But on those rare occasions when Idoagree to a date, I let the dude know right away how it’s going to be.No dressing up.No makeup.No small talk about the weather.
Please.
I already know what the damn weather is!I work outside most of the time, and when necessary, I can check the weather app on my very own mobile phone!
And if, despite this warning, a guy says, “it’s sure a hot one out there today!”he’ll get a judo punch to the Adam’s apple.
Yeah, not a lot of dating.
But Declan’s seen me leave the ranch with a man on occasion.He happened to be on leave when a cowboy from the rodeo circuit swung by to pick me up.Also, I remember that Declan told me to have a nice time when I went out with the cutie who used to sell us our alfalfa hay.He even shook hands with the bovine veterinarian from Carson City who took me out for pizza.
I guess he’s fine with me having dated, past tense, but he’s not a fan of me dating, in the present.
“You know, I think you became a SEAL just to play with drones.”
I need to say something—anything—to distract him.And this is what comes out of my mouth.I decide to go with it, since it already seems to be working.
He blinks.He stops bitching about Kirk.His face relaxes and normalizes in color.“And the choppers.I hada lotof fun with the choppers.”
“Anything that zooms through the air,” I agree.
He smiles wide at me.This is when Declan’s at his most handsome.The boyish smile that digs dimples into his cheeks.The twinkle in his eye that hints at his love for life and an unshaking faith that everything will work out just fine.
Lordy.I’m the one who needs a distraction now.
“The SEALs have some cool shit, not gonna lie, some of the coolest shit anywhere on the planet.”He nods to himself.
I tease him about his love for all the vroom-vroom sky toys, but I know Declan has put his life on the line for his country.He doesn’t talk about it much, but he’s a deeply patriotic man.Finn let it slip to me about how Declan did some kind of daredevil helicopter shit to lift his entire eight-man squad out of a firefight.He got a medal for it.
Finn realized too late what he’d said and made me swear to never let on to Declan that I knew.“He’ll kill me,” Finn said.
I never said a thing.Never will.Unless Declan asks me directly, and then I’ll have to.I’ve never lied to him and can’t imagine why I’d start now.
“You know, it’s just a double date, Declan,” I say.
“What?”He turns and frowns down at me.
“With Kirk.It’s just a double date.You’ll be there the whole time.”
“I will?”He seems confused by this statement.“I’ll be there thewholetime?”
It takes me a second, but I finally understand the source of his confusion.Declan’s not worried about the double-date part of the evening.He’s worried about what happensafter.
I laugh to myself.
He has no way of knowing this because I’ve never told a soul.Even him, my best friend.
But there’s never been anafter.
I’m what some might call a late bloomer.
I’m a virgin.
CHAPTER 10
Summer
Most everyone assumes that a date with a rodeo cowboy ends with the woman getting bedded.From what I’ve heard, that’s pretty accurate.
