6. Juliet

6

JULIET

S haw's sweatshirt feels almost as good as a hug. It's oversized and smells of him and is so thick and soft. I already know I'm not going to want to take it off when we say goodnight. I want to live in this sweatshirt. Sleep in this sweatshirt. Grow old in this sweatshirt.

We're sitting across from each other in a big, cozy booth at a diner, one of the only places in Cedar Springs that's still open this late. We've both eaten our burgers but we're still working on our shared plate of fries. There are a few other people here, but it almost feels like we have the place to ourselves.

For the first time in a long time, I'm truly happy.

The past few weeks have sucked. First there was discovering the truth about Eric. Then there was the excruciating conversation I had with my parents in which I had to tell them the wedding was off without being able to fully tell them why. Eric begged me not to share his secret, and as hurt as I was, I didn't think it was right to out him. But since my parents didn't know the whole truth, they came to the conclusion that the wedding was off because of me.

So that's been fun.

My motivation for coming out to the movie tonight was simple: I needed a bit of escapism. I needed distraction. I needed to do something other than stay cooped up in my apartment, weighed down by embarrassment and regret. It took an hour to convince myself that it was good for me to shower and put on real clothes and be around other people, but I eventually got myself out of my apartment.

When I first arrived at the park, I took one look at the packed lawn and started to second-guess my decision. It was overwhelming, and a little depressing, to see all of those happy people there.

But then I saw a hand waving. I saw Shaw smiling at me.

And suddenly I felt like I could breathe again.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about Shaw over the past few weeks. He was the one person I wanted to talk to, the one person who I thought might actually be understanding and comforting. But I didn't feel like I could reach out. He wasn't actually my friend. He was a man I'd hired to bake my wedding cake. Any chemistry we'd shared had been incidental.

Or at least that's what I had convinced myself of. But the last few hours have shown me the truth: Shaw does actually care about me. What we have is far more than a transactional relationship. There's something real here. I don't know where it's going to go, but I do know that every time I look at Shaw, I get a rush of flutters in my chest.

I finish off a fry and peer across the booth at Shaw. I have something to tell him, but I'm a little nervous about it. I'm not sure how he'll react.

I rub my fingers on my napkin. "Remember when we were talking about music? And how you said you weren't really caught up?"

Shaw nods as he dips a fry into a dollop of ketchup.

"I started making you a playlist."

"You did?" A smile spreads across his face. "When do I get to listen to it?"

His reaction makes my worry vanish. "Soon. I promise."

"Can I get a preview of it?"

"Nope. You have to wait."

"Aw, come on. You're really going to tease me like that?"

I grin. "I'm not teasing you. I just wanted you to know."

"That's exactly what teasing is. You're getting me excited about something but holding it back."

I reach into my bag and pull out my phone and earbuds. "Okay. Fine. I'll give you a sneak peek. But only a tiny one."

Shaw accepts my earbuds and tucks them into his ears. I press play on my phone and then watch him, eager to see what his reaction will be to the first song on the playlist. It's one of my favorites, a song I've listened to a million times. Every time I hear it, I get chills down my spine.

As Shaw listens, his expression remains neutral, impossible to read. He just sits there, listening. Absorbing. Considering.

When I pause the song, he slips the earbuds out and says, "I like it."

My knee bounces under the table. "It's okay if you don't. I won't be offended."

Shaw laughs. "I just said I like it, Juliet."

"Well, maybe you were just being polite."

"Nope. I would have kept listening if you hadn't paused it. And as soon as you're done with the playlist, I'm going to listen to the hell out of it."

I can't restrain my smile. "Guess I better get on it."

"Agreed. No sleeping, eating, or working until that baby's done."

"Jeez. If I knew you were going to be this demanding…"

He smirks, a smile so sexy I can hardly stand it. "See? You shouldn't have teased me."

I bite down on the inside of my cheek, those flutters in my chest beating more rapidly than ever. I have to remind myself that it's okay to feel like this. It's fine for me to flirt with Shaw. It's good to flirt with him, even. I'm finally doing what I want.

Our server swings by our booth to drop off the check, and I snatch it up before Shaw can reach for it.

"My treat," I say.

Shaw shakes his head. "No way. I'm not letting you pay."

"Too bad. That's exactly what's happening." I slip my credit card out of my purse and scoot out of the booth.

I only make it two steps toward the register when a pair of big, strong hands grabs me by the hips and pulls me back.

I yelp as Shaw spins me to face him, his eyes boring into me with seriousness. "Juliet, I'm not letting you pay."

I fold my arms, tucking the check away. "Why not?"

"It's our first date. And it's not gentlemanly."

"Will you let me pay for our second date?"

"We'll see. Probably not, though."

"At least let me pay for the third."

He looks amused. "Do you already have our second and third dates planned?"

"No." I press my lips together. "I mean, I might have a few ideas, but that's all."

"Yeah?" His hands are still on my hips, radiating warmth across my body. He gently moves me out of the way so that he can stand up from the booth. "Good. I want to hear about your ideas while we're heading to our next spot."

I wait until we're outside to ask Shaw where we're going stargazing. In response, he takes my hand and says, "Somewhere darker. There's too much ambient light around here."

I love the feeling of our hands threaded together. Actually, I love everything about this moment. It all feels so right. We click .

Tonight feels like the start of something magical.

Maybe I'm letting myself be a little too daydreamy in that moment. Maybe, if I was more grounded, I would be more aware of my surroundings. Or maybe this would have happened regardless. In any case, my foot catches an uneven spot on the sidewalk, sending me flying and yanking my hand out of Shaw's.

The next thing I know, I'm on the ground, searing pain screaming up my legs.

Shaw is immediately down by my side, his hands protectively wrapped around my arms. "Shit. Are you okay?"

Reflexively, I nod. I wince as Shaw helps me up onto my feet. The pain I feel is mixed up with embarrassment. I can't believe that just happened. We were having such a nice date.

"Juliet—" he says.

"I'm fine," I insist. I straighten my shoulders and take a few steps to show him that I can walk. Ow, ow, ow. "Oof. Okay. I think I might have rolled my ankle. But I'll be fine."

"You didn't just roll your ankle." Shaw frowns as he crouches down and gingerly cups my knee. "Sweetheart, this cut looks pretty bad."

I'm not sure how much of my sudden lightheadedness is from him calling me sweetheart or the realization that he's right—I do, in fact, have an alarming gash on my knee. Blood is dripping down my leg.

"You don't happen to have a spare bandage on you, do you?" I say, managing a smile, trying to keep the mood light.

"I'm bringing you to the ER," he says.

"What? No, Shaw, I'm fine. It's just a scrape. I'll wash it up, put a little antibiotic ointment on it?—"

"No. You need stitches."

Before I can register what's happening, Shaw is scooping me into his arms. I gasp, but I don't fight it. It feels good to be lifted by him, feels good to be in the safety of his arms.

As he carries me, his arms wrapped around me with protective strength, I gaze up at him and finally admit to myself that I have a major, major crush on this man.

At the emergency room, we check in with a triage nurse, then find a spot to sit and wait. It's not a very large waiting room and it's almost full.

Shaw looks impatient, like he's about to demand that a doctor see me right away. Which is sweet, but despite how bad my leg looks and feels right now, I know I can bear the wait.

I look around the waiting room and see a young kid who looks feverish and miserable. He's leaning against his mom, who's running her hand through his hair and saying something quietly to him.

My chest tightens at the sight. "Poor little guy. It must be so hard to see your kid in pain when you're a parent."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about that, too," says Shaw, nodding slowly. "I hope he gets seen soon."

I look at Shaw, and the genuine concern in his eyes that he has for someone he doesn't even know makes me crush on him even harder.

"You're going to be a good dad," I say.

His eyes meet mine. A soft smile lifts his lips. "You're going to be a good mom. How many kids do you want?"

His question sends a silvery feeling through me. It almost feels like we're talking about us .

"At least two, but maybe three," I say. "How many do you want?"

"Same. Two or three. Maybe four, if the rest aren't too much of a handful."

I laugh. "What if the first one is a total hellion? Does that mean one and done?"

Shaw blows air out of his cheeks. "Oh, boy. I don't know. Guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Did he say we ? Yeah, he definitely said we. Not that he necessarily meant the two of us. He could have just been talking in general terms…

Is it strange that I hope he's not?

"Were you or either of your brothers troublemakers when you guys were little?" I ask curiously.

"My brothers caused a lot more trouble than I did. Reid always came home with tears in his clothes and twigs in his hair. Jake was constantly getting in trouble at school for being a smart-ass to our teachers. He was never happy unless he was the one in charge. Never really outgrew that, I guess." Shaw smiles. "My brothers are both good guys, though. You should meet them."

"Didn't you say Jake lives in Seattle?"

"Well, yeah. But…hell, I don't know. Maybe we'll find ourselves up there sometime."

The idea of taking a trip with Shaw fills me with giddy joy.

"I'd like that," I say.

"In the meantime, I'll take you to the wildlife sanctuary that Reid and Mackenna run."

I grin. "That was actually one of my date ideas."

He grins, too, his eyes sparkling. "Great minds think alike."

A few hours later, I'm seen by a kind doctor who cleans up my wound and sutures it. I'm still limping a little as Shaw and I leave the hospital, but I don't let that stop me from saying, "Back to our stargazing plans?"

But Shaw shakes his head. "I want to say yes, but you need to rest your ankle."

"Aw. I was really looking forward to it."

"Same. But there are plenty of other nights we can stare up at the sky."

Shaw drives me home, insisting that he wants to make sure I'm comfortable and settled before saying goodnight. I apologize for how messy my place is as we walk in together, but he doesn't even seem to notice.

"Let me do that," he says when he notices me trying to tidy up my kitchen.

"No, you really don't need to."

"Well, then, neither do you." He encourages me to sit down on my couch. "Can I bring you anything?"

"No. I'm good."

"All right. Listen, I'm going to go get your car, and then I'll be back."

With the distraction of our date and the ER visit, I'd completely forgotten that my car was still parked out near the park where the outdoor movie was playing. Grateful for his thoughtfulness, I point out my bag. "My keys are in there. Thanks so much, Shaw."

"Of course. Can I get you anything on the way back? Pain meds? More cherry pie ice cream? A mime to keep you entertained while you rest up?"

I laugh and shake my head. "Nope. Just come back."