Chapter 50
Chapter Fifty
Olivia
“I should head out now. Thank you so much for helping me get dressed. I don’t know what I’d wear without having access to your closet all summer.”
Callie scoops up the pile of discarded outfits resting on her bed. “You’d actually need to buy your own clothes. I thought your mom took you shopping a while back?”
“She did, but Rhett’s already seen me in those clothes, and I want to wow him.” I pause, then let out a breath and shake my hands out, groaning. “I’m nervous. Why am I so nervous? I’ve hung out with Rhett plenty of times before. We’ve kissed. We’ve shared a bed. This isn’t exactly a monumental step to go on a date.”
“I think you’re just nervous because you two are finally all in. You get to tell him you love him. He’s already told you. This is exciting! You know, they say being nervous and excited are the same feeling. Maybe you’re not nervous at all. You’re just excited.”
“No, I’m definitely nervous, and you’re making it worse. I forgot about the part where I’m supposed to tell Rhett I love him. And on our first date. That seems so out of order.”
“He’s already told you he loves you. You don’t have to worry about him not saying it back.”
“He could’ve changed his mind.”
“You’re being ridiculous. You’ve already spent a bunch of time together. This date is just a formality. Don’t get in your head.”
“I’m always in my head.” I flounce myself backward onto her bed with a dramatic huff.
“Don’t do that. You’ll mess up your hair. I spent a long time getting you those beautiful waves.”
Laughter escapes me as I sit back up. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t call me that. It makes me feel old.” She scrunches her nose.
“I think the excitement of realizing I love him has worn off and now there’s just nerves. This is all his fault! If he didn’t make me wait the extra hour, I wouldn’t be so in my head.”
“Just be yourself. I think Rhett has managed to bring out the best in you in many ways. Enjoy that. Enjoy the feeling of being in love. And then hurry back and tell me all about it.” She winks.
“I think I can do that.”
“Good! Now get going or you’re going to be late.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Callie grabs a pillow off her bed and swats me with it, corralling me toward the door.
“Okay, I’ll take the hint. I’m going! I’m going!”
* * *
I pull into the driveway just as Rhett is walking out his front door, dressed in a clean pair of boots and Wranglers, which is a feat in and of itself considering he’s always dirty, but the look is completed with a backward hat. He looks damn good .
He meets me halfway and holds out a bouquet.
“Are these the wildflowers that grow behind the house?” I gasp. “They’re my favorite.”
“Yeah, they are. That’s why I got them.”
“Thank you.”
Silence falls over us, and I try to find a way to fill it. If I don’t, I know I’m going to end up blurting out my feelings for him instead of picking the right moment. After all the wonderful things Rhett has done for me, I want to get this right.
“So, what are we doing for our date?”
Rhett glances down at his feet nervously, moving his palm to the back of his head. “Actually, before we go, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Oh, okay.” My stomach sinks. Something is wrong. He wants to take back what he said yesterday. He just got caught up in the moment, trying to comfort me. He doesn’t really love me.
Immediately he reaches out to me, wrapping me up in his arms. “Everything is fine. I can see the concern written all over your face. You don’t need to worry.”
“Then what is it?”
“I spoke with Morgan Newton today.”
“Oh.”
He releases me. “She told me you haven’t responded to her email, but she wants to give you a chance at her firm. The place seems great, and it’d be a real, secure job that would allow you to stay in Roots. So, if you’re still interested in working with her, the door is open. She also told me that you need to believe in yourself and that you get to determine who you are and who you want to be, not anybody else.”
Heat rises to my cheeks. “You make it sound so easy, but my meeting with Chance and Margaret showed it doesn’t just take me believing in myself. I need someone to take a chance on me too. I fought for myself, and they still didn’t want me.”
“That’s just one company. Believing in yourself means that you don’t let one instance kick you down. You keep going. You keep looking into other opportunities until you find the right one.”
“I guess so.”
“I know so. Putting aside any of your fears, are you interested in a job with Morgan?”
“Yes,” I say, hardly audible.
“Say it like you mean it.”
“Yes!”
“That’s better. You should email her right now. I’ll wait.”
He doesn’t say it, but the look on his face makes it abundantly clear how much it would mean to him to see I’m making an effort to stay here.
“I can do that.”
A smile blooms on his face. “I’ll be right by your side through this. I’m your biggest cheerleader.”
“Thank you. For everything. For helping me yesterday. For supporting me now. For supporting me all the time. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.”
“I could say the same. You’re way out of my league.”
“Shut up!” I shove his shoulder, laughter slipping from my lungs.
“Okay, email her now. I’m excited for the rest of our date, and I’m starting to get impatient.”
I pull out my phone and begin typing, trying not to overthink my email. Once it’s written, I hand the phone to Rhett. “How does this sound?”
He scans the screen, handing my phone back to me. “I think that’s perfect.” He pulls me in for a quick kiss. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I couldn’t do it without you.”
“You could, but you don’t have to.” He laces his fingers in mine. “Should we get going?”
“Yes, please.”
We spend the ten-minute drive teasing each other and making plans for the future. It feels amazing to finally have hope that I can have all the things I want, a job that doesn’t drain me, and a slower, more intentional life filled with the people I love.
When he finally pulls off the road, I take in our surroundings, noting that I have absolutely no clue where we are right now. All I see is a vast empty field with the slow rolling river cutting through it all. “Where are we? What are we doing?” I ask eagerly.
“Just be patient. You’ll see.”
“Why do you keep doing this to me? Surprises don’t work well for me. I like to plan, and I have zero patience.”
“Then this will be good practice for you.”
I groan as Rhett throws the truck in park and leaps out of his seat, bearing a lopsided grin. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him so excited and seeing that immediately makes me vibrate with energy too.
Before I can get out of the truck, he rushes around to my side, swinging my door open and reaching for my hand. God, I’m so in love with this man.
Once I’m safely out of the truck, Rhett opens the rear door to pull out an ice chest and a lump of foil. “I might need a little help setting up. I’m sorry. I had this planned out better, but then I got caught up with going to see Morgan.”
I press a kiss to his cheek. “I don’t care what we do. Nothing about this needs to be perfect. I’m just happy to be here with you.”
Again, that lopsided grin of his is back. His green eyes are shining, and he’s never looked more handsome than right now with all that love and joy flooding out of him. I can’t hold things back anymore. I grab the ice chest and pile of tin foil from his hands and set it on the ground behind me.
“I love you, Rhett. I love you so very much.”
“I lov?—”
“Wait, I’m not done.”
“But—"
I press a quick kiss to his lips, cutting him off again, before I continue. “You have managed to turn my life upside down and right side up again in a span of just a few months. You make me believe I’m worthy of love and anything else I could possibly want in life. You constantly push me to be a better person, and you make me feel whole. I owe you a million thanks for everything you’ve done for me, but one of the most important ones has to be thank you for helping me realize it’s okay to accept help and for not giving up on me when I gave you plenty of reasons to.”
“I’ll never give up on you. Thank you for not giving up on me either.”
“I will always be here for you, whether you want me to or not.” I smile. Grabbing his hand, I add, “I hope, with every fiber of my being, that I can prove myself worthy of your love and make you feel worthy too. I hope I can make you feel special and loved every second of every day because you deserve that and more. There’s been something between us since the moment I met you, and it’s been incredible to watch it bloom. I love you, Rhett Lawson.”
“Can I say it now?”
I nod.
“I love you too, Wildflower. So damn much.”
When I pull him in for a kiss, it’s fierce, filled with passion and desperation. It’s as if knowing that we are both finally committed to being together has unlocked a new level for us. Every kiss before this has been electric, but this one is that and more. There are sparks and fireworks and lightning all at once. The chemistry and passion are enough to knock a woman out cold and yet they just light me up.