was batting. I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but I carefully considered what she said as I picked up my bag and headed out of the barn with her .
“How about we make a deal?” she asked me . “You take me somewhere that’s very much you , and next time I’ll take you somewhere that’s very much me .”
Next time. Those words gave me a thrill. Her smile was expectant and I had no choice but to agree. I definitely wanted there to be a next time.
“Okay, I think I can handle that. So if it’s a deal, I’m guaranteed at least one more date with you, right? Even if you are completely horrified with where I take you?”
She laughed as we got in the truck. “I’m dying to be horrified.”
She actually had a huge smile on her face when I pulled into Time Out , a sports bar downtown. I thought she was letting me know that I was being totally predictable, so I said, “What can I say? I’m a jock.”
She laughed and said, “I m ust be as well. I’ve been here dozen s of times.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise when I asked, “Really? With which boyfriend?”
Again she laughed , but she didn’t answer the question. Instead she got out of the truck while I sat there in thought. She tilted her head with a smile as she waited for me, so I finally got out and met her at the bumper.
“That wasn’t a rhetorical question,” I informed her as we walked to the entry.
“Oh? Which questio n? ‘Really ? ’ or ‘which boyfriend ? ’ ”
I gave her a look and said, “You’re a little feisty.”
“I am?” she replied, pretending to be shocked. “Hmm. Am I too much for you to handle ?”
I smiled and gave her a side-glance. “I surely hope not, but I’m ready for another challenge.”
She smiled as I held the door for her, and then led her inside .
I recognized the waitress that seated us , and she seemed to know Jayden as well . After a short conversation she pointed at Jayden and knowingly said, “Water for you,” and she turned to me and said, “Now I’m pretty sure you’re not one of the drinkers, right?”
“ Right , water’s great.”
When she left Jayden smiled at me. “You don’t drink during baseball season?”
“No, not ever.”
She seemed to think over my answer, eyeing me carefully. It made me a little nervous because I thought she was trying to read further into it . Finally she replied, “Good for you. I think it’s nasty stuff.”
I nodded my agreement, not wanting to get into the real reasons why I wouldn ’t touch alcohol . She would probably run the other way.
“I don’t think many people hang out at sports bars on Easter ,” she glanced around with a little laugh .
“Just a few other jocks,” I noticed. There wasn’t a female in sight, and the guys that were in there had their eyes on my date. I guess I couldn’t blame them , though, because Jayden was quite a sight. But I felt a little ashamed about being so attracted to her physically without knowing much about her. I understood that it was how things worked, but after getting to know her just a little, I was fully convinced that true beauty really was on the inside.
Just then her ph one rang. “Oh, sorry about that,” she smiled, seeming embarrassed. “Let me put it on mute— O h, wait, I should take this or we’ll both be sorry . Do you mind?”
I shook my head no.
“Hey, what’s up?” She paused for a bit. “Oh, sounds fun… Me? Oh, I’m actually at Howard’s — ”
S he knew Howard?
—“Sure… W ith a friend,” she smiled at me. “Dad,” she said in a warning tone, rolling her eyes. “Well, I’m gonna go, I’m being rude… No, sorry, see you tonight. Bye.”
She hung up and shook her head.
“Is your dad checking up on you?” I asked.
“Yeah, basically. He’s pretty…protective.”
“Well, that can be a good thing. This world can be pretty crazy.”
“I suppose, but sometimes he gets…a little overbearing. ”
“Do you get along pretty
“How about we make a deal?” she asked me . “You take me somewhere that’s very much you , and next time I’ll take you somewhere that’s very much me .”
Next time. Those words gave me a thrill. Her smile was expectant and I had no choice but to agree. I definitely wanted there to be a next time.
“Okay, I think I can handle that. So if it’s a deal, I’m guaranteed at least one more date with you, right? Even if you are completely horrified with where I take you?”
She laughed as we got in the truck. “I’m dying to be horrified.”
She actually had a huge smile on her face when I pulled into Time Out , a sports bar downtown. I thought she was letting me know that I was being totally predictable, so I said, “What can I say? I’m a jock.”
She laughed and said, “I m ust be as well. I’ve been here dozen s of times.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise when I asked, “Really? With which boyfriend?”
Again she laughed , but she didn’t answer the question. Instead she got out of the truck while I sat there in thought. She tilted her head with a smile as she waited for me, so I finally got out and met her at the bumper.
“That wasn’t a rhetorical question,” I informed her as we walked to the entry.
“Oh? Which questio n? ‘Really ? ’ or ‘which boyfriend ? ’ ”
I gave her a look and said, “You’re a little feisty.”
“I am?” she replied, pretending to be shocked. “Hmm. Am I too much for you to handle ?”
I smiled and gave her a side-glance. “I surely hope not, but I’m ready for another challenge.”
She smiled as I held the door for her, and then led her inside .
I recognized the waitress that seated us , and she seemed to know Jayden as well . After a short conversation she pointed at Jayden and knowingly said, “Water for you,” and she turned to me and said, “Now I’m pretty sure you’re not one of the drinkers, right?”
“ Right , water’s great.”
When she left Jayden smiled at me. “You don’t drink during baseball season?”
“No, not ever.”
She seemed to think over my answer, eyeing me carefully. It made me a little nervous because I thought she was trying to read further into it . Finally she replied, “Good for you. I think it’s nasty stuff.”
I nodded my agreement, not wanting to get into the real reasons why I wouldn ’t touch alcohol . She would probably run the other way.
“I don’t think many people hang out at sports bars on Easter ,” she glanced around with a little laugh .
“Just a few other jocks,” I noticed. There wasn’t a female in sight, and the guys that were in there had their eyes on my date. I guess I couldn’t blame them , though, because Jayden was quite a sight. But I felt a little ashamed about being so attracted to her physically without knowing much about her. I understood that it was how things worked, but after getting to know her just a little, I was fully convinced that true beauty really was on the inside.
Just then her ph one rang. “Oh, sorry about that,” she smiled, seeming embarrassed. “Let me put it on mute— O h, wait, I should take this or we’ll both be sorry . Do you mind?”
I shook my head no.
“Hey, what’s up?” She paused for a bit. “Oh, sounds fun… Me? Oh, I’m actually at Howard’s — ”
S he knew Howard?
—“Sure… W ith a friend,” she smiled at me. “Dad,” she said in a warning tone, rolling her eyes. “Well, I’m gonna go, I’m being rude… No, sorry, see you tonight. Bye.”
She hung up and shook her head.
“Is your dad checking up on you?” I asked.
“Yeah, basically. He’s pretty…protective.”
“Well, that can be a good thing. This world can be pretty crazy.”
“I suppose, but sometimes he gets…a little overbearing. ”
“Do you get along pretty
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