Chapter 6
At six on the dot, the doorbell rang. I told my grandparents that Micah was taking me out when I got in from work, and they assured me they had no problem keeping Reign.
I took my time going down to the door. PopPop would be the one to answer, because he had the same routine anytime Jude came to get me.
I put my shoes on as I heard PopPop and Micah greeting each other.
“Harley, your guest has arrived!” PopPop shouted from the door.
“I’ll be right there!” I shouted back.
I did a once-over in the mirror. My dress was white, stopping mid-length, and had a slight V-neck.
I paired it with a pair of gold stilettos and a gold clutch.
My red curls were full and bouncy. I skipped wearing foundation, so my freckles were on full display with just some lipstick and mascara.
Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I headed for the door, and just as I opened it, Reign appeared.
“Mommy, you look pretty,” she complimented me.
“Thank you, Nugget. Now, be a good girl for Nana and PopPop, okay?”
“Pinky promise,” Reign said as she held her pinky out. When our pinky fingers connected, we shook them in agreement.
I kissed her forehead and let her go down the stairs first. When we reached the living room, I noticed the men were out on the porch, PopPop talking poor Micah’s head off.
As I approached the door, I noticed the corners of Micah’s lips turn into a smile when he saw me.
The door creaked as I made my way out of the house.
PopPop turned to hold the door open for me.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you ready?” I asked.
“As ready as can be. Mr. Braxton, it was so good to see you. Please tell Mrs. Braxton I said hello,” Micah said.
“Alright, you two, be safe. Young man, don’t forget our little chat,” PopPop insisted. He kissed me on the cheek before heading into the house.
Micah nodded in agreement with his final statement. I looked back and forth between them, and Micah smiled as he led me to the passenger side of his truck. The short walk gave me a chance to admire his attire for the evening. He was dressed similarly to the night I saw him at the barn.
That night, he wore a light-blue, button-down dress shirt, navy-blue slacks, with Cognac cowboy boots on his feet.
He didn’t roll up the sleeves on his shirt, but that didn’t stop the tattoos on his neck and wrists from being visible.
The diamond chain matched the studs in his ears, giving Micah a sexy cowboy vibe.
When he opened the car door for me, the smell of the woodsy, vanilla scent he wore filled my nose. Micah ensured I was in the car before closing the door. Once he made it inside, he looked over at me.
“You look beautiful, but I didn’t want to say that in front of your grandfather. He made sure I knew all about his extensive gun collection,” he said.
“I’m so embarrassed. I can’t believe he would do that at my big age,” I said as I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment.
Micah pulled his truck onto the gravel as we made our way to town. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. One day, that’ll be me telling some young dude I’ll kill behind mine too. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from him.”
The more I sat with Micah, the more I found myself comparing him to Jude.
My grandfather and Jude had a great relationship.
The next man that came into my life would have big shoes to fill with all of us.
Jude wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man.
I didn’t want to get ahead of myself; Micah didn’t call this a date, just two people catching up.
“How has it been being back in town?” he asked.
“I’m still adjusting. Locust Valley and Oak River are two different speeds. Today, I felt really good about being back,” I replied
“Oh yeah? The kids were nice to you today?”
“I just love teaching. When we were in Oak River, I only taught part time. I needed to make sure Reign wouldn’t be at the sitter all day. This is the first year I can teach full time with my class,” I explained.
“That’s dope. I can see why you came back home. This sounds like an amazing opportunity for you,” he replied.
“One I couldn’t turn down. How is the whiskey business treating you?” I asked.
“It’s tricky. I’m happy I can keep my great grandfather’s legacy alive. There’s just so much red tape when it comes to distribution. My biggest challenge is getting the Black Label to be a household name,” he shared with a hint of frustration.
“I don’t know much about whiskey, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You have great motivation in wanting to keep the family legacy going. Just hold on to that until you get the result you want,” I encouraged him.
“I’ll do that. Thanks for the encouragement,” he said as he pulled the truck up to the valet.
We were so engrossed in conversation, that I didn’t realize we had arrived. Micah got out of the car, then passed his key to the valet. He walked over to the passenger side to help me out, and once I was out of the car, we walked side by side into The Tavern.
“Welcome to The Tavern. Do you have a reservation?” the hostess greeted us.
“Yes, it’s under the name Micah Black,” he replied.
The young lady went over the list a few times as if she couldn’t find his name. Micah and I looked at each other with confused expressions.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Sorry about that. You can follow me to your table,” the hostess said.
We followed her to a table at the back of the restaurant. She placed the menus down and said, “Enjoy your evening. I’ll be sure to tell Iris you said hello.”
The hostess walked away while Micah pulled out my chair. When he was seated, I asked, “Is she talking about Iris from high school?”
“Yeah, she’s Violet’s mom, and that was one of her cousins. We haven’t been together in years. I’m not sure why she would need to report seeing us together to her,” he explained.
“Iris never liked me, so I could only imagine what she would have to say,” I said.
“Anything she has to say is irrelevant. I take good care of our daughter. That should be her only concern,” he said.
We looked over the menus that were in front of us. The server eventually came over to take our orders.
“I appreciate you coming out with me tonight. I’m sure it was hard to leave Reign,” he said.
“It was, but I’m trying to find balance as a single parent. I don’t want to look up one day and regret that my entire life revolved around being a parent. You know what I mean?” I asked.
“Sure do. When Iris and I broke up, it was hard. I never envisioned not living under the same roof as Violet. The good thing is we live close, so I see her whenever I want. I try to adult as much as I can on the days she isn’t with me,” he explained.
“I know things have changed around here, but what is there to do for fun? The whiskey tour was great, by the way, and Naya took me to Moon Café, but I haven’t seen much else.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. The park has events from time to time, concerts, festivals, and game nights. I go fishing and hunting, which I don’t think is your speed. Do you still ride? You used to love your horse when we were younger. What was her name again?” he asked.
“Lucy was her name. I stopped riding when I started high school. My poor Lucy died right before I went to college. I just grew out of riding I guess,” I said somberly.
The server came over with our meals. Micah ordered steak and a potato, while I opted for salmon with steamed vegetables.
“I almost forgot how everyone here loves their steak and potatoes,” I said.
“There’s no better meal,” he said with a low chuckle.
While we ate, I thought about my horse. My mother was an award-winning equestrian, and as a child, I wanted to be just like her.
When she died, I tried to keep riding, but it only made me sad.
When Lucy died, I vowed never to ride another horse.
I couldn’t risk getting attached to anything else that could die on me.
After dinner, Micah drove me home. Every so often, I would catch him smiling in my direction.
“You must like what you see,” I teased.
“It’s not every day I get the opportunity to be in the presence of such a beautiful woman. I really enjoyed our evening, Harley,” he confirmed.
The compliment made me blush as I pushed some hair behind my ear.
“Don’t get shy on me. What would I have to do to spend more time with you?” he inquired.
“All you have to do is ask,” I said sincerely.
“Would you like to do this again? Like this weekend?” he asked.
I took a moment before answering. Jude was the only man I’d ever dated, and I wasn’t sure whether Micah wanted to date or just hang out as friends.
“As friends or as something else?” I questioned.
“Freckles, I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since the whiskey tour. I know it’s going to take some time for us to get reacquainted, but I want to court you. Is that cool with you?”
A smile formed across my lips. “That’s cool with me.”
Smooth jazz music played on the radio. My feelings were all over place, but excitement filled me. Never would I have imagined Micah and I being more than childhood friends.
When we pulled up to the house, Micah once again helped me out of the car. He followed behind me as I made my way to the door.
“I hate for this night to end,” he said while holding my hands and staring into my eyes.
My body grew hot under his intense gaze. Micah was awakening feelings in me.
“We both have an early morning. The joys of adulting,” I joked.
A slight chuckle escaped his lips. “You’re right. I’ll let you go.” He pulled me in for a hug then kissed me on the cheek.
I opened the door to head inside and said, “Let me know when you make it home.”
He nodded in agreement with a smile.
Once inside, the smile I wore all evening was still present. Micah was a pleasant surprise. His smile and handsome face replayed in my mind as I prepared for bed, feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush. This evening made me optimistic about where it could go with Micah.