Oh, please let everything go well. I like him so very much.
* * *
It was Friday,and Travis would be picking her up in five minutes for their first official date. She’d been ready for twenty minutes. Then not ready. Then ready. Pacing the small room, she felt the clock was barely moving and her nerves wouldn’t let her sit down or settle down.
Why am I so nervous?
She frowned at herself in the mirror. The waiting was making her restless. She forced herself to sit down and picked up a book.
Flowers of the Northwest. Mrs. Horester, the lady who ran the old motel down the road had given it to her when she’d asked her about some little yellow wildflowers growing in the shade of the mobile home, she now called home. Those same flowers grew in front of the motel and Ellen had stopped to ask and to introduce herself. Mrs. Horester was an older widow and the book smelled of mothballs.
She barely remembered a word she’d read when Travis pulled up out front. Nervous, she placed the book down, stood, and smoothed her hands down her dress.
He’s here. Oh, I hope I look okay. Oh, please let this date go well.
Already he was knocking at her door. She opened the door.
His eyes widened in appreciation, and he whistled once, low.
Her eyes couldn’t stop watching his lips as he whistled. So handsome in a dark suit and white shirt with a dark tie, her eyes took him in all over.
So handsome.
She smiled softly.
He held out his hand to her, for her to come down the steps.
Then she realized he hadn’t climbed up them, as she’d opened the door too fast. He smiled. “Ready, beautiful?”
“Yes,” she said.
More than ready. For everything.
“Then your chariot awaits.” He took hold of her hand and guided her down the steps.
She tottered a bit on her first step onto the gravel. “Oops.”
“I’ve got you,” he said, his other hand on her waist.
“Okay, I’m good now,” she said. “These heels are higher than I’m used to.”
He eyed the four-inch heels which showed off her legs. “Sexy,” he said. “And you won’t have to walk much in them tonight.” With that, he swept her up, into his arms and carried her to his truck.
Setting her down, he opened the door, then helped her inside. Then he reached across her, taking hold of her seatbelt and then hooking it. “All set?” he asked, looking into her eyes.
She nodded, smiling.
He brushed a soft kiss across her lips as she smiled beneath it.
Too soon, he’d pulled back away and then, with a wink, he closed her door.
Already this date is the best one I’ve ever had, and we haven’t even left the driveway. Wow.
He got in, and then buckled himself in, which made her think of how he’d buckled her in. Already she felt taken care of, on a whole different level than she’d ever experienced. Tonight, he’d promised her a romantic Italian dinner and he’d already managed to sweep her off her feet. It made her wonder what else he had in store for their romantic evening.
His truck was clean inside and even smelled good. She looked around, in surprise.
He noticed her checking it out. “I washed her and cleaned her up inside,” he said. “Didn’t want you to get your pretty new dress dirty.”
