He raked his gaze over her. “You’re perfect.”
She rubbed her lips together. “You look nice too.”
He smiled as he took her hand and drew her out of the room. “Let’s go.”
“Do I get any hints at least?”
He loved the tension that crackled between them at mere eye contact. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
They took the steps, and once they reached the ground floor he was relieved to see that her brother was busy at the front desk with a customer. Levi had been cordial enough since he sucker punchedWyatt, but he was clearly reserving judgment. Wyatt wasn’t sure if Levi knew about this date, but now wasn’t the optimal time for that revelation.
When Grace headed toward the front door, he tugged her hand. “Nope. This way.”
“Okay...” She followed him down the hall and out the back door. Once the dock came into view it only took her a few seconds to spot the boat tied up there, an antique wooden Chris-Craft.
She gasped, looking at him. “Is that Adam’s boat? How’d you pull that off? He won’t even letmedrive it.”
“I gave him my extensive list of boating credentials and signed over my firstborn.”
“This is so great. I’ve only been in it once.”
He sensed her relaxing into the date. With another woman a fancy dinner and theater tickets might impress. Grace was different. She was comfortable outside, comfortable on the water. And, of course, he’d taken all that into account because he wanted her to relax and enjoy their evening.
They made their way down the grassy slope, no longer holding hands. She preceded him down the wooden dock, which shimmied under their weight.
When he pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them over to her, her eyes widened. “What? I can drive it?”
“She’s all yours for the evening. Got Adam’s permission and everything.”
She gawked at the boat, then back at him. “What kind of magician are you? How did you do this?”
“I enlisted your sister’s help, that’s all. Seems she has a lot of sway with her husband.”
“She didn’t say a word.”
“We’ve been texting back and forth the past couple hours.” Wyatthad planned to rent a boat for the night, but when he asked Molly what Grace’s favorite type of boat was, she went on a mission to make the date a success. God bless her.
He helped Grace into the boat, untied the lines, and stepped aboard. As Grace sank onto the bench seat behind the wheel, her wide smile was contagious. Once he was seated she started the engine and it roared to life, making the boat vibrate beneath them.
Wyatt pointed across the lake. “Head that way, Captain.”
Grace beamed at him. “Aye, aye, sir.”
He’d thought it might take a while to arrive at their destination. Grace had obviously taken time with her hair, and he knew by now women didn’t like having their hard work undone.
But once Grace cleared the no-wake zone, she went full throttle, her hair waving behind her like a flag. And Wyatt thought it might be the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
***
“That was so fun.” Grace settled across from Wyatt at a patio table behind Clem’s Lake Shack where they could keep a close eye on Adam’s boat.
“She sure rides like a dream.”
Grace used her fingers to unsnarl her hair. She probably looked all windblown, but it had been worth it. “And I love this restaurant. Have you been here before?”
“No, but I’ve heard great things. Some hikers were telling me I shouldn’t miss it, and Molly confirmed that you liked it.”
“I do. It’s been a while though.” The restaurant wasn’t fancy, but it wasn’t quite the “shack” it claimed to be either. The shaded outdoor patio overlooking the lake made it popular with tourists, and the tasty dishes made it one of the Bennetts’ top restaurant recommendations.
