Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Rhett sifted through his closet, frowning as he pulled out yet another button-down shirt and tossed it onto the bed. He was more nervous than he’d thought he would be about taking Caroline out on a date. He’d already changed multiple times, unsure of whether he looked like he was trying too hard with one outfit, or too casual and didn’t care enough with another. Plus, he hadn’t been out on a date in a long time. What he would have worn out to a nice restaurant in Cleveland might be overkill here. He didn’t have any idea what Caroline would wear. A dress? Her usual jeans and a flannel? He didn’t want to make her feel bad, if she didn’t dress up. He wasn’t sure if she was the kind of woman who dressed up for anything.

It wasn’t the only reason he felt anxious either. He’d gone by the tree earlier, and found the notebook with a new entry in it. He’d responded, and even though it was harmless, he felt a little guilty having written his mystery friend back on the same day he was taking Caroline out. Like he was texting someone else while making plans with her.

But whoever it was writing in the book, they were like a pen pal, he told himself. Nothing more. He was touched by the exchanges, felt seen in a way that he hadn’t in a long time, but that was a good thing. It had made him feel hopeful and less alone, and maybe that was part of what had given him the nerve to ask Caroline out in the first place.

Besides, it wasn’t as if it could ever turn into anything. He had no idea who the other half of the correspondence even was. It certainly didn’t have any implications that should make him feel guilty about the date tonight. And he didn’t want to. He hadn’t been this excited in a long time.

He got dressed for the fifth time, looking in the mirror. He’d picked out a nice pair of dark-gray chinos and a blue-and-white checked button-down, with a pair of chukka boots and a black leather jacket. He’d also shaved, so he thought he’d managed to clean up pretty well. He just hoped she would think so too.

“Jay?” he called down the hall as he walked toward his son’s room. “You ready to go?”

He was dropping Jay off at his friend Declan’s house for the night. It was good for Jay to have an overnight with a friend, he thought, and he wouldn’t have to worry about what time he got back.

“Yeah!” Jay came barreling out of his room, dressed with his Spiderman backpack already thrown over one shoulder. “You look nice, Dad,” he commented, grinning. “You’re going on a da-ate.”

He said the last word in a sing-song voice as the two of them walked down the stairs, and Rhett smothered a grin. He’d been worried about how Jay might respond to it, but he hadn’t wanted to hide anything from his son.

“I sure am.” He grabbed Jay’s coat from the entryway. “Make sure you bundle up. It’s cold out.”

“I like Caroline,” Jay declared as he shoved his arms into the coat.

A flare of hope warmed Rhett’s chest at that. He’d known all along that it wouldn’t matter how much he liked Caroline, if Jay didn’t click with her, that would be that.

“I’m glad.” Rhett paused, looking carefully at his son. “How would you feel if she was around more? Would that be okay with you? I know you still care about your mom. Caroline being in our lives wouldn’t need to change that at all.”

“She’s cool.” Jay grinned. “I can tell she makes you happy. You kept smiling after we left the inn.” He zipped up his jacket and slung the backpack over his shoulder again. “Can we go?”

Rhett smiled, a good bit of his tension draining away at his son’s approval. “Just a sec. I need to find my scarf.”

He pushed some of the coats on the rack aside, looking for it, but he didn’t see it anywhere. When he checked his watch, he could see it was starting to get close to him being late, if they waited much longer or if anything held them up.

“All right, let’s go,” he said, grabbing the door. He’d go without the scarf, it was cold, but he’d manage. The last thing he wanted was to be late for his date with Caroline.

He dropped Jay off without issue, having a quick chat with Declan’s dad before jumping back into his truck and heading for The Mistletoe Inn. He pulled up into the driveway, parked and headed up the stairs, but before he could knock on the door it opened, and Caroline stepped out.

She looked absolutely beautiful. She was wearing a pale pink cashmere sweater and a pair of dark jeans, with small opal studs in her ears and her hair loose. He didn’t think he’d actually ever seen it down before, except for that night when the fire station had been called, and she’d been so frazzled.

“You look wonderful,” he said, feeling like it was entirely inadequate for how seeing her made him feel, but unable to find the right words.

A small smile appeared on Caroline’s lips, but she waved a hand. “It’s nothing,” she said. “I was just out shopping and decided to treat myself a little. Oh!” She reached out, holding out his scarf to him. “You forgot this the last time you were here. Actually…” She hesitated, laughing a little. “I forgot to grab mine. Here, I’m just going to run in and grab it really quick.”

“Just take mine.” Rhett stepped closer. “It matches your outfit. You can wear it if you want.”

The scarf was a deep purple wool, and he thought it would look perfect with her pink sweater.

“Okay.” She looked at him a little uncertainly, and he took that moment to wrap it gently around her neck. His hand brushed against her shoulder as he did, and Caroline looked up, her eyes meeting his.

For a moment, it felt like neither of them could look away. He felt his heart beat a little harder, the world narrowing down to the two of them for a brief second, standing on the porch in the December cold.

“You ready?” he asked, finally stepping back, and she nodded. “All right then, let’s get going.”

Caroline was surprised at how easily the conversation flowed as they drove to the restaurant, although she supposed she shouldn’t have been. Every time she and Rhett had ever spent time together, they’d always managed to talk about whatever came to mind, although she recalled her stammering that first night with some embarrassment.

“There’s a new little bistro called Rocky River over on the outskirts of town,” Rhett said, glancing over at her as they drove. “Figured you might like it, Pete recommended it to me.”

“I haven’t been there yet. That sounds nice.” Caroline tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. It felt a little strange, wearing it down. She never did, and she felt overall a little odd, dressed up like this. Out of her comfort zone. But she thought it might have been worth it, to see Rhett look at her the way he had when she’d stepped outside.

She couldn’t recall anyone ever looking at her quite that way before. Like they thought she was absolutely gorgeous. She didn’t think of herself as being gorgeous, or even particularly pretty. If anyone asked her, she’d say she was plain and unexciting. Nothing for a guy to catch his breath over. But Rhett had looked like he’d forgotten how to breathe for a second when she’d walked out.

Like she was a princess in an evening gown coming down a flight of stairs in Bridgerton or something, instead of just a woman who ran an inn in Vermont.

Rhett parked in a small lot, near a stone path and a line of trees. “There’s a short hike to get to the restaurant,” he explained. “I hope that’s all right—I probably should have warned you, but I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“It’s a good thing I didn’t wear high heels,” Caroline joked, and Rhett laughed.

“I was kinda counting on you not wearing them.”

“I don’t actually own a pair.” She looked ahead to the snowy path. “This is absolutely fine with me.”

Rhett grinned. “Good,” he said, and hopped out of the truck to come around and open her door for her.

She was surprised by all of it—the new restaurant, the setup to get there—but she was also surprised to find that she was absolutely game. Usually she liked to have more control over a situation, and surprises weren’t usually her thing. But she liked that she was trying something new with Rhett. She rarely went out to eat in Evergreen Hollow, so even though there weren’t a ton of restaurants there, she hadn’t tried very many of them. Usually if she wanted to go out, she just went to Rockridge Grill. She couldn’t even remember having been to Marie’s in a number of years.

When she stepped out of the truck, she saw that the path to the restaurant was lit up by Christmas lights. It looked magical against the backdrop of the dark trees and the soft white snow on either side of the stone path, and she felt her heart flutter a little as they started to walk to the restaurant. She’d never been on a date so romantic, and she couldn’t believe that Rhett had planned all of this.

“This is gorgeous,” she said, looking around. “I had no idea this was out here.”

“It really is.”

She glanced over at Rhett just as her boot hit a patch of ice. She gasped, nearly slipping, and she felt him grab her hand, his fingers interlacing with hers.

Her heart fluttered again, and she felt warm, the cold suddenly forgotten as she felt his palm press against hers.

It had been a long time since she’d had anything like this, and she wanted to savor every moment of it.

He didn’t let go of her hand the entire way to the restaurant. It was a cabin, she saw as they got closer, prettily rustic against the surrounding forest. And the view was gorgeous. They were seated on an outside, heated deck that overlooked the woods and a rushing stream a little ways below, with live music playing from the far end of the deck.

“I can’t get over how perfect this all is,” she said, looking around. “It’s enchanting. I can see how it got its name,” she added, gesturing down to the water below.

Rhett smiled, a pleased look on his face. “It’s even better than Pete described,” he admitted. “He made it sound nice, but this place really is something else.”

She tried not to let her mind wander too much as the server came and got their drink order—a dark Christmas lager for them both. It was all too easy to imagine them coming back here in the future, for a one-year anniversary, maybe. But that was jumping way too far ahead. She knew it the moment the idea popped into her head. It felt crazy to even expect that there might be another date after this.

The waiter brought back their drinks, and Rhett lifted his glass, tapping it against hers.

“To a perfect first date,” he said with a smile, and Caroline felt an answering grin spread over her face.

“A perfect date.”

The beer was wonderful, rich and nutty, and paired well with the soft brown bread and cinnamon butter that arrived next, along with grilled oysters covered in parmesan and herbs that they ordered.

“Oh my goodness,” Caroline said with a small laugh as she ate the first one. “I’m definitely going to have to come back here. This place is great.”

“I haven’t had a meal this good in a while,” Rhett admitted. “I’m not really much of a cook. We get by, but I’m definitely not serving up anything like this.”

“You should come by for dinner sometime with Jay, then.” It came out before she realized it, and she blushed a little. “I mean, not that I’m the most stellar cook or anything, but I do all right, and my mom is great. Just for dinner, I mean. Not?—”

“I like the sound of that.” Rhett spoke the words easily, without a hint of hesitation, and Caroline flushed.

They sat and sipped their beers for a little while, enjoying the appetizers and the view. Caroline felt a little braver as they chatted, relaxing in the warmth and the coziness of the deck and the soft music.

“I was really embarrassed at first by everyone trying to push us together,” she admitted. “My mom and Nora and our friends kept trying to convince me you were interested, and talk me into trying to pursue you. I thought they were crazy. It seemed so silly.”

“Why?” Rhett frowned. “I wouldn’t push you if you weren’t interested, of course. But why would it be so strange that they’d try to get us to go out? We’re both single, and I’m new in town,” he added with a chuckle. “I can’t imagine there are a whole lot of eligible bachelors just hanging around, so I can see why your mom got excited.”

Caroline chewed on her lower lip, glad to see the waiter come back to take their order and give her a minute to think. They put in their dinner orders, a steak and mashed potatoes for Rhett, and a bourbon-glazed burger with sweet potato fries for her, and she glanced back at Rhett as the server walked away.

“I just really never thought you’d consider someone like me,” she admitted. She was surprised to see confusion on Rhett’s face.

“Like what?” His brow creased. “I don’t understand.”

Caroline sighed, taking another sip of her beer. “I didn’t think I’d be your type,” she said finally. “I’m uptight, and you’re so laid back. You picked up and moved to a whole new town, and I’ve spent my whole life in one place. I thrive on routine and rules and structure, and—I don’t know, but I think you’re probably a lot more willing to go with the flow.” She bit her lip again, feeling as if she were bringing down the mood. It was a perfectly lovely evening, a perfect date, and here she was telling Rhett all the reasons why he shouldn’t be interested in her.

Rhett shook his head. “I hate hearing you say that about yourself,” he said firmly. “That’s not true at all, Caroline. You’re one of the most intriguing women I’ve ever met. And I can tell you that you’re very much my type.”

Her heart flipped in her chest at that, her cheeks warming. The music seemed to fade into the background, all her focus narrowing in on the handsome man sitting across from her. She couldn’t quite believe that this night was real, that it was all happening, but it was. And she felt happier than she’d been in a while.

“I’m very intrigued by you too,” she admitted, giving him a small smile. “And you’re exactly my type.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.” Rhett grinned. “I’d hate for you to tell me you’re into blond lawyers, or something like that.”

“Never.” Caroline laughed. “I just really didn’t think I’d meet someone like you. Or that you’d be interested back, for all the reasons I just mentioned. I’ve been so focused on the inn and my parents for so many years, it really hasn’t left room for very much else. It always seemed like my sisters were the ones meant for adventure and love, not me.”

Rhett smiled gently. “You deserve love, Caroline. And adventure too.”

“Maybe you’re right.” She felt herself relaxing, softening under his gaze and his warm smile. He made her feel like this. Happy, less tense. Less like she had to be in control and aware of everything all the time, in case something went wrong. Like if something did, maybe he could handle it too, instead of just her.

“You should take a risk,” Rhett said softly. “Go out on a limb. What’s the worst that could happen?”

She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she could read what he was trying to say. And after all, if she was sure, it wouldn’t exactly be a risk, would it?

She leaned in, her pulse beating hard in her throat. And to her relief and anticipation, he leaned in too.

His lips brushed lightly against hers.

And the night became as perfect as it could possibly have been.