“This is the strangest hour for a date ever.” I answered the door as soon as Lewis knocked. I kept my voice low so as not to disturb my neighbors.
Lewis stood on the pavement, the streetlights glowing against the hazy dusk of twilight. His sexy smirk still made me weak at the knees. “You look beautiful.”
I was dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a cardigan, and my hair was pulled back in a ponytail. I wore only a touch of mascara and blush. This was the most boring outfit I’d ever worn on a date, but I didn’t know where we were going, only that it was still chilly at this time of the morning, even if it was early July. “I’ve looked better.” Grabbing my keys, I stepped out of the cottage and stared up at my handsome date. He wore his hair loose for once and looked like a rock star more than a biker this morning.
“You’re always beautiful to me.” Lewis leaned down and whispered in my ear, “And always sexy as fuck.”
I shivered at the words and the way his breath puffed against my skin. Oh boy. Swallowing hard, I pulled back to peer up at him. “Seriously, where is Lewis and what have you done with him?”
He chuckled and gestured to a Range Rover parked at the curb. “Ready?”
I immediately pouted. “Where’s the bike?”
“Eh, you’re pregnant.” He placed a hand on my lower back, leading me toward the 4x4. “There is no way I’m putting you on the back of my bike.”
Damn it. I knew he was right. Disappointed but also appreciative of his forethought, I got into the passenger side. “Is this yours?” I asked as he climbed in behind the wheel.
Lewis shook his head. “Borrowed it from Dad. But I’m going car hunting this weekend. We’ll need something big enough for a baby’s car seat.”
“I have a car.”
“I know. But I want to be able to drive you to your doctor’s appointments and whatever else you need.”
As we drove down Castle Street, I found myself staring at his profile in awe. He was buying a car just so he could drive me around. “You … you seem calm about the whole thing.”
He shot me a quick, patient look. “A baby is on its way, Callie. Aye, it’s scary, and we wouldn’t be human if we weren’t terrified, but there’s no point wallowing in that. Because … it’s also exciting. And we have lots to talk about and prepare for.”
At that moment, I felt so ashamed.
I fell quiet as Lewis drove toward the main beach parking. The car park was almostempty, except for a couple of motorhomes. There was nothing but the sound of the surf beyond the dunes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“What are we doing here?” I asked instead.
Lewis didn’t respond with words. He got out of the car and rounded it to open my door. As I stepped out, he pulled a picnic basket and blanket from the back seat.
With his free hand, he clasped mine tightly and led me toward the beach. A sand-covered boardwalk guided us down through the dunes and out onto the stretch of smooth, perfect beach.
In the twilight, there was not another soul in sight, and a summer morning mist hung in the air.
“Callie … are you okay?”
I squeezed Lewis’s hand. “I have so much to say … and yet … I’m not sure I can.”
Instead of answering, he tugged on my hand, and I followed him down the beach. He chose a random spot to spread the blanket and gestured for me to take a seat. I kicked off my trainers and sat down, pulling my knees to my chest. I was glad for my cardy because there was a cool breeze blowing up from the water. The gentle tide and quiet rhythm of the sea lapping against the shore calmed my racing heartbeat as Lewis sat down and began unpacking the picnic basket.
I watched as he pulled out a bottle of water, sparkling fruit water, and … a bottle of Irn-Bru. Thinking it was a strange choice for an early-morning picnic, but thinking this whole thing was strange, I let it go. There were scones and mini jars of jam and clotted cream. Croissants that looked an awful lot like my mum’s. Ihmmedat that and he grinned.
Lastly, he pulled out a bag of peanut M&Ms, Walkers’ pickled onion crisps, and … my mum’s homemade truffles in a Tupperware box. “Where did you get those?” I asked, reaching out to steal one. Mum hadn’t made those in ages!
“The same place I got the croissant and scones.”
“Mum?”
Lewis nodded. “She might have grabbed the pastries from the bakery and made me the truffles last night.”
“But I was there last night.”
