Instead, she smiled—the kind of smile that held compassion and understanding.
“He seems like a great guy. Aria adores him. Granted, he did let her play with power tools, and that automatically makes him cool,” Holly replied. “I hope you have fun tonight.”
The relief was instant. It rushed through my chest so quickly that I almost laughed out loud. All of the tension I’d been holding onto dissolved in a single breath.
“Thank you,” I whispered, meaning it more than she probably realized. Without another word, I headed for the door.
“And Harley?” she called out once more. I rotated slightly, arching a brow. “I’m proud of you.”
That stopped me in my tracks. For a moment, I just stood there with my hand on the doorknob, staring at her like I wasn’t sure I’d heard her right. Pride wasn’t something that had been freely given to me in my life. Not growing up. Not in the circles I’d spent most of my adulthood navigating.And especially not for something like this.
Approval always came with conditions and expectations.
But Holly said it so simply. No hesitation. No judgment. Just absolute certainty. It wrapped tightly around my heart,constricting almost painfully. The flood of emotions was unexpected, and I cleared my throat.
“Thank you.” I wasn’t even sure she could hear me, but I nodded as I pushed the door open. I carried her words with me as I walked to my car and as I pulled away from the house. It was such a small thing for her to be proud of me for, but it meant the world.
CHAPTER 95
maverick
The red looks fine, right?” I asked as I glanced over to where Duke lounged around on my bed with his head hanging off the edge. His ears twitched, but that was about it. “You’re no help, you know that?”
“Are you talking to Duke again?” Roxy demanded. My phone sat on my dresser on speaker as Roxy hung out with me while I got ready. She wanted to come over, but that would only end inchaos, and I didn’t want chaos. I wanted calm before I went on this date. I needed it because I was definitely a bundle of nerves.
“He helps… sometimes,” I replied.Never. “Should I wear a tie?”
“Where is he taking you?”
“The Lakeside Reverie,” I told her. The restaurant had changed over the years, becoming even fancier than it was. That meant I had to try harder. I couldn’t get away with jeans and a dress shirt anymore. I only had a black suit and a handful of very standard dress shirts—enough to get by when I needed them. “I’m wearing the red shirt.”
“Oh, that’s a good color on you,” she commented.
“But do I wear a tie?”
“Will Harley be wearing a tie?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed. Why did this shit have to be so hard?
“Why don’t you just text him and ask?” Roxy suggested. I pressed my lips together tightly. Okay, that was one way to handle it.
“Would that be weird?” I asked. “Me texting him for clothing advice before a date? Fuck, that’s not who I am.”
“Yeah, but what if you show up and you’re not wearing a tie, but he’s wearing a tie?” she countered. “Then who’s going to look like an idiot?”
“At least I’m a sexy fucking idiot,” I shot back, making her laugh loudly.
“Maverick Fox: Sexy Fucking Idiot.”
“I’ll start putting that shit on my business cards,” I muttered. Caving, I swiped up on my phone and switched screens to text him, because the only way I’d know was if I asked.
Do I need to wear a tie tonight?
Are you wearing a tie?
Is this a tie-wearing kind of date?
HARLEY: You don’t need one, handsome, unless you want one. Just show up how you want.
