CHAPTER NINETEEN FALLON
C HAPTER N INETEEN
FALLON
“How about this outfit?” I ask as I lay a purple pantsuit out on the bed.
Jaz is leaning against my headboard, legs crossed, chewing on a piece of black licorice. “I’m sorry, is this a date or an interview to be on the school board?”
Groaning, I flop back on the bed and drape my arm over my eyes. “Ugh, Jaz, I have nothing to wear.”
“You have plenty to wear—you’re just not making the right choices.”
“I’m not wearing lingerie and only lingerie.”
“Why not? I think we both know where the end of this date is headed, so just get a jump start.”
I roll on the bed to face her. “We don’t know that.”
“Please, you two were eye-fucking each other the entire weekend. God, at one point I was starting to get turned on from the way he was looking at you.”
“Right?” I say, sitting up on my elbow. “It was really... sensual, wasn’t it?”
“Ew, don’t say sensual. I’d say sexy. Invigorating. Intoxicating. Anything but sensual.”
“Either way, I felt more seen than I have in a while. And I hate to compare Sawyer to Peter, but it just feels different from him. Right off the bat, it feels different.”
“Peter was more reserved,” Jaz says, biting off a chunk of her licorice. “Well, besides the last day he was here, but that was abnormal for him. Have you talked to him at all?”
I shake my head. “Not really. Just a quick text from him, letting me know he was okay. I thanked him.” I shrug. “We both knew it was over.”
Slowly, Jaz nods. “And what do you think it’s going to be like with Julia? Aren’t you worried he’s only here for a bit? He has to go back home at some point, right? Doesn’t that put you in the same position as you were in with Peter?”
“Possibly. But last night he mentioned that he wasn’t going anywhere, and he knows what my intentions are—that moving is not an option. So, I think he’s aware that if this continues between us, then it continues here, in Canoodle.”
“That’s right,” Jaz says with a smile. “You make the man come to you.”
“He’s a good guy, Jaz.”
She sighs heavily. “I hate to admit it, but he is. What he did for you this past weekend, the cabin for your fathers... God, I want to hate him, but it’s hard.”
“I know. He makes it impossible, which brings me back to the date. I don’t know what to wear, and I’m going to lose my mind soon. He said plan for casual outside.”
“So, you go with a purple pantsuit.” She offers me a slow clap. “Yeah, that seems like a good pick.”
“Jaz, please, the sarcasm isn’t needed right now. I have to be ready in thirty minutes.”
“Well, at least your hair and makeup are done. Maybe we consider the lingerie option one more time.”
“Nooooo,” I groan, annoyed.
“Fine,” she huffs and then scoots off the bed.
“But I’m sure he’d have appreciated it.” Still snacking on licorice, she walks over to my closet and sifts through my things.
Then she goes to my dresser and opens my pants drawers.
She checks back at my closet. Back to my dresser and then.
.. when I think she’s going to sit back down, she pulls out a pair of black lace shorts and a simple black tank top.
She tosses them on the bed. “Here. It looks like lingerie but doesn’t reveal like lingerie.
It’s comfortable, won’t make you sweat, and it’s sexy too. ”
I stare down at the outfit and then back at her, relief flooding me. “This is exactly why I called you to help me. It’s perfect.”
“I know.” She bites her licorice and sits back in her spot.
Not even caring about modesty, I strip down to my bra and underwear, and I’m about to put on the outfit when Jaz says, “Uh, what the hell kind of bra is that?” She uses her licorice to point at me.
I glance down at my nude cotton bra. “It’s a comfortable bra.”
“You’re going to wear that ? On your first date, where there’s potential for it to be taken off, not by you, but by Julia? Are you insane?”
“It’s newish,” I protest. “And soft. I think he’d appreciate the soft... wait, what am I thinking? He’s not taking it off. We’re not going there tonight.”
“Uh-huh, coming from the girl who said she wanted to flip him over last night and bounce on top of him.”
“That is not what I said.” Jaz challenges me with a glare. “Well, not word for word. But this is a date, it’s classy. There will be no postdate... activities.”
“Okay, even if that were the case, what if your tank top slips and he sees Miss Nude-Colored Bra’s strap—is that a risk you’re willing to take?
” When I wince, she takes another bite of her licorice.
“Told you. Now, let’s check out your lingerie, and if you say you have none, you are going commando.
That will be your punishment for being a grandma. ”
We spend the next five minutes picking out underwear options and then settle for a simple matching black set.
I hate that she’s right, but the lace bra makes me feel sexier and gives me an extra lift.
I slip on a pair of cute sandals that pull the outfit together, and Jaz insists on swiping my deodorant on and spraying me with perfume.
When I’m all set, she loops her arm through mine and escorts me down the stairs to the lobby, where Sawyer is sitting on the arm of the sofa, hands clasped in front of him, waiting for me.
He chose a pair of gray chino shorts and a navy-blue polo. It’s a simple outfit, but he looks really good... impossibly good. When I approach, he stands, and I watch as his eyes eat me up and a smile spreads across his face.
“Oh God, he’s giving you bedroom eyes,” Jaz says as we reach the main lobby.
He lightly chuckles. “Good to see you too, Jaz.”
“Jazlyn,” she corrects him, but he doesn’t care, because he takes a step forward and lifts my hand to his mouth, pressing a sweet kiss to my knuckles. “How’s the back, old man?”
Sawyer smirks. “Good, Jazlyn .” Then he faces me. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” A blush creeps up and over my cheeks.
“Is Sully good? Are you comfortable to take off?”
And this is exactly why I’m falling for this man—he’s so considerate.
He’s not just pressing to get to our date; he wants to make sure everything is good on the home front first, and that means everything to me.
He’s putting Sully and my feelings first, and all I can think is. .. thank God I changed my underwear.
“He’s great. He and Tank are watching Dumb and Dumber , one of their favorite movies.”
“Classic,” Jaz says, still standing next to us, offering zero privacy, but I guess I wouldn’t expect anything else from her.
“But yes, I’m ready.” I lace our fingers together and give his hand a squeeze.
“Perfect.” He turns to Jaz. “Have a good night, Jazlyn , and thanks for letting me take your girl out.”
“Don’t fuck it up,” she says, then reaches into her pocket and pulls out her switchblade. She flips the knife out and flashes the sharpened edge. “Or else...”
“Jesus,” he mutters.
“I’d like to say she’s all talk, but she isn’t,” I admit.
“I believe it. Don’t worry, I’ll be good to your girl.”
With that, he guides me outside, and when I turn to head over to the parking lot, where I know his car has been this entire time, we continue on down the pathway, deeper into the Cove property.
“I know what you must be thinking... we’re staying here? We’re always here. And yes, that’s true, but when I was thinking about a place to take you on a date, all I could think about was taking you to this specific spot.”
“What spot?” I ask.
“Well, I’ve been thinking, you know how Sully and your grandma Joan have their bench?”
“Yes,” I say softly, wondering where he’s headed with this.
“I thought it would be nice if we could have a spot like that.”
“So, my assumption is possibly true—you want to stay here long enough to establish a spot ?” I’m unsure why the insecure question slips past me, but it does.
He pauses and turns toward me, mouth curving into a gentle smile.
“I’m not going anywhere. Not only do I love it here, but I want to see where this goes between us.
I know it’s only our first date, but I like you a lot, Fallon.
I like your life. I like Sully—grumpy attitude and all.
And I can’t imagine going back to my old life; it feels so empty at this point.
Up here, I feel like I have purpose. You make me feel like I have purpose.
So, no more questioning about my commitment to you, to this place. Got it?”
I nod, my stomach fluttering with butterflies. I can’t pinpoint how this all happened, how in a blink of an eye, we’ve connected on such a deep level, but we have, and I can feel it. His commitment, his happiness, his purpose.
“Now, as I was saying, since Sully and Grandma Joan have a place, I wanted to find somewhere on the property that could be ours.” He walks me past the picnic tables and the horseshoe pits, to the very back of the property, where the trees thicken, almost becoming a forest. Nestled among the pines is a small wooden covering.
It looks like a hut, but with the front cut out so it’s looking out over the distant lake.
Inside, pillows cover the wood flooring, and a few strands of lights twinkle above us.
“What on earth is this?” I ask in awe.
“Something I put together this morning.”
“You did? This morning?” I ask, incredulous. “But your back.”
“My back is feeling much better. And yes, the building was easy. Finding the pillows was not. I had to make a trip down to Palm Springs, and I was cursing the entire time, not wanting to be late for our date. Thankfully, your dads hooked me up and met me at the bottom of the mountain.”
“You spoke with my dads?”
He smirks. “Of course. They also gave me some cookies they made for dessert, as well as their full approval of my idea.”
“I can’t believe you asked them for help,” I say, as emotions I can’t even begin to parse out begin welling up inside me.