“Look,” he said, leveling a more serious stare at me. “I meant it when I said you didn’t have to come. If you want to walk out that door, you’re welcome to. I only want you to be here if you want to be here.”
The intensity of his gaze had me forgetting to breathe. I took in a shallow breath and said, “It was my decision... and my grandma’s.” I smiled at the thought of her. “She was very thrilled to know ‘a fine, employed young man’ had asked me on a date.”
He chuckled heartily at that. “Let me know her address, and I’ll have roses on the way.”
“She prefers daylilies,” I tossed back, “but it’s not needed. Just give me lots of juicy details to tell her about later.”
With a wink, he replied, “I think we can make that happen.”
My stomach fluttered, surprising me just as much as the server that snuck up on us. He was wearing all black slacks and a black button-down and walked like a damn ninja. He was only missing the mask and a couple of throwing stars. “Welcome to Golden Café. Can I take your drink order?” He set two cloth-bound menus on the table and began pouring water into crystal glasses.
“Coffee, black please,” Bryce said.
Damn, even his drink order was sexy.
“Oat milk latte, with honey if you can.”
“Absolutely,” the server replied and left just as silently as he arrived.
“So you and your grandma are close?” Bryce asked, lifting the water to his perfectly pink lips.
I needed to get my mind off his body parts, especially when talking about my grandmother. “She’s my best friend. My parents passed in a car accident when I was in college, so she and Grandpa became my rocks.”
Bryce frowned. “That’s awful, Jada. I’m glad you had them to lean on.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Usually people apologize when I tell them I lost my parents.”
“I don’t because it annoys me when people apologize to me when I tell them I lost my mom when I was young.”
My heart sank for him—and it was almost bittersweet, being able to relate to him on this most human level. “How did she pass?”
“Cancer. I was four, so I don’t have memories of it. Or her.”
My heart lurched for him. At least I’d known my parents. His loss... It had me wanting to say sorry too. “What are people supposed to say when they hear that?” I wondered.
“Nothing, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “I usually don’t share that detail.”
A little satisfied feeling rose up in my chest at the fact that I knew something about him most people didn’t. Which was totally wrong, considering we were bonding over our dead parents. Gosh. I should be studied. So I changed the subject. “What do you typically talk about on a first date?”
“First dates aren’t typical for me. MyHome doesn’t leave much time for dating.” There was more to his voice that made me wonder what salacious activities hedidhave time for.
“I relate to that,” I said, cooling myself off with a sip of icy water. “I haven’t been on a date like this in years.”
He dipped his head in understanding. “What made you want to work at a daycare? Most people see that as challenging, germy work.”
“Telling on yourself?” I asked, teasing him.
He chuckled. “I love kids—I have nine nieces and nephews who come over for movie nights every month. And I try to make it to their events as often as I can.”
If they could, my ovaries would reach over my head and whack me for not going out with the man sooner. Abillionairewho liked kids? He was a unicorn with a horn in an even better spot.
Why couldn’t I be meeting him in five years when my career was more stable and my ability to have children wouldn’t be a dealbreaker?
I had to find a way to bring myself back down to reality. A man like him, who enjoyed children and prioritized his family, wouldn’t want to be with a woman like me. I needed to remember that because getting my hopes up just meant they had farther to fall.
16.Bryce
As the youngestof five being raised by a single dad, I’d never get over meals like the one sitting on the table between Jada and me. Throughout my childhood, most of our meals consisted of farm-raised burgers with a bag of frozen fries and canned green beans. Not only that, but she made far better company than a rowdy group of burping, farting, arguing boys.
