Page 72 of Crossroads of Love

“Thanks for tonight, Gavin,” Lena adds quietly. “I had a lot of fun.”

I smile down at her, squeezing her hand gently. I open the door for Jayla and help her in. Then quickly do the same for Lena.

“Thanks for letting me hang with you guys tonight,” I tell her before I brush my lips against hers.

When we pull away, she smiles up at me, staring into my eyes. “It was a good day.”

“I agree.”

She climbs into her SUV, and I close the door. I watch as she starts it and then drives out of the parking lot before I climb into Dad’s truck.

Leaving in a few days is going to be harder than I expected.

Chapter Fifteen

Lena

As I pull up to the farm, the sun is just starting to dip below the horizon. I didn’t expect him to invite me over for dinner tonight, especially since he wasn’t supposed to be back from the city yet.

Jayla is spending the night with Tatum and Mike’s kids while the two of them go to a twenty-first birthday party for Mike’s niece. She’ll be off her grounding in a few days, though. She’s really shown up and gone above and beyond with her chores and other things.

I’m a little nervous as I park behind Henry’s truck. Gavin stands by the porch, his arms folded casually over his chest, a small smile playing on his lips as he watches me approach. He looks so at ease here, like he belongs. The farm suits him, rugged, steady, dependable, just like he’s been lately.

Ooh, girl, get those thoughts out of your head. You can’t soak your panties before you even say hi to him.

“Hey.” I smile as I walk toward him.

“Hey yourself,” he replies, unfolding his arms and moving down the porch steps to meet me. “Glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” I say as I look up at him, and for a moment, we just stand there, our eyes locked. Something about being around him makes everything else fade away.“I’m glad you’re back early. I missed you.”

And my panties are even more soaked now.

“Come on.” He nods toward the house. “I have dinner ready.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You? Cook dinner?”

He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, full disclosure, I may have cheated a little.”

“Oh?” I tease, crossing my arms over my chest as I follow him inside. “How so?”

“Well,” he explains, leading me through the front door and into the kitchen, “I ordered from the diner, threw away the containers, and tried to pass it off as my own.”

I burst out laughing, my hand covering my mouth. “Are you serious?”

He looks at me sheepishly, shrugging. “What can I say? I got back from the city later than I wanted and then got buried in my dad’s paperwork again, lost track of time, and suddenly it was almost dinner, and I had nothing ready.”

Still giggling, I shake my head. “You could’ve just told me. I wouldn’t have minded ordering takeout.”

“But where’s the charm in that?” he asks, winking at me. “Besides, I wanted it to be special.”

I smile as I glance around the kitchen. Hearing him say that he wanted it to be special feels nice. Despite the deception, he had gone through the trouble of setting up a nice dinner for us with candles flickering on the table, two plates set with silverware, and even a bottle of wine chilling nearby.

“Okay, I’ll let it slide,” I tease, walking over to the table and taking a seat. “But next time, you actually have to cook.”

“Deal.”

Gavin sits across from me, pouring us both a glass of wine before uncovering the dishes he’d transferred from the diner’s takeout containers to proper serving bowls. Despite the fact that he hadn’t cooked it himself, the spread looks delicious: burgers, fries, and some of the diner’s famous onion rings.

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