Chapter Twenty-Eight

Gage

" W ake up, sweetheart," I whisper softly, gently shaking Ash's shoulder. I lean down and shower his face with a flurry of kisses. "Come on, rise and shine!"

"Whhhyyyy? It's still dark out," he protests, squeezing his eyes harder together.

He's adorable when he whines. He's all toasty and comfortable. I don't blame him for not wanting to wake up at 5 a.m. "I want to go on a date with you."

"A date?" He slowly opens his eyes, adjusting to the dim light in the room.

"Yeah, c'mon, your clothes are ready on the bed."

I give him a quick kiss and say, "I'll be in the kitchen. You've got five minutes or you're going in your underwear."

The echoes of his protests follow me out of the room, mingling with the faint sound of the mattress creaking as he rises. Everything is already packed up in the truck since I woke up at four to get it all ready. The blankets, cushions, and twinkly lights are all neatly arranged, waiting for us in the truck bed.

He comes walking out to the kitchen in his comfortable joggers and hoodie, his tousled hair giving away that he just woke up. I almost reconsider and tempt him back to bed for some cozy snuggles. I really want to take him out on a date, but with the bar, it's tough to get time off. So, I guess morning dates will be our thing now. Our tradition.

Tradition. I like that. It's something we get to do time and time again that's just for us.

Instead of waiting for the perfect moment for a date, I've taken matters into my own hands and created my own perfect moment. With him, for us.

"What kind of date do you have planned at this hour?" he asks, coming over and enveloping me in a warm hug, his head resting on my chest. I lightly press my lips against the soft strands of his hair.

"You'll see when we arrive, Mr. Impatient. C'mon, let's go." Taking his hand, I guide him toward the door. He fumbles around, putting his shoes on while I quickly grab my keys, eager to start our date.

We pull up at a little cove, not too far from Max's lighthouse, surrounded by the gentle lapping of waves. He sits up, his body no longer slouched down in his seat, as he opens his eyes.

"You brought me to the water?"

"Yeah, is that all right?" I'm suddenly feeling unsure. What if he doesn't like the water or thinks that the whole thing is stupid? But there's no need to worry because his entire face lights up with anticipation.

"I love the water. This is the very spot where I parked my van when I first arrived here, you know. It's tucked away so no one could see me and ask me to leave. This is a perfect place for a date," he says, turning to me with a smile. "I love it."

He still hasn't told me about his past and how he ended up here, but if he's not ready to tell me, that's okay. I want him to know I won't pressure him, but I'll be here, patiently waiting for him to open up when he's ready.

"I'll just turn the truck around and I want you to wait here until I come back for you." After I've backed up, I go to open my door when his hand reaches out and touches my arm.

"Babe?"

God, I love it when he calls me that. "Yeah?"

His lips brush against mine in a tender kiss. "Nothing, I just miss you already," he whispers, his voice spilling over with affection.

With a chuckle, I assure him, "I'm just gonna be outside. I won't be long. Promise."

After pulling down the tailgate, I hop up into the back and begin arranging the covers and blankets. Once satisfied, I carefully position several pillows, creating a comfortable resting place. I grab the battery-powered string lights and haphazardly hang them on both sides of the truck. I need to up my game and be better prepared next time, because these fuckers are fiddly as hell. Hopefully, Ash won't mind my improvised attempt at being romantic.

Admiring my work, I decide it will have to suffice. I hop down and go around to his door and open it like a gentleman.

"You're cute, you know that?" he says, taking my hand.

Leading us to the rear of the truck, where we have a view of the vast ocean. "Happy first date," I tell him.

"Seriously? You did this for me? For us?" His eyes dart from me to the truck and then back to me again. "Do you realize you are the most kind-hearted man, Mr. Miller?" He pecks me on the lips before climbing into the truck bed, and I quickly join him.

"Wait," I say, interrupting him just as he's about to sit down. "Sit between my legs."

Settling myself into a comfortable position, I pat the cushion, signaling him to take a seat. Leaning back against my chest, he pulls the blanket up, creating a cozy cocoon as I hold him close in my arms.

In silence, we sit and immerse ourselves in the crashing of the waves, as the stars twinkle their last before dawn breaks and they disappear.

Tilting his head to the side, he bares his neck to me, silently inviting me to plant a kiss on his skin. So I do, wholeheartedly. Not sexually, but with a tender touch, an intimate act between two lovers sharing a heartfelt connection.

I've met hundreds of people in my lifetime, working on building sites and then in the bar, but none of them meant anything to me, not romantically anyway. They were just fleeting shadows, appearing and disappearing in an instant. But when you meet that one person who's destined to be yours, your entire world shifts in an instant, and everything you once knew is forever altered.

"How did I do? We don't have much free time to do ordinary couple things, but I want to ensure you never miss out on those experiences. I never want you to regret giving me a chance." Suddenly I feel uncertainty grab at me. I'm not a wealthy man or particularly clever or well-educated. I don't have a lot to offer this young man who, by some miracle, looks at me like I hung the fucking moon. What happens if he loses interest or realizes I'm just an average Joe, living a mediocre life in a small town? What then?

He turns toward me and settles himself on top of my legs, straddling my body. He wraps his arms tightly around my neck, forcing me to look up at him. "Even without a single date, I would have no regrets about you. We could stay locked in the bar forever and I'd never regret being with you. This date is an unexpected bonus, and I appreciate it, but I would be equally content snuggling up and watching TV. Whatever your intentions were for this date, please know that you don't have to feel pressured to do anything specific to make me stay or maintain my interest in you. Just being with you makes me happy." Fuck. Me. I increasingly lose my ability to speak in Ash's company.

His forehead presses against mine, and in a hushed voice, he confesses, "I'm happy, Gage. It's been a while since someone has made me feel as special as you do. I'll tell you about all my broken parts, but not today. I want nothing to taint what we have right here, right now."

"I'll wait," I tell him. Lifting his head, our eyes seek each other out, and he graces me with a beautiful smile. It's my turn to express to him the depth of his significance in my life.

"My life has been a series of unraveling events. From my ex walking out, uprooting my life and moving to Hope, drowning in debt, and enduring a destructive fire. Yet, if it meant I could experience meeting you all over again, I would willingly embrace it all. I want you to understand that your importance to me extends far beyond any sexual encounters we have had or will have." I place his hand on my chest to feel the steady rhythm of my heartbeat. "What we have means something to me and I hope it means something to you, too."

This time, when his pretty eyes brim with tears, he surrenders to the emotions and lets them cascade down his cheeks. "It means something to me, too."

My thumbs gently brush against his cheeks, wiping away the salty trails of his tears. I wish he could see how special he is to me. While others may see him as just an average guy, in my eyes, he is the embodiment of perfection, and there is not a single thing I would change about him. My whole being lights up when he's around. He's given me back the excitement about my life. About my future. He's brought hope back into my life.

Seeing him happy makes me feel happy too. He's the first person to make me feel like I don't need to change or prove myself. For him, I am enough.

I bring him back into my lap, and as we sit together in stillness, we can feel the profound bond we've formed without the need for words. We fix our eyes on the horizon as we observe the dark sky slowly giving way to the golden hues of dawn, marking the beginning of a new day. Today is another I get to spend with the man I'm falling hopelessly in love with. Maybe it's too soon to think about love, but it feels right.