“So, why don’t you come over for dinner?” Harlow blurted out.
Nick folded his arms across his chest. “So you want to cook your way back into my good graces?”
“Only if it works,” Harlow quipped. “Warning. I’m not going to cook a four-course meal or anything over the top.”
“It’s a date. Whatever you serve will be fine. Tell me what and when.”
“How about Thursday?” she suggested. “I’m living at 17 Sweetwater Lane.”
“Down by the lake? That’s a beautiful area. I had my first summer job there as a lifeguard back in the day.”
Nick as a lifeguard must have been quite something. Her teenage self would have loved to be rescued by him. It probably would have been the most exciting summer of her life. Instead, she and Malcolm had been stuck at sleepaway camp in the Berkshires.
Miles popped in the doorway. “Dad. What’s taking you so long? Zeus is getting antsy.”
“That’s my cue to leave before Zeus tears up your waiting room. Talk to you soon,” Nick said, shaking his head and quickly exiting the exam room.
A date night with Nick. Harlow was tempted to jump in the air with a fist raised in celebration. She couldn’t think of the last time she’d been so stoked about a date. Adrenaline coursed through her at the thought of spending some alone time with the gorgeous single dad.
There was only one problem. Harlow couldn’t cook. Not a lick. She had zero abilities in that department. Nick had gotten her so flustered she’d forgotten about her terrible kitchen skills. If she told Malcolm about inviting Nick to dinner, her brother would bust a gut laughing about the situation.
Harlow had no idea how she was going to pull this off, but she had a feeling it might involve a takeout meal disguised as home cooking.
Chapter Eight
So you have a date with Harlow tonight,” Luke said with an approving nod. “Good move. She sounds really great according to Stella. Plus, she’s gorgeous.” He handed Nick a hard cider as they settled onto the living room couch to watch the Patriots game.
“She is,” Nick said. “Did you know she’s a veterinarian? She’s working at Paws.”
“I think Stella mentioned it the other day. That’s quite a winning combination. Looks and smarts.” Luke flashed him a thumbs-up sign. “And it’s pretty convenient now that you’re a dog owner.”
Nick frowned at Luke. Was he really going there with the dog thing? He was still trying to wrap his head around having Zeus thrust on him as a permanent member of his household.
“Too soon?” Luke asked, smirking.
“Way too soon,” Nick said. As far as he was concerned, it would always be too soon to joke about the way Luke had manipulated him into adopting Zeus.
“So, back to your date,” Luke said, swiftly changing the subject.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Nick said. He was trying to play it cool and not reveal how excited he was about his date. If he didn’t keep his cards close to the vest, Luke would definitely tell Stella, who might pass it on to Harlow.
Luke raised a brow. “But? I hear a but coming.”
“She can be a bit guarded,” Nick admitted. “I really want to get to know the real Harlow. There’s so much resting under the surface.” Maybe he was just being impatient. Getting to know someone took time. But being with Harlow made Nick want to breathe in every little facet of her.
“And you don’t think you’re making any headway?” Luke asked.
“She gives me don’t-get-too-close vibes sometimes,” he said with a shrug. “But then again, she’s the one who asked me out, so that’s got to be a good sign.”
Luke nodded his head. “That’s what I’m talking about,” he said, letting out a throaty laugh.
Nick joined in on the laughter. He’d known Luke would approve of Harlow having made the first move.
“Maybe she’s had some bad experiences,” Luke responded. “All she needs is a Keegan man to loosen her up a little bit. Charm city, baby.”
Nick chuckled. “I’ll try my best.”
“Ugh. Do you hear yourselves?”
