know, this place was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. It was perfect, but now it’s time to move on to other things.”

I nodded. “Exactly. It’s your time now. You showed up for your son. You did what you needed to do, and now it’s your time. You completely deserve all that is happening for you, and I know you’re going to be exceptional.”

Jenna beamed, and it was all I could do to not scoop her into my arms and kiss her. As much as I wanted to, I knew it wasn’t the right time or place.

“What are you doing tonight?” I asked, stepping back from her and deliberately changing the subject.

“I am going over to my parents house, and we are going to have a celebration dinner,” she said. “They have been watching Tyler for me this evening, and they’re making my favorite meal.”

“Oh, that’s awesome,” I said. “I bet your parents are so excited for you.”

“They are,” she said.

“It’s great that they are so supportive of you!””

“I know. I am so thankful. I honestly don’t know what I would do without them.”

I had met her parents at a baseball game just a couple of weeks earlier, and I had instantly liked them. She was a true combination of both of them. Her mom was very sweet and gentle, and her dad had a lot of energy and confidence. It was evident how much they cared for their daughter and how proud they were.

“What are they making for you?” I asked.

“Pot roast!” she said, excitedly. It has been my favorite from the time I was a little girl.”

“Yum! That’s one of my favorites, too.”

“Do you want to come too?” She asked, shyly.

“Are you sure?” I said. “I don’t want to intrude on your celebration.”

“You wouldn’t be intruding,” she said, blushing. “You would make it better.”

“In that case, I would be happy to.”

***

That night as I climbed into bed I couldn’t help but think about how wonderful the entire night had been.

Her parents had been kind and gracious, and it had been really fun celebrating her. Tyler was very excited that I was with them for dinner, and I loved it. I had been worried that it might be a bit awkward, but it wasn’t. It felt completely natural to be there, and I hadn’t wanted the evening to end.

As I turned on my side and tried to go to sleep, I couldn’t help but wish the time would speed up so that we could get to the next Saturday night.

Chapter 16

Jenna

As I reread the same sentence for the fifth time, I realized that I was not going to focus at all on the book I was trying to finish. I could not stop thinking about my upcoming date with Ryan. Although I was excited about the date, I also felt very anxious. I didn’t exactly know why I was so anxious, but no matter how much I tried to relax, I just couldn't.

I picked up the book again, but before I even opened it up my mind began to wander.

Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to work this out on my own, I picked up my phone and called my mom.

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