Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kati

Well, this wasn't how I expected our date to start, standing on the side of the road as I watched Easton change the tire on his SUV. Luckily we were just outside the town lines for Willow Creek, so we wouldn't be stopped and hounded by one of the many gossiping residents. I could see the newspaper article now.

Date night gone wrong? Flat tire interrupts Kati Whitlock's first date in over fifteen years.

Sometimes nosy neighbors sucked. I shook the thoughts out of my head and focused back on the nice view in front of me. And what a view it was. There was something sexy about watching muscles strain with hard work.

"It's a good thing those muscles aren't just for good looks," I teased.

I stood just far enough off the road that I wouldn't get hit, but close enough that I could watch Easton. The tire that went flat was on the passenger's side in the front. Easton had been able to get the vehicle off the road with ease despite the blowout. And now he was further showing off his impressive skills by changing the tire in the dirt and not caring what it did to his clothes.

Easton turned his head and gave me one of his classic half-smiles, which I was starting to get addicted to. "Glad to know you like what you see."

He had grabbed a hat when we were forced to stop and was now wearing it backward as he tightened the lug nuts on the spare tire. Somehow the hat didn't deter from the green Henley that Easton showed up in. I don't know if it was the fact that with the buttons undone, I was able to see more of his chest and the tattoos that were hidden below, or if it was just that this man cleaned up well, but my panties were damp immediately.

Yes, I had slipped back into my room to change them before we left, and no, it didn't do a lick of good. One kiss in his truck and they were soaked all over again. At the rate I was going, I should've put a few extra pairs in my purse.

Right, because that wouldn't be weird or anything.

"Done," Easton declared and I realized I had missed him lowering the vehicle down off the jack while I had been lost in thought.

"Quite the handyman to have around."

My words were laced with innuendo, and this was the first time I was allowing myself to stop overthinking and just be. I liked being in Easton's presence. I liked how he made me feel and how I felt about myself when he was around. I’d never needed a man before and it was nice to know he could be in the picture without taking any of that independence away.

We might've started out on shaky ground, but the more time we spent together, the more comfortable I became.

Easton pushed off the asphalt and wiped his hands on his jeans before stepping closer. Once he was close enough, he snagged me around the waist and pulled me flush against his body.

"Before the end of the night, I plan to show you just how handy I can be."

And there went my panties again. I mentally threw my hands up in defeat. I was destined to be wet all night at this rate.

"We could skip whatever you have planned, and head straight for the good parts."

Easton tsked at me. "I meant what I said last night. You deserve an evening out and I fully plan on giving it to you. Besides, haven't you heard that longing makes the heart grow fonder? By the end of the night, you’ll be begging me to take you back to my place."

I was already on my way to begging and the night had barely started. Any longer and I was going to be a whimpering mess.

"And what exactly do you have planned for us this evening?"

Easton plopped a kiss on my nose and then released me. He didn't say anything while he collected the jack and tire iron. Putting everything back away, he opened the door and helped me inside.

"It's a surprise, but I think you'll like it."

Little did he know I would like anything he did for me. College was the last time I had gone on a date, and I don't think dinner in the common area counts. That wasn't to say I didn't try. A few times Lyla had attempted to set me up with artists passing through. Most of those were drinks in a bar that ended with a quickie. I didn't consider those dates. More like scratching an itch when my vibrator just wasn't cutting it anymore. Never had I planned ahead to sleep at a man's house.

We drove for about fifteen minutes. The conversation ranged from music that we both liked to how we spent our downtime. I quickly learned that Easton didn't like to talk about his family, especially his parents. He would promptly change the subject and that was okay. I didn't exactly like to talk about mine either. They were good parents, but taken from me far too young, and even after all these years, it still hurt.

We finally stopped at a pretty little area with lush green grass that I wanted to sink my feet into. Flowers bloomed sporadically as if bees dropped pollen haphazardly. And off to one side was the perfect space to read a book snuggled under a large tree. The picture-perfect spot was complete with natural springs and a small lake. Easton parked off to the side and hopped out, and I watched with interest as he went to the back of the SUV and came back with an armful of items. It wasn't until he stepped in front of the vehicle that I could see what he had. A picnic basket was in one hand, and a large blanket was tucked under the other arm. Easton set the basket down and then spread the blanket out in front of the truck.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. This was by far the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me and exactly what I needed; a night away from prying eyes and just the two of us getting to know each other.

I climbed out of the vehicle before Easton could finish setting up. He gave me a little scowl but pulled me into his side once I was close enough. "I would've come open the door for you."

I smiled up at him. "I know you would've, but I was too excited. This is perfect."

"A restaurant probably would've been better, but I didn't want to share you with anyone else. This would give us the chance to just relax and be ourselves."

He didn't need to convince me. I was completely on board with an evening away from people. My entire life had been spent in a fishbowl, one that only got worse after Lucien was born. I welcomed an evening where no one was watching.

We settled onto the blanket, and I watched with interest as Easton began to pull things out of the large picnic basket—bottles of water, a bottle of white wine, different containers of what I assumed were food, plates, silverware, napkins, and even a black box with the Wickedly Delicious logo on it. I was impressed.

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"I might have had some help." Easton looked sheepish by his admission.

I wiggled down until I was resting on my side with my head propped on my hand, and my elbow bent. "Now I'm curious who helped."

It couldn't have been Lyla. She would've bragged about knowing what I was doing on my date. That was just the kind of friend she was. That left his friends.

"Aaron is the one who told me about this place, and while I'm not a horrible cook, I'm nowhere near your level of cooking from scratch, so I called in reinforcements." He paused, wrestling with what to say next, and I was beginning to think he wasn't going to tell me who helped him when he blurted out, "Mrs. Hill made everything except what I purchased from the bakery."

I rolled onto my back and let the laughter consume me. Easton said the words so quickly like I would judge him for seeking help. He had no idea just how wrong he was.

When I was finally able to get my laughter under control, I sat up and crossed my legs so that my dress tucked nicely and didn't flash him. "Mrs. Hill is an amazing cook. I'm honored to eat anything she's made and the fact that she was willing to help is great. I'm excited to see what she sent."

"I can promise you it's a mystery to me as well. Her exact words when I asked were 'leave it to me. I'll take care of everything.' There was no way I could say no to that, but I heard Maisie's crumb cake was your favorite, so I made sure to pick that up."

If Easton was aiming to steal my heart, then he was doing a damn good job. I was ready to throw it at him and pray he didn't destroy it. The logical part of my brain said that wasn't a good idea, but I wasn't paying attention to that part of me at the moment.

With each container Easton opened, my mouth watered more. Mrs. Hill's famous shredded lemon chicken was first up, followed by her potato salad and seasoned green beans. There were fresh rolls with cinnamon butter and strawberry pecan salad to start. Mrs. Hill had gone all out.

Easton’s eyes grew wide. "I'm ashamed to admit I was expecting grilled chicken and maybe one side. Holy shit, Aaron's mom went all out. She spoiled us when we deployed, but this is insane."

I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so much.

"This is par for the course with her. She's of the mindset of going big or going home. I don't think she has ever chosen the go-home option. It's always go big with her."

"Remind me at Christmas that she deserves a big present."

Christmas was more than seven months away. That fact rolled around in my head as I filled up my fancy plastic plate with the amazing food, and accepted the bottle of water and plastic glass of wine. It wasn't until we were settled and ready to eat that I asked.

"Does that mean we’ll still be spending time together come Christmas? I would sure hope things were resolved long before then."

I wanted to kick myself for the uncertainty in my tone. This was our first date and already I was asking questions about the future.

Smooth. Real fucking smooth.

I waved my hand like I could wipe away the words. "Please, forget I asked that."

Easton set his plate down and then reached for mine and did the same. "No, I won't forget it. I wasn't going to bring it up tonight because I didn't want you running away scared. I'm attracted to you, Kati. I think that's been obvious since the first time we met. But this is all new to me. I don't date, and believe me.” He huffed out a laugh. “I know how crazy that sounds considering my age, but it's the truth. I was married to the Marines. That was the only future I saw for myself. A wife and kids, that wasn't in the cards and I was okay with that. Honestly, I always considered marriage a piece of paper and I still do."

I took a deep breath and held it, waiting for a shoe to drop. I wasn't pro-marriage and I wasn't anti-marriage. It was never something I thought about before, but the way Easton was talking, it was something he didn't ever want.

"I'm screwing this all up." He shook his head. "I'm attracted to you. I have feelings for you. Is it love? Fuck if I know. I've never been in love before, and I didn't exactly have a good example of it growing up, but I know I want to find out. I know I want to spend as much time with you and Lucien as possible. But am I going to drop down to my knee and ask you to marry me tomorrow? Probably not because that's just not the kind of guy I am. You having my last name doesn't change anything. How I feel in my heart at the end of the day is what matters to me more. I'm also turning fifty soon and the thought of having a baby scares the shit out of me. Would I do it for someone I love? I mean maybe, but I'm also happy with how things are now."

Easton let out a loud exhale, exhausted from his monologue. "I guess what I'm trying to say, albeit very badly, is would you still consider dating me knowing that marriage might not be on the table and Lucien would be your only child?"

Talk about a heavy topic on a first date. When I asked about Christmas, I hadn't thought things would escalate so quickly. On the other hand, I was glad it did. It was important to me that we were on the same page before we got too far into things. Especially when I had Lucien to think about. I had been very careful over the years to keep men out of his life because I refused to be one of those mothers who rotated through them.

A flash of panic rolled across Easton’s face. "You're awfully quiet. I screwed this up already, didn't I? I warned you, I didn't date very well."

I reached for his hand and smiled. "You didn't screw anything up. I certainly didn't expect such a deep conversation so early on but I appreciate it." I let out my own loud exhale. "Was there a time in my life where I wished to give Lucien a sibling? Sure, but I don't feel the same way anymore. I have a teenage son and I'm not eager to start back at the baby stage. I know a lot of people talk about baby fever, but I'm not one of them. I'm thrilled with just Lucien."

"And the whole marriage thing?"

I played with his fingers. "I have no strong feelings either way. Like you, I never saw it in my future. Now, ask me that again after we've spent more time together."

With that, the heavy conversations were put away for the night. We ate and laughed. We enjoyed looking at the stars. We dipped our toes in the lake. With every passing second, we were drawn closer and closer to each other. The touches got hotter. The kisses were more frequent, and just like Easton promised, I was begging him to take me back to his place.