Chapter 20
Rhonan
First Date Confessions
I take a deep breath and straighten my tie, fighting off the ball of nerves that’s taken up residence in the pit of my stomach. Tonight, I’m taking Vienna on our first date, and it still hasn’t left my mind that this will be my first date since Sarah died.
Yes, I’ve slept with other women since then, but they didn’t steal my attention the way Vienna has—or give me a reason to want to try again.
Ellis runs into my bathroom. “Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“I can’t find my Elsa pajamas.”
“Did you check your drawer?”
“Yes, Daddy. They’re not there.”
I’d bet five hundred dollars that they are.
“Are they in your dirty clothes hamper?”
“No.”
Turning to face her, I plant my hands on my hips. “Then just pick a different pair of pajamas to wear tonight.”
Ellis flings her hands down at her sides. “I can’t! Uncle Fletcher told me that I have to bring my Elsa pajamas because we’re watching Frozen. Plus, they will match my new shoes and bracelet.”
A few weeks ago, I bought Ellis a pair of Frozen-themed Crocs and a matching bracelet. She was ecstatic, but I had an ulterior motive with the purchase that no one else knows about.
“You can watch the movie in different pajamas, Ellis.”
“No, I can’t!” Tears start to form in her eyes. “I need my Elsa ones!”
Dear God, help me.
Sighing, I step out of the bathroom and make my way into her room, only to find her entire dresser emptied on the floor. “Ellis Seraphina…”
“I told you that I looked everywhere!”
I pull my phone from my pocket and text Joanne, asking if she knows where the coveted pajamas are, and then text Vienna that I might be running a few minutes behind.
She texts back immediately.
Vienna: No worries. I’m still figuring out what to wear.
Me: How about nothing?
Vienna: Not sure that the restaurant will approve of that. Besides, I thought you didn’t want other men looking at me?
Me: Fuck. You’re right. But don’t stress about it. I’m sure you’ll look incredible in whatever you decide on.
Vienna: Who knew you could be so sweet?
Me: Trust me, a lot of people wouldn’t believe you if you told them that.
Joanne texts back at that moment, telling me that the pajamas are already in Ellis’s overnight bag.
“Did you check your bag, Ellis?” I say, preparing to text Vienna back.
“No.” She races over to her bag and starts ripping things out of it, squealing when she finds the pajamas. “There they are!”
“Great, now they’ve been found, so you get to clean up this mess that you made.”
Her shoulders fall. “Why?”
“Because this is not where your clothes go. Now clean up so we can get going.”
“Ughhh…” Her whine practically echoes off of the walls, but I wait to leave until I see her actually picking her clothes up, hurrying back to my room to finish getting ready.
Me: Pajamas have been found, which means we’re back on schedule.
Vienna: Shit, okay. I’m making a decision.
Laughing, I put my phone back in my pocket and grab the gel from the counter to style my hair.
Before we left the winery the other night, I asked my sister if she and Fletcher would be willing to watch Ellis this weekend sometime so I could take Vienna out.
Joanne had already made plans with her family to celebrate her niece’s birthday, so I knew she wouldn’t be here to help.
Lucky for me, Laney was more than eager to help me out.
So, once I walk next door and “pick up” my date, we’re headed to my sister’s house to drop off Ellis, and then we have reservations at a steakhouse in Asheville that I have a feeling Vienna will love.
“I’m done, Daddy,” Ellis announces when she reappears in my bathroom.
I finish combing the last few pieces of my hair into place, wash my hands, and verify that her mess has been cleaned up for myself.
“You did a good job, sweetie,” I say as I grab her bag from her bed and make my way out to the main part of the house. “Did you put everything back where it goes?”
“No, I just shoved everything inside drawers until it fit.”
I sigh. “Well, at least you’re honest. We can fix it later.”
Ellis jumps up and down beside me. “Is it time to pick up Ms. Vienna?” she asks, mixing up the two names she is now allowed to call the woman we’re both enamored with.
“Yes.”
She runs over to the basket of rocks and picks up the one that she painted like a rainbow for her last night. “Okay, I’ve got my rock.”
I grab the bouquet of red roses from the counter as well. “And I’ve got the flowers.”
Ellis races to the door now. “Let’s go, Daddy! You don’t want to be late.”
Laughing, I lock the door behind us, drop off Ellis’s things in my truck, and lead my daughter across the yard into Vienna’s, trying to keep up with her. Ellis knocks on the door while I’m still in the driveway. But luckily, Vienna doesn’t answer until I catch up to my daughter.
And when she opens the door, my tongue nearly falls to the floor.
Fuck, this woman takes my breath away.
Standing in front of me, her blonde hair down in soft waves and her face fresh with the most natural amount of makeup, I can’t stop staring at her. But then my eyes trail down her body, taking in her outfit.
She’s wearing an off-the-shoulder black top that shows off just a sliver of her cleavage, and a long floral skirt with black high-heeled boots.
The outfit is stunning on her figure, and perfect for where we’re going—classy, yet still sexy, and hinting at everything I know is underneath those clothes.
Keeping my promise to myself is going to be far more difficult tonight than I thought.
“I don’t know what other outfits you were contemplating, but I one hundred percent approve of this one.”
Her cheeks turn pink as she tucks a strand of her hair behind her ears. “Thank you.”
“I brought you a rock, Ms. Vienna.” Ellis holds out the rock to her. “It’s a rainbow.”
“I see that.” Vienna smooths her thumb over the stone. “You did a beautiful job. I love it.”
Ellis clasps her hands in front of her, twisting from side to side. “And Daddy brought you flowers.”
I hold the bouquet out to her, and she leans forward to smell them before taking them from my hands. “Thank you. These are gorgeous.”
“Not as gorgeous as you, Vienna.” I step toward her and press a kiss to her cheek. “You took my breath away just now.”
Her eyes meet mine. “Funny. I didn’t think anything but yoga could do that.”
Fuck, this woman is something else.
Chuckling silently, I smooth my hand around to her lower back and pull her close, lowering my voice even more. “I guess later I’ll have to remind you that I can steal your breath in other ways.”
“Daddy, I don’t want to miss the movie!” Ellis shouts, interrupting our moment. And it’s probably a good thing that she does because the longer I stand here and admire this woman, the more I want to skip dinner and just eat her instead.
“What movie are you going to watch?” Vienna asks Ellis once we’re all in my truck and on the way to my sister’s house.
Ellis kicks her feet in her booster in the back seat. “Frozen. It’s Uncle Fletcher’s favorite.”
By the time we’ve arrived at my sister’s house, Ellis has given Vienna a well-thought-out summary of the movie. “And we’re gonna make popcorn with marshmallows and rainbow sprinkles,” Ellis says as Vienna leads her up to the front of the house by the hand.
Vienna’s face lights up. “Oh, that sounds amazing. We should try that one night.”
“Yeah, if you never want her to go to sleep,” I mutter out of the corner of my mouth as Laney answers her front door.
“Running late?” she says, assessing the three of us.
“I couldn’t find my Elsa pajamas because they were already in my bag,” Ellis announces before dipping inside right past my sister and Fletcher.
“She insisted she looked everywhere for them, which included her tearing every last article of clothing from her dresser.” I meet Fletcher’s eyes. “Word of advice, next time tell her that any pajamas will suffice.”
Fletcher shakes his head. “No can do. Wearing Moana pajamas to watch Frozen is clashing vibes, Rhonan. And as a girl dad, I’m surprised you don’t understand that.”
Vienna laughs beside me.
“One day when you two have a kid, I’ll make sure to get my payback.” Tapping my temple, I say, “I’m filing this all away for later.”
Laney crosses her arms over her chest, smirking.
“Oh, calm down. You know, you should be thanking me, not threatening me right now.” She moves her finger back and forth between us.
“If it weren’t for me, you two wouldn’t be going on this date right now, for many reasons other than you were lacking a babysitter. ”
I step forward and kiss my sister on the cheek. “Fine, I’ll let it slide.”
She places her hands over the center of her chest, peering up at me with so much emotion in her eyes, I’m afraid she might cry. “Have a wonderful time tonight, and no rush in picking Ellis up in the morning, okay? We have plans to make breakfast and take her to the park if the weather permits.”
“I appreciate you,” I say, moving my eyes to Fletcher as well. “Both of you.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Fletcher says with a nod. “Ellis, come say goodbye to your dad and Vienna.”
The pitter-patter of tiny feet on the floor alerts us to her arrival. When she pushes through the door, she moves to Vienna first, something I wasn’t anticipating, but makes my chest tight in a good way. “Bye, Ms. Vienna. Have fun!”
“I will, Ellis.” She leans down and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “You have fun too!”
Ellis peers up at her and widens her eyes. “I’m gonna eat all the cavities tonight!”
Laughing, I pull my daughter over to me, wrapping her in my arms and inhaling her for just a few seconds longer than normal. “Behave yourself. Use your manners and make sure to brush your teeth.” I bop her on the nose. “I love you, Ellis.”
“I love you too, Daddy.” With a quick kiss to the tip of my nose, she runs off again.
“Be safe. Call us if you need anything, all right?” Fletcher adds.