Does six tonight work for you?
Me:
Six’s fine. Where are we going?
Mr. Black:
I got us a table at The Tavern. Is that cool?
Me:
I’ve never been, so I’ll let you choose. See you at six.
My cheeks were warm from blushing. I had no idea what to expect tonight, and the anticipation of the unknown had me giddy for the rest of the day.
At six on the dot,the doorbell rang. I told my grandparents that Micah was taking me out when I got in from work, and they assured me they had no problem keeping Reign. I took my time going down to the door. PopPop would be the one to answer, because he had the same routine anytime Jude came to get me. I put my shoes on as I heard PopPop and Micah greeting each other.
“Harley, your guest has arrived!” PopPop shouted from the door.
“I’ll be right there!” I shouted back.
I did a once-over in the mirror. My dress was white, stopping mid-length, and had a slight V-neck. I paired it with a pair of gold stilettos and a gold clutch. My red curls were full andbouncy. I skipped wearing foundation, so my freckles were on full display with just some lipstick and mascara. Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I headed for the door, and just as I opened it, Reign appeared.
“Mommy, you look pretty,” she complimented me.
“Thank you, Nugget. Now, be a good girl for Nana and PopPop, okay?”
“Pinky promise,” Reign said as she held her pinky out. When our pinky fingers connected, we shook them in agreement.
I kissed her forehead and let her go down the stairs first. When we reached the living room, I noticed the men were out on the porch, PopPop talking poor Micah’s head off. As I approached the door, I noticed the corners of Micah’s lips turn into a smile when he saw me. The door creaked as I made my way out of the house. PopPop turned to hold the door open for me.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you ready?” I asked.
“As ready as can be. Mr. Braxton, it was so good to see you. Please tell Mrs. Braxton I said hello,” Micah said.
“Alright, you two, be safe. Young man, don’t forget our little chat,” PopPop insisted. He kissed me on the cheek before heading into the house.
Micah nodded in agreement with his final statement. I looked back and forth between them, and Micah smiled as he led me to the passenger side of his truck. The short walk gave me a chance to admire his attire for the evening. He was dressed similarly to the night I saw him at the barn.
That night, he wore a light-blue, button-down dress shirt, navy-blue slacks, with Cognac cowboy boots on his feet. He didn’t roll up the sleeves on his shirt, but that didn’t stop the tattoos on his neck and wrists from being visible. The diamond chain matched the studs in his ears, giving Micah a sexy cowboy vibe.
When he opened the car door for me, the smell of the woodsy, vanilla scent he wore filled my nose. Micah ensured I was in the car before closing the door. Once he made it inside, he looked over at me.
“You look beautiful, but I didn’t want to say that in front of your grandfather. He made sure I knew all about his extensive gun collection,” he said.
“I’m so embarrassed. I can’t believe he would do that at my big age,” I said as I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment.
Micah pulled his truck onto the gravel as we made our way to town. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. One day, that’ll be me telling some young dude I’ll kill behind mine too. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from him.”
The more I sat with Micah, the more I found myself comparing him to Jude. My grandfather and Jude had a great relationship. The next man that came into my life would have big shoes to fill with all of us. Jude wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself; Micah didn’t call this a date, just two people catching up.
“How has it been being back in town?” he asked.
“I’m still adjusting. Locust Valley and Oak River are two different speeds. Today, I felt really good about being back,” I replied
“Oh yeah? The kids were nice to you today?”
“I just love teaching. When we were in Oak River, I only taught part time. I needed to make sure Reign wouldn’t be at the sitter all day. This is the first year I can teach full time with my class,” I explained.
