BRODIE
I’m nervous.Why am I nervous?
I’m good with women. Like, notoriously good. Most single women in this town have tried to shoot their shot with me.
I’m an excellent date, even if I don’t particularly like the person. I’m so good at letting people down easy that they hardly know I let them down.
Which may or may not have come back to bite me once or twice.
I’m fresh off a shift, though it was a quiet one. I still didn’t sleep much. I was too worried about how all of this is going to go down, haunted by memories of moss-green eyes and thoughts of how she’s grown into a woman my wildest fantasies couldn’t have captured.
Will Aria forgive me? Can we come back from the deep hole our relationship has fallen into?
I knock on Richard’s door just after two, smoothing a hand through my hair. I sniff the bouquet of flowers in my hand that I emergency-ordered from Iris. She delivered it herself with the biggest shit-eating grin, teasing me about being on a “redemption arc.” She also said she picked flowers rumored to be good for forgiveness, hope, and love.
I’m going to need all the help I can get.
I’m wearing a long-sleeve henley and jeans with my favorite boots. It warmed up a little this afternoon, so I don’t need a jacket.
Aria answers the door looking about as unsure as I feel. She wears a waffle-knit long-sleeve with a pair of leggings, tall socks pulled over them, and that beanie that frames her eyes so perfectly. She hardly wears makeup, and when she does, it’s not much. But I notice how thick and dark her lashes are.
A tiny part of me does cartwheels that she wanted to look good for me.
I thrust the flowers toward her.
She lifts a brow. “I thought this was a wink wink nudge nudge date.”
“The people said ‘date.’ I planned for a date.”
“I believe it was sold as an educational tour. And you paid a high sum of money for such a tour.”
“I am sure it’ll be worth every penny.”
She beckons me inside and heads for the kitchen to find a vase. I won’t lie, I had a big ol’ crush on teenager Aria. But adult Aria? My eyes magnetize to her ass as it sways into the kitchen. The last time I had my hands all over her, we were horny teenagers. But the way she stirs me up now is something deeper, more hypnotic.
I shake myself out of my daze and go inside, looking around. I haven’t seen the place since we put the finishing touches on it a couple months back. I was part of the crew that helped build a new house for Richard after this summer’s tornado. I knock on the wall, as one must when inspecting the workmanship of a house.
He pops out of his bedroom. “Mr. Campbell.”
“Dr. Hines,” I say, shaking his hand. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”
He bobs his head. “It’s working out just fine, all things considered.”
“I’m glad.”
“I’ll just be here taking a nap. You two have fun out there. Ari, check on that hen of the woods for me, will ya?”
I lift a brow. “There are chickens out there?”
She joins me at my side and pats my shoulder. “It’s a choice edible mushroom. But we’ll get to all that on our journey.”
She zips up a backpack. “I’ve got water and some snack bars in case we stay out a while. Do you want to put anything else in here?”
“I’m all set. See you later, Richard,” I say with a wave.
By the door, Aria grabs two baskets, extending one my way. The sight alone is a flashback.
“Oh, wow. Is this the same one from when we were kids?”
