Page 71 of Spur of the Moment
“Why?”
“They’re beautiful, is all.”
If she hadn’t said that, I’d be wearing my dirt-and-sweat-coated cowboy hat. It was like a safety blanket at this point. Without it, I felt naked.
After I’d asked her over to dinner earlier today, I’d got to work on decorating the gazebo as soon as I’d left the Bronsons’ ranch. I’d hung fairy lights from the roof to line the arches, set up the table with candles, flowers from the field, and a tablecloth.
I’d gone the whole nine yards, power washing the concrete slab it sat on, getting the cobwebs all swept away, and dusting the dirt off the railings.
Everything I did when it came to Lettie was spur of the moment because I lost my damn mind around her, and if I had to be honest, I didn’t want to find it. But tonight would be different. I needed her to know how serious I was about her.
As I approached my house, I noticed Lettie’s SUV was parked out front on the gravel driveway, the headlights off. Seeing that she wasn’t with her car, I walked around back.
Coming around the side of the house, I stopped in my tracks at the sight of Lettie standing there, her silhouette lit up by the fading sun and the lights decorating the gazebo.
Her caramel-colored hair was loose, hanging down her back and almost reaching the hem of her jeans. Her shoulders were bare, the dark orange top she had on barely held on by a knot, showcasing her back to me.
She looked like an angel standing there with the lights in front of her.
If this was as good as tonight got, seeing her standing there, the clear surprise shown in her posture as she was unaware I was behind her, I’d be completely content.
After all those years apart, Lettie was here. Back in my orbit.
37
Lettie
My boots were frozen to the dirt as I stared at the spectacle in Bailey’s backyard. He’d gone all out. The fairy lights and candles created a warm glow that illuminated the field, making the scene look almost unreal.
The table was centered under the pitched roof, an array of blue and white flowers from the fields spread throughout the arrangement. I could smell whatever food was waiting on the table from where I stood. I was lost in the idea that someone put this much effort into a date with me. Thatheput so much effort into this.
An arm snaked around my waist a moment before my back connected with a warm, hard chest.
“You’re early,” Bailey said in a low voice, his breath against the shell of my ear causing a shiver to spread down my spine.
“I was going to offer to help with dinner but...” I kept my back to his chest as I turned to look up at him.
“I askedyouon a date. That means I do the work, Huckleberry. Not you.”
I studied his face, the lights reflecting in his eyes, making them appear a few shades darker than their typical mossy green. “You didn’t have to do all this.”
He let go of me, his hand finding mine before leading me toward the gazebo.
“This is our first official date, Lettie. No way in hell was I going to order a pizza and turn on a movie. I want you to remember our first date night for the rest of your life.” He pulled the chair at the end of the table out, gesturing for me to sit.
Bailey didn’t know that regardless of what he did tonight, I’d remember it. I never forgot one moment with him growing up. All those times he’d conditioned my boots, cleaned up my saddle in the barn, or always made sure to bring an extra towel to the creek because I always forgot mine. He may think I didn’t notice the little things, but I did.
I thought about them every day while I was gone.
“Don’t knock pizza and a movie. It’s actually pretty romantic,” I joked.
He scooted my chair a few inches forward, then went around to the opposite side and took his own seat. He lifted the foil from the dishes set out on the table, the scent of food making my mouth water.
My eyes landed on the steak and I smiled. “Typical cowboy, always eating steak.”
He frowned at me from across the table. “We’ve had steak together twice in the past few weeks. That’s not every day.”
“That was just when you’re with me. I bet you’ve had steak at least five more times since then. I can even bet you’ve got a freezer full of steaks inside right now.”
