“Nice weather,” Cash said, pumping the neck of his t-shirt.
“I guess, if you’re into cooking eggs on the pavement.” I laughed and he joined in with me.
“It’ll cool down a bit once the sun goes down,” he said.
“You planning to stay that long?”
“I am if you are.” He looked at me with a spark in his eye that I was starting to get used to.
“Well…” I dragged the word out, tapping my chin as if I was trying to decide whether or not to brave the heat with him. “You did mention something about live music yesterday.”
“And dancing.”
“One thing at a time,” I said, tempering his excitement while denying my own. I’d been ignoring the flutters in my stomach ever since the moment we’d met up in the breezeway between our apartments. “I’m all about the music, but I never promised you a dance.”
I’d never been a dancer but part of me—a very big part—wondered what it would be like to dance with him. I had no idea if my shoes qualified as dancing shoes, but at least they were better than those horrible heels I’d worn to impress Grandmother yesterday.
If toes could sing, mine would have belted out a heartfelt rendition of the Hallelujah chorus at the fact that I was wearing a pair of easy-breezy sandals today. Their boho vibe with brown leather and wooden bead detail was totally more my style. I’d also ditched the tweed suit for a pink floral tunic with bell sleeves and a pair of capri leggings.
“I guess we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said. “I like the new look, by the way. Much better.”
“New look?” His gaze on the side of my face was even hotter than the oven-breeze drying my eyes.
“Yeah, I wholeheartedly approve of your costume change. You should let Granny see. I think she’d like it. I know I sure do.”
“I’m not so sureGrannywould agree, but thanks.”
“You called herGranny!”If Cash wasn’t such a cool character, I’d wouldn’t have been one bit surprised to see him dance a jig with how excited he seemed about what I’d just said. “I knew I could loosen you up.”
I grinned. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” That was the theme for the day. I couldn’tbeatCash’s logic earlier, and now I’djoinedhim… on a date.
Beneath Cash’s watchful eyes, I tucked a damp curl behind my ear. My hair was still wet from the cold shower I’d taken to cool off before a night spent in the heat. Something told me I’d need another shower before the night was over, and it wasn’t because of the August temps.
I sneaked a glance his way. It was a wonder he hadn’t tripped yet, because he still hadn’t taken his eyes off me.
“I wear this outfit all the time, you know. It’s nothing special.”
“Oh, it’s special all right. You look like yourself, now—the real you.”
He was right. I wasn’t hiding who I was anymore—not tonight, at least. I took a deep breath. It was good to be me again.
It was even better to be with someone whowantedme to be me. Was this what I’d been missing with Cash all along? A supportive guy who liked me for who I really was?
I shook my head. That was crazy talk. This was only a first date. Of course he’d be on his best behavior and say all the right things.
I wasn’t going to let my guard downthateasy. Though, I couldn’t deny how sincere he seemed whenever he said things like that.
“You sure you can handle the real me?” My words sounded like a joke, but they were a question I really needed an answer to. Grandmother hadn’t been the only one in my life who wasn’t happy with the person I was, and I had a string of failed relationships to prove it.
“The fake Willow? No way. I can’t handle her at all. The real Willow—the one I’ve been watching for a long time now? Absolutely.”
“Well,thatdoesn’t sound creepy at all.” Finally, a chance to turn the tables and tease him for a change.
Cash laughed. “Not creepy. You’re a hard woman not to notice. You’re… real. I don’t know any other way to put it. That’s important to me.”
His laughter disappeared, and quiet settled between us. The look in his eyes was far away. I wondered what he was thinking, but there wasn’t time to pry. Music filled the air from the outdoor market just ahead and the venders were already in sight.
“There are my suppliers,” he said, pointing toward an intersection that had been closed to traffic where rows of tables stood covered in produce. “I have to see them real quick, then we can go have some fun.”
