Page 29 of Gavin

She wanted to talk to her mom and share her excitement, but her mom hadn’t returned any of her messages, not even after Gavin had bought her a cell phone and she’d reached out with her new number and email address. She’d texted Alli as well, who hadn’t heard from her mom either.

She felt unsettled at not getting a reply from her mom but hoped everything was okay and that she’d hear from her soon.

There was a loud knock on the front door and Sadie smiled at her reflection then shut off the light. Grabbing her cell, she put it in a small purse and walked through the house to the front door. When she opened the door, she felt like she hadn’t seen Gavin in ages even though it had only been an hour.

It was an hour well spent though, because he looked amazing.

He was wearing a dress shirt and slacks, and he looked mouth-wateringly good.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” he said, lifting a bouquet of wildflowers.

She took the bouquet from him and smiled at the colorful flowers tied with a white ribbon. “Do you have a vase for these? I want to put them in water before we go.”

“Um, crap, no. But I do have a beer mug that should work.”

He led her to the kitchen, pulled a heavy-bottomed mug from a cabinet, and filled it with water. After arranging the flowers, she set the mug on the kitchen table and gave him a kiss. “Thank you, they’re so pretty.”

“Are you ready for our date?”

“Very. I missed you, but you were only away an hour.”

“It definitely felt longer.”

He took her hand and they left the house and walked to his truck that was idling in the driveway. “It’s not too far,” he said. Then he shut her in the truck and got behind the wheel.

They turned right out of the street and drove for a few minutes, turning here and there, past similar homes. They’d discussed finding another home in the pride, but she really liked the home he had and didn’t want to be anywhere else.

He stopped in front of a quaint home that was bracketed on either side by towering pines. It had weathered wooden siding with ivy clinging to the walls and flower boxes filled with brightflowers. The sunset lent a golden glow to the home which made it look charming, like something out of a fairy tale.

Gavin turned off the truck and got out, coming around to help her out and onto the street. They walked up the gravel drive and the front door opened as they approached. A female stood in the doorway with rich auburn hair streaked with gray that cascaded around her shoulders in loose waves. She wore a long, flowing dress in a gauzy, earth-tone fabric with a shawl around her shoulders.

“Gavin, Sadie, welcome,” she greeted them, her voice as warm and inviting as the house itself. She stepped aside so they could enter. “Sadie, I’m Nora.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Sadie said.

“You as well,” she said.

As they crossed the threshold, the scent of the cottage enveloped Sadie, from an earthy aroma of dried herbs to the faint yeasty smell of baking bread. A large, hand-woven rug covered the wooden floor, softening the sounds of their feet as they walked.

Nora led them through a homey kitchen with brick walls and a dark stone floor to a wooden door. “I’m so glad you could come,” she said. “It’s been a long while since I’ve had the chance to host such a special evening.”

Sadie looked at Gavin. They were going to have their first date at Nora’s home? That was so incredibly cool.

Nora opened the wooden door and gestured toward a back porch. Gavin gave Sadie’s hand a squeeze and they stepped out of the house. It felt like they’d walked into another world. Twinkle lights were strung above the porch, casting a gentle glow over the intimate setting. Sheer curtains enclosed the space, billowing in the light breeze and giving a sense of privacy. A small, round table was set in the center with a lacy tableclothand a small vase of flowers in the center. A few candles flickered on the table, lending another element to the romantic ambiance.

“I’ve prepared a meal that I hope you’ll both enjoy. Steak with compound butter, mashed potatoes, fresh baked sourdough bread, and chocolate bread pudding with honeyed fruit for dessert.”

“It smells incredible,” Sadie said as she and Gavin sat.

Nora left them on the porch.

“What do you think?” Gavin asked.

“It’s…amazing. When you said we were staying in town I thought there was a restaurant here.”

“There is one,” he said, “but I talked to Maya and she suggested that I ask Nora if she’d prepare something for us. The restaurant is nice but it’s not as private as this. Nora’s my mom’s friend and she was happy to host us. The only thing I told her is that it was our first date and I wanted it to be spectacular.”

“It is,” Sadie said. “This is…much more than I ever expected for a first date.”

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