Page 42 of Belong With Me

“Okay then. You get a start on making sandwiches. You should also grab the chocolate, some cheese and grapes.” Pausing a second, she looked to the cupboard where we stored the nonperishables. “There’s crackers in the pantry and I can whip up a dip for you later. I’ll get to hunting up all the pillows and blankets around the house.”

Quickly, I kissed her cheek as she moved past me. “I owe you, Van.”

“Alright, Romeo. Save it for when you get the girl.” She rolled her eyes at me.

A few minutes later, when I’d successfully created a peanut butter and jelly sandwich tower, Van entered with an arm full of blankets. “I found these in my room, and there’s another one from Kenzie’s she said you could borrow.” She dragged a basket into view from beside the door with her foot. “Here’s all the throw pillows in the house.” She dropped the blankets on top of the pillows before adding, “Now, our trees don’t have outlets, so I settled for the next best thing.” She reached out of view again and gently placed another, smaller basket on the bench. “Here’s my candle collection. Don’t break them and don’t for one second forget how much you owe me for this.” I noticed a packet of matches tucked safely in the middle.

“I promise I won’t. Trust me, I know I owe you big time, Van.” It was true. And when the time came that she needed my help with anything, I would give it without any questions asked.

“Huge,” she agreed, leaning on the bench next to my sandwich tower. She poked playfully at one. “Was this the best you could come up with?”

“It’s the most authentic experience I can give her.” I sighed. “Do you think she’ll hate it?”

“Look, you won’t know until you try.” She tilted her head and then quietly continued. “How are you feeling about this whole thing? Not just her, but the whole dating thing? It’s the first time since Anna-Beth that you’ve actually put some thought into something like this. Something that isn’t just drinks at a bar.”

I knew deep down that Savannah would bring this up, and although I had been thinking about it myself, this would be the first time I had voiced it aloud. Looking my sister directly in the eyes, I began. “If I’m being 100 percent honest with myself, then I think—” I paused, searching for the right words.

Van waited patiently for me, giving me the space to collect my thoughts.

“—I think I’m excited about it. I know I’m nervous as all get out about how she’s going to take the whole casual date thing. She’s a high-class girl and I’m a guy who fixes fences and feeds cows.”

Savannah put a gentle hand on the fingers I didn’t realize I was nervously tapping on the bench. “If she doesn’t like it, she’s not the girl for you. You’ll find someone who loves the simple things in life as much as you do. And when you do, you know that the rest of us will be here cheering you on.”

“I hope you’re right,” I murmured.

“You know I am.” She chuckled. “Anyway, I’m going to mix up a dip, so why don’t you go and put on your nicer jeans and button-down?”

Looking down at my clothes, dirty from working the land, I smiled. “Yeah. I’ll go do that now.”

I headed upstairs to my bathroom and turned on the hot water in the oversized shower. As steam began to fill the enclosed space, I undressed and got in, letting the hot droplets hit me for a few moments before adjusting the cold. Tipping my head back, I allowed the water to stream over me before I scrubbed my face as I tried to calm my racing thoughts.

The overriding thought was one I hadn’t had to worry about in years. Would Sienna even like the idea of the date? Everything about her screamed wealth—from the way she dressed, to walking in those bloody impractical high heel shoes everywhere she went. Hell, even the way she talked was so freakin’ out of my league it wasn’t even funny.

I imagined she was used to dates at high-end restaurants, dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns. She had probably attended those galas on the shows that Savannah watched. Would a simple date on our family’s property be something she would enjoy, or would she laugh at me for even thinking this was a good idea?

But surely this couldn’t all be in my head; I couldn’t be imagining it. There was definitely a spark between us whenever we touched, right? Like how they described it in those cheesy romance books I’d glanced at. Then there were those kisses we’d shared, the ones that always managed to make me want more.

She seemed to enjoy them too, but what if it was just a city girl trying to have her exciting fill of a country fling before she headed back to marry some millionaire or something? What if, in a few months, Sienna was back wherever she came from with a hulking diamond on her finger, laughing with her friends about the cowboy from Belle Springs? About the guy who became smitten with her after a matter of weeks and had no idea how to handle a girl like her.

But then, what if she’s not?another part of my mind interjected. What if she’s not that type of person who’s just looking for a fling? What if she was looking for the real thing just like I was? Hell, I had secrets and walls so damn thick that you’d need a nuclear bomb to get through them. What if she did too?

What if everything she’d shown me outside those stolen moments was nothing but a façade? Built to keep people from getting too close? Just like me, she had gotten so used to keeping those walls up that it was hard to let them down. Perhaps tonight was exactly what was needed. What we both needed.

Hell. My mind was going a hundred miles an hour. Reasons racing by both for and against this date.

Deciding there was nothing to do but try and push all those thoughts aside, I went through my usual shower routine. Eventually, I found myself standing at my mirror, running my hand over my cheeks. I’d shaved yesterday, but did I need to do it again? I mean, hell, it was a little more than a day’s growth after all.

“You look fine, Ry,” Kenzie said from the doorway to my bedroom. I jumped a little; I hadn’t even known she was in my room.

I turned, spotting her, and after making sure my towel was secured around my waist, I headed out. “Want to tell me what you are doing here?”

She smiled at me innocently. “Just thought you might want to know Sienna’s in her room. Savannah told me your plans about tonight’s date. Even Colton’s helping out.”

God, did everyone know? “Is he now?” I asked, wondering just how he was going to be of assistance.

“Yep.” She smiled. “He’s setting up the firepit for you.”

That was quite helpful indeed. It would help set the tone of our date too. “Okay.”

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