Page 63 of The One I Love
“Okay,you have to admit that was good.”
“The only good part is when you let me kiss you.”
I playfully smack Shane’s arm. “We’re thirty-five-year-old adults. I can’t believe you wanted to make out in a movie theater.”
He shrugs. “Let’s just say I’m making up for lost time.”
I smile as he gives me a kiss on the cheek before helping me out of the reclining movie chairs. I don’t know who thought to install recliners as movie theater chairs, but I want to give them a medal. Best invention since wire-free bras and iced coffee.
When I said I wanted to keep this between us for a while, the biggest thing I wanted was to date. Be together. Do things together. Have outings and experiences, just the two of us. I know these won’t vanish when we finally tell everyone, but they are going to be few and far between. Which is why I suggested an impromptu date night tonight. Luke is staying at a friend’s house, and Mariah and Emerson went to a pool party. I might not get an overnight stay, but I’ll still take the date whilethe kids are occupied. And I asked for the most mundane, boring, date ever—dinner and a movie.
And it’s been perfect.
“Where to next?” Shane asks as we walk hand-in-hand back to his truck.
“Ice cream.”
“Ice cream?”
“Yes,” I say. “I want tonight to be the most basic date ever. Which means ice cream is next.”
He laughs as he opens the truck door for me. “If basic is what you want, then basic is what you’ll get.”
We share a quick kiss before he helps me into the truck. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be feeling butterflies at thirty-five years old because I’m on a date with my boyfriend, but I am. And even if I’m not, I don’t care. This is the best I’ve felt in a long, long time.
“Ice cream, here we come.”
Since we came up to Franklin for our date, Shane searches quickly for the nearest ice cream shop, which happens to only be a ten-minute drive from the movie theater.
“Thank you,” I say as I lay my head on his shoulder.
“For what?”
“This. Tonight. I mean, everything really. But tonight specifically.”
“Because I took you on a date?”
When he puts it like that, it does seem a little silly. “Yes, but it’s more than that. I know you want everyone to know. And that you’re keeping it quiet for me.”
“Yes. Though I would like to point out that those who do know—Izzy and Betsy—heard it from you. And Porter knows because of you kissing me. So everyone whodoesknow? That’s all you my darling.”
He’s flashing me what is becoming my favorite Shane grin. A little teasing. A little naughty. A whole lot of hot.
“Yes, I realize that. And the irony isn’t lost on me.”
“As long we’re on the same page that this is the worst-kept secret in Rolling Hills.”
“It’s not the worst.”
“Name the worst then.”
“Um…” How can I not think of one? There has to be at least one. “I can’t think of any now. But there are worse.”
“Sure…”
“What I was saying…” Shane laughs at my dramatic tone. “It’s nights like this that made me want to keep it to ourselves. That we didn’t have to feel obligated to include Wes or Betsy, or I guess Oliver and Izzy now. Or feeling guilty that I was excited when Luke told me he was hanging with friends. Just…I wanted nights with just the two of us. And this one is pretty perfect.”
Shane doesn’t say anything as he pulls into the parking lot of the small ice cream shop. I’m about to get out of the truck, when he puts his hand on my leg, stopping me from going anywhere.
