10. Josie

10

josie

I honestly can’t even remember the last time I went on a date. An actual date that wasn’t at the hands of my mother, trying yet again to set me up with one of the poor, unsuspecting guys from town.

Which makes me even more nervous about tonight.

Both that it’s been forever since I’ve been on one and because I’m going on a date with Wyatt.

An official, real date. For the first time since we were teenagers.

Or a holidate, as he’s calling it, since Christmas is less than two weeks away.

I have absolutely no idea what he has planned, and that does nothing to help the swirl of nerves dancing in the pit of my stomach. He just said to dress warm, which probably means that whatever we’re going to be doing is something outdoors.

Truthfully, the last few days have seemed like a dream. A dream that I’m terrified if I hold on too tightly, it’ll disappear like a cloud of smoke within my grasp.

I’ve been asking myself the same questions over and over, somehow expecting the answer to magically come to me like a Christmas miracle: Could I give my heart to Wyatt again? After everything we’ve been through? Could I chance being hurt by the man who has more power than anyone has ever held over my heart? Will it last this time?

When I hear the low rumbling of his truck pulling into the driveway, I take one last look in the mirror at my reflection, hoping that the outfit I picked for tonight is perfect.

I’m wearing my favorite pair of blue jeans tucked into a pair of knee-high tan boots and a cream-colored sweater that always complements my skin tone and hair color, all paired with my tan trench coat that falls just above my knees. And a dark brown beanie with a fuzzy pom-pom on the top, not only because I love the color and it goes great with the outfit I chose but also because it is freaking freezing, and I don’t want to spend the entire night with frozen ears.

My dark curls are styled into loose waves that fall to my waist, and I put on a small amount of makeup. Mostly the usual: blush, mascara, and my favorite lip butter balm.

Wyatt’s knock on the front door has me bending to give Rudy one last scratch behind his ears on the plush living room floor, the sight of it bringing back vivid memories of the other night that have my face heating.

Now is not the time, Josie , I chastise myself and grab my small shoulder bag from the entryway table before opening the front door.

“Hi,” Wyatt rasps, a sexy, lazy smirk lounging on his lips. His gaze travels the length of my body before he shakes his head. “You look beautiful, honey. So damn beautiful.”

He’s the one who looks… wow.

He traded in his old work jacket for a thick brown jacket, and beneath it, he’s wearing a burgundy-colored henley with a pair of faded jeans that hug his muscular thighs. In his hands is a small bouquet of winter flowers that look like they’ve been cut directly from a garden.

When he sees me eyeing them, he chuckles, the sound slipping over me like a balm. “These are from Lucy and me. She insisted that we cut them out of Gram’s garden.”

The thought of the two of them doing that together is so adorable that it makes my chest ache.

“Thank you, Wyatt. That’s so sweet and thoughtful,” I murmur as I step forward and lift on my tiptoes to press my lips to his, earning me a low groan of approval as his tongue sweeps along the seam of my lips.

“Jesus, Josie, you taste so fucking good.”

I laugh. “That’s my lip balm. It’s peppermint flavor.”

“I guess peppermint just became my new favorite, then.”

After I put the flowers in a vase with water on the kitchen table and give Rudy a very stern talking-to, warning him to stay away from them, Wyatt leads me to his truck with his hand clasped tightly in mine, then helps me into the passenger seat like a gentleman.

He slides in the driver’s side, and then we’re off. He still hasn’t given me any clue as to where we’re going, even though I try for most of the ride to get something, anything out of him.

Which drives me insane because he knows that I’m terrible with surprises.

But Wyattjust chuckles and places his big palm on my thigh, sweeping his thumb absentmindedly along the top.

I’m no less confused when he parks in front of the guest cabin that he and Lucy are calling home, then opens my truck door, offering me his hand with a teasing grin. “Let’s go, beautiful.”

Surprisingly, he doesn’t lead me up to the porch. Instead, he leads me around the side of the house, and my brow furrows with confusion.

Okay, what is going on righ?—

Oh my God.

I lift my hand to my mouth, covering it to stop the sound of shock from spilling past my lips.

We may be at Wyatt’s house on his family’s ranch, but this is nothing like the backyard I’ve seen before. It’s been transformed into this beautiful, cozy… winter wonderland.

There have to be hundreds of lights strung up from posts to the porch, crisscrossing over the space that looks like something out of a movie.

There’s a huge projection screen with the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street playing, because of course Wyatt would never forget that it’s my favorite Christmas movie.In front of the projector is a small, cozy-looking couch that’s covered in plush white blankets and snowflake-embroidered pillows.Situated between the couch and projector is a table that’s been set for dinner with poinsettia china and a rich green and gold tablecloth, complete with red candlesticks that are flickering slightly from the wind. And there are a few fir trees lit up with sparkling twinkle lights framing the space.

He’s thought of everything … even bringing the large outdoor heaters placed next to the couch to make sure we’d be warm despite the temperature.

I can’t believe he did all of this. I was expecting maybe dinner and a movie. But this?

It’s the most thoughtful, sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.

Our own Christmas date night right in the middle of his backyard.

“But Lucy…” I trail off as I drag my gaze to his.

His mouth twitches. “At the main house with my grandparents for a movie night of her own.”

He’s taken care of it all.

“Wyatt…” I breathe, my throat suddenly feeling impossibly tight with emotion. I’m trying to find the right words, the right way to say thank you for putting this all together. “It’s beautiful. I can’t… I?—”

He steps to me, sliding his arms around my waist and gently hauling me to him as he uses a finger to tip my chin up. “It’s what you deserve, Josie. If I was even half the man I am today back then, I would’ve shown you that. I would’ve made sure you knew how important you were to me. Come on, let’s go sit so we can talk.”

I’m barely able to nod. I’m too overwhelmed by the emotions coursing through my body. My thoughts are a jumble of a hundred different things at once. Wyatt leads me to the couch and moves the thick, faux fur blanket so I can sit. I quickly shed my coat and then unzip my boots so I can draw my feet up in a crisscross as he takes the seat next to me, tossing the blanket over me and tucking the edges in.

It’s such a sweet dad thing that it makes tears prickle behind my eyes. My emotions are going haywire.

“Wyatt, this is too much. It must’ve taken you all day to do this,” I whisper thickly.

His shoulder dips while a broad grin curves his lips, and he reaches for my hand once more, threading his fingers through mine. “I had the best helper. Trust me, Lucy was so excited about our ‘date’ she could hardly sit still most of the day. I put her to work. It was actually her idea for the candles.”

My gaze moves to the long, tapered candles in the middle of the place settings.

The sweetest touch that nearly makes my heart sing.

God, it’s impossible not to feel everything for Lucy and Wyatt. How could I not? She’s the sweetest angel, and Wyatt… well, he’s him.

He’s the same boy I’ve always known, but now, he’s grown into a thoughtful, kind, compassionate man that I’m starting to fall for all over again.

Only now, there’s so much more at stake. It’s not only my heart or even his on the line; it’s also Lucy’s.

It’s part of the reason that I’m so afraid to do this with Wyatt. Whatever this is. Because I don’t want to be hurt again, but I can’t stand the thought of Lucy being hurt by whatever happens between her father and me. Especially knowing what happened with her mother.

“I did all of this because I want to show you that I’m serious, Josie. I want another chance at having your heart. I want to make up for all the time that we lost, and this time, I want to do it right. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere without you. Never again,”Wyatt murmurs as his gaze burns into mine, sincerity flickering within the depths.

I truly don’t believe that he’d ever purposefully hurt me.

But sometimes, love doesn’t always happen the way you intended. We thought we were forever once before… but then, we weren’t.

For a moment, I’m quiet as I try to find the right words. “I just need… some time. I want to be with you, right now, in this moment. But this is a lot, so fast, so please just give me some time, okay?” I finally say.

Without hesitation, he nods. “Whatever you need, Jos. I’m not going anywhere. For now, I’m just going to… woo you.”

I toss my head back, laughing loudly. “Oh? Is that so?”

“Mhmmm,” he hums, leaning forward and sliding his hand along the nape of my neck, pulling me gently to him. “I know how much Christmas does it for you, honey.”

This handsome, thoughtful, crazy man. I sigh, reaching forward and tangling my fingers in the fabric of his shirt.

“Then by all means, Wyatt Owens, woo away.”

He gives me an entirely too quick kiss and leaves me on the couch, disappearing through the back door of his house, only to return a few minutes later with a tray loaded down with food and a bottle of Strawberry Hollow’s famous sweet red wine tucked beneath his arm.

“Ooooh, what is all this?”

“This,” he says as he sets the tray on the table and starts arranging the dishes, “is your favorite from Patty’s diner.”

My eyes widen. “Chicken and dumplings?”

Wyatt nods. “And….”

He lifts the top off one of the platters, revealing my favorite dessert in the whole world. One that his grams makes, so one that I haven’t had for many years.

“Pecan pie? Oh my God. You got Grams to make me this?” When he nods, I lean forward. “I have to skip dinner altogether and go straight for dessert.”

“Whatever you want, honey.” He laughs.

We eat completely out of order, starting with dessert, and then we have the main entree, and then back to the pecan pie because I can’t get enough. Especially when Wyatt sucks the sweet filling off the tip of my finger, igniting a completely different type of hunger inside of me.

Once the plates are gone, I slowly crawl into his lap and straddle him, pulling the thick blanket tight around my shoulders as I stare down at him.

“Hmmm… what should we do now on our holidate?” I murmur, leaning closer.He grins against my mouth, and I press my lips gently to the corner of his and then another at the sharp edge of his jaw that’s covered in his soft beard. The scrape against my lips is the most delicious feeling, and then my mind drifts back to the feeling in between my thighs. My core beginsto tighten in response,a pulse of pleasure shooting through me as I recall it in vivid detail.

He palms my ass, squeezing and kneading the globes through my jeans. “I think it’s time I have you for dessert, honey.”

There’s one thing that Wyatt’s even better at than wooing… and that’s devouring me, wholly and completely.

When he tightens his arms around me and stands from the couch, I yelp, inciting a low chuckle from him. He bends only to blow out the candles and then carries me up the back porch and through the back door,headed straight for his bedroom.

And now… I’m curious.

I’ve never been in his bedroom here before, and once he pushes the door open with his foot, carrying me inside and gently setting me onto the bed, I take it all in.

The large king-size four-poster bed, made with dark wood and a mattress that feels like it might actually be made of a cloud. The matching dresser and nightstand. It’s masculine and modern yet somehow still gives an old feel to the craftsmanship.

“You look entirely too good in my bed, Josie,” He teases, the tone of his voice playful as he eyes me perched on the mattress.

My brow lifts. “Yeah?” I reach for the hem of my sweater and tug it over my head, tossing it to the floor. “What about… now ?”

Wyatt prowls forward, a deliciously hungry look on his handsome face. “Now, you just look like mine , honey.”