Page 74 of Blindly Yours

I burst out a laugh that’s a little too loud and then I clear my throat when neighboring table guests look my way. But Rose laughs too, and we both end up grinning at each other like idiots for a moment too long.

“You clearly needed help with your form. What’s a man to do?” I chuckle.

She clears her throat and returns her attention to her meal while I cue up the endless list of questions I have for this girl who endlessly surprises me.

“Well, we won the game, didn’t we?” She wiggles her brow.

Yes, I’d say we both won the game.

Conversation flows freely for the rest of our meal, and then after dinner, I drive her home, because regretfully, I haven’t planned anything else for our date. I pull up to her building and put the truck in park, then I rest my hands on the steering wheel. “This was really—”

“Want to take a walk?” she interrupts, sitting up and turning to me with hopeful eyes. “There’s a little park just there.” She points to the left of her building.

“Sure.” I nod, biting my lip to conceal my eagerness.

“Or…” She frowns. “Do you have to get back to Kara?”

I look at my watch and shake my head. “She’s asleep by now. Her sitter is just watching TV. She’d be doing the same thing at her own place. She won’t mind how late I get back.”

Rose lets a small smile free. “Ok.”

We cross the street into a quaint park lit by vintage-style streetlights. There’s a gravel path that heads down the middle, lined by neatly trimmed boxwoods. The snow is melting surprisingly fast, but even though the air still holds an obvious chill, Rose doesn’t seem to mind under her wool coat.

“This was fun,” she exhales, looking ahead.

I nod and pull my own coat tighter around me. “It was. I’m really glad you agreed to come.”

She shoves her hands into her pockets as we walk. “Well, wedidagree to give it a chance no matter what.”

That’s exactly what we said to each other on the app, just moments before our realization. “Is that the reason you came? Just because we promised we’d give it a chance?”

She lifts her eyes to mine for just a moment, and I see the apprehension there. “No.”

“So, what truly made you change your mind then?” I swallow and peer down at the few stray leaves on our path, leftover from last fall. Part of me worries I’m pulling her away from a world she really doesn’t want to say goodbye to.

She takes a deep breath. “I realized the only reason I said no initially was because I was afraid of disappointing my parents.”

“Are they really so strict that they’d punish you if you dated someone without a PhD or a multi-million-dollar mansion?” I grimace because I will never have either of those things.

Rose shakes her head. “Not in a literal sense, but they won’t be proud, and I can’t deny that scares me. Their opinion matters.”

“I don’t blame you,” I reply softly. I can almost feel her shrinking next to me as she admits this, and I don’t want her to feel so alone. “In truth, my parents have also been really concerned about who I date. For different reasons, but their approval has always mattered to me too.”

She runs a hand through her hair and peers out across the park. “Honestly, I don’t think they care so much about who I date. My brothers have both been through their share of lots of different brands of women, and my parents don’t really bat an eye.” She pauses. “It’s marriage they’re so intent on. That’s where they want to butt in.”

“No one should tell you who to marry,” I say carefully.

“I know.” She tugs her coat closer and glances up at me, chewing on her lip. “You joined Blindly because you were looking for something serious, right? That’s what you said?”

I nod. “Casual dating isn’t really on my radar right now. Not at this point in my life.” I clear my throat. “And with Kara…”

Rose comes to a stop and turns to me. Her big eyes look up into mine, calculating. “So, then why ask me on this date?”

I tilt my head. I don’t think I understand.

“I couldn’t possibly be what you’re looking for.” She gestures to herself. “I live in the city. I don’t know the first thing about raising chickens or running a home. I don’t even know how to cook.”

A smile tugs at my lips because she’s right. And I don’t quite know why I’m pursuing this either. It doesn’t make much sense, but something is preventing me from letting her go.

---