He chuckles. “So dinner is grown-up now?”
“Well, no. I don’t suppose it is. But it feelslike it after you kissed me this morning and now you’re taking me to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant that I’ve been dying to try for a long time.”
“Fair,” he concedes. “That escalated quickly. I’m not sorry though.”
“To tell you the truth, neither am I.”
Rhett reaches over and places his hand on my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I almost canceled,” I admit suddenly.
His gaze flicks to me. “Tonight?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “Not because I didn’t want to go, but because Idid.”
“That tracks,” he says with a smirk, “given how hesitant you were when we first matched.”
“I’m not great at jumping in headfirst,” I continue. “I like to analyze. I’m a serious overthinker who talks myself out of things that feel too good.”
He nods in understanding. “And yet here you are.”
“And yet here I am,” I echo.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you didn’t cancel,” he says.
“Me too.”
A few miles later, he blows out a breath and says, “You know this is a big deal for me, right?”
I blink. “Taking me to dinner?”
“Leaving town for it,” he clarifies. “Red Barn closes, I usually head to hockey with my nephew Matty or home. That’s it.”
I smile softly. “I feel honored.”
“You should,” he says. “I don’t do half-assed things.”
The road curves gently, headlights sweeping over dark trees and the occasional glimpse of water.
“So, tell me about Matty. How old is he?”
“Seven,” Rhett replies, and his voice softens. “Smart kid. Stubborn. Already faster on skates than half the kids his age.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say that was a brag.”
“Absolutely was,” he says. “He shows up, works hard, and doesn’t complain.” Rhett chuckles. “Not that he has much choice about showing up. His favorite uncle is the head coach and often his ride.”
“Aren’t you his only uncle?” I laugh. “You just have one sister, Gwen, right?”
“Yeah.” He smiles. “Single mom for most of Matty’s life. His dad isn’t in the picture. But she never made Matty feel like he was missing out on anything. She’s strong as hell.”
My heart warms in my chest at the way he speaks about his family. It’s clear he loves them.
“She’s getting married soon,” he continues. “He’s a good guy. Sterling loves Matty like his own. You can tell when someone shows up for a kid without needing credit for it. He’s a rich son of a bitch, but you’dneverknow it.”
I nod, my throat suddenly thick with emotion. Rhett’s a man that loves his family. And Gwen is a lucky woman to have found someone to love her the way he says Sterling does. It tugs on my heartstrings and makes me crave that kind of dedication for myself. “That matters.”
“It does,” he agrees. “Family’s everything, ya know?”
