“I agree with you.”
“Well, I’ll be. Two of my favorites who haven’t been to see me in far too long,” Hattie says. She’s the owner of Momma’s Grill. Her great-grandmother opened the diner many, many years ago, and it’s been passed down from generation to generation.
I open my mouth to say hello, but I immediately clamp it shut when Holden stands from the booth and gently wraps his arms around the older woman. “Missed you too, Hat,” he tells her.
“It’s been too long,” I agree when he takes his seat.
“What can I get you kids?”
Holden nods for me to order. “Big breakfast for me. Bacon, wheat toast, over easy, and milk to drink.” I ask for my go-to breakfast order.
“And for you?” Hattie asks Holden.
“I’ll do the same.” Holden hands her back the menu without even looking at it.
“Coming right up.” Hattie gives us her signature friendly smile and rushes to put in our order.
“You want to see the houses?” he asks. There’s a sparkle in his eyes, and I admit his excitement is contagious.
“Yes.” I offer him a smile at the same time that he lifts his phone and snaps a picture of me. “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to capture your smile.” He taps the screen and turns his phone so I can see the picture. My eyes are bright, brighter than they should be after my sleepless night wondering how today would play out.
“House, Bailey,” I remind him.
“Right.” He slides out of his side of the booth and moves to sit next to me. I want to protest, but it does make it easier for both of us to look at his phone at the same time, so instead, I scoot over, giving him more room. “This is the first one.” He shows me a two-story monstrosity.
“That’s huge for one person,” I comment.
“They’re all big. They have a decent amount of land and privacy fences and gates.”
“My parents and my sister have the same at their places. It’s still a big place for just you.”
“Well, when you come to visit me, it won’t be just me.” He winks.
“I’m buying you a dictionary.”
“Perfect. I can put it in my new office once I choose a house.”
“You’re terrible.” I chuckle.
“Here we go, kids,” Hattie says. She places our plates overflowing with food in front of us, as well as two tall glasses of milk. “I’ll be right back with some jelly for the toast and syrup for your pancakes.” With that, she scurries away.
“Good choice, sweet pea,” Holden says, squeezing my thigh under the table.
My breath hitches in my chest, and I pray he doesn’t notice, but I should have known better.
He leans over, placing his lips right next to my ear. “You’re beautiful.” He turns back around and dives into his food. His hand is no longer on my thigh, but his leg is pressed against mine, and I can still feel his hot breath against my skin. My body can’t seem to get the memo that we’re taking this slow. Holden’s touch is electric, and I can see myself easily craving his touch, craving his warmth.
“Something wrong, sweetheart?” Hattie asks when she returns with the jelly and syrup and a refill for Holden since his glass of milk is already half empty.
“No. I’m good.” I smile at her, hoping it comes off genuine. I’m hoping she can’t see what the man sitting next to me does to my hormones.
“All right. You let me know if you need anything else. I’ll be back to check on you.”
“Thanks, Hat,” Holden tells her. Once she walks away, he turns to me. “Everything okay?”
“We’re going slow.”
He nods. “I made you a promise.”
“You’re sitting next to me.”
“Is that not allowed?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. There’s humor in his voice, and I want to yell at him for it, but I’m the one who’s being ridiculous.
“It’s allowed. Just… unexpected.”
“You want me to move?”
I want to say yes. I want him to move back to the other side, but then I think about losing his warmth and the swirls in my chest from being this close to him. I want to take things slow, so being next to him like this is going to be a rare moment. We’re just sharing a meal. I can do this. “No. It’s fine,” I finally answer.
Another nod from him, and he turns back to his plate. I pull my fork out of my napkin and begin to do the same. With each bite, I relax further. The food is delicious as always, and it’s been forever, so I’m quickly lost in the meal. We eat in comfortable silence, and when it’s time to go, Holden insists on paying since he invited me today. I don’t put up a fight, deciding to choose my battles.
Instead, I let him lead me out of the diner with his hand on the small of my back. He ushers me to the passenger side of his truck, and I climb up. He waits like a gentleman until I’m settled to shut the door. I’m an hour in and already seeing sides of Holden Bailey I didn’t think existed.