CHAPTER Fifteen
Nellie
The doorbell rings, and the same delivery driver as yesterday hands me a bunch of wildflowers. For the last three days, I’ve received beautiful bouquets.
“What does the card say this time?” Ainsley asks.
“I’m not sure yet.” I put them in a makeshift vase with the rest of them. The large bowl is now full and it doesn’t do the flowers justice. Christopher is the first man to ever send such a gift. They’re nice, but unnecessary. I’ve already apologised for overreacting to his response to Mr Lightwood. Pulling the envelope out of the stems, I read his words.
Let me take you out on a real date.
Ainsley doesn’t care about my privacy as she reads the message along with me. “Wow. This is more than a few kisses. He must be getting serious about you. Are you going to go?”
“I’m not sure. Our arrangement never included dates.” This might be an apology offering, or it could be more. If he didn’t have feelings for me, he wouldn’t care that we had a disagreement.
“Why not give him a chance?” Ainsley shrugs like it should be the easiest decision in the world.
“What’s the point if we don’t have a future?” Christopher is afraid of commitment. I’m not sure how he’s going to overcome his fear.
“If you don’t hear him out, you don’t know that. Sometimes people change their minds. He seems to like you as more than a friend. You never know where your relationship could lead.”
Ainsley’s right. I want to spend time with Christopher, and I may have acted irrationally at gymnastics. If I don’t take a risk by letting him get close, I won’t know what we could be. “Fine. I’ll call him.”
She pushes me toward the stairs. “You’d better.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m happy to connect with Christopher. There’s a skip in my step as I make my way to my room. Without hesitation, I hit dial on his number.
He answers on the third ring. “Hello,” he says.
“Hi, Christopher. It’s Nell.”
“Yes, I know. Your name popped up on my screen. Are you calling to arrange our date?” The pitch of his voice rises toward the end like he’s optimistic.
I sit on the bed, pulling my legs up. “What makes you think I’m going to accept?”
“I’m hoping you are.” He sounds unsure of himself, and it makes my stomach jolt. Christopher is a confident man and doesn’t usually waver. Does he care about me more than I realised? No. I can’t think like that.
“Why?”
“You’re the first woman to spike my interest. I’m never bored around you. What we have is more than surface level. I want to know you, starting with an official date.” He sounds sincere.
I twiddle my hair around my finger. Something’s changing between us. I can feel it. I can either take a chance or retreat from the possibility of this becoming more. Who am I kidding? Turning away from him isn’t possible. Even if I’m making a mistake, it’s already too late. I’ve caught the feels. “Yes. Okay. I’ll go out with you.”
“Excellent. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
“That’s presumptuous. What if I’d said no? Have you already made a reservation? What if I hadn’t accepted the date?” I’m teasing, but I can’t help myself.
“This date is special. I’ll feed you, but it’s not a restaurant.”
He’s saying all the right things. Excitement bubbles in my stomach. For the first time, I allow myself to dream of the possibility of us being more than friends with benefits. “Careful, Christopher, or you’ll have me swooning.”
“Completely intentional. Grab some jeans and a t-shirt. I’ll see you soon.”
The smile on my face is uncontrollable. “Great. I’ll be waiting.”
We hang up, and I dash to get ready.
***
“Is your family home?” I ask as Christopher pulls his car onto his drive.
He must hear the shakiness of my voice. “My grandpa isn’t so scary when he isn’t trying to find out all my secrets.” He’s amused by his own words, and it settles my nerves.
“I don’t know any of your secrets, so I won’t be spilling them. I would like to know him better in time, but meeting your family sounds daunting.” I bite my lip.
“Next time, I’ll introduce you. They’ll love you, so you have nothing to fear. Tonight, you’re mine.” He gives me a smirk that says he’s up to something X-rated.
“Do you have a cowboy hat? I’ve always wanted to roll around in the hay.” I arch my eyebrow at him as he pulls on the handbrake.
“I thought you didn’t have any kinks?”
“I don’t. Although for that fantasy, I might just have to reconsider.”
“I’m sure I can arrange something romantic with a hint of playfulness.” His eyes fill with lust. We lean in and kiss. It’s soft, sensational. It’s everything. This game we’ve been playing is holding on by a thread. It’s either going to swallow me whole or… I can’t consider the possibility of more. Pulling away, I climb out of the car and let the magnitude of the farm fill my vision. There are so many buildings I’m not sure where to look.
“Do you have your own house?”
“My apartment is attached to the main building, but I have my own entrance if I want to use it.”
“Cool.” His living arrangements are nowhere near my definition of still living with your parents. If I lived here, I wouldn’t move out either.
“I’ll show you around the house another time. Tonight, we have somewhere special to be. Follow me.” He takes my arms and leads me through the cattle gate and into a large barn. Farm smells penetrate my nostrils; hay, animals, and the outdoors. The cutest little calf wobbles toward the feeding trough where we’re standing.
“Wow. He’s adorable.”
“That’s Barry. I’m hoping he’ll win me some brownie points with you.” The calf thinks better of coming closer to us and goes back to his mother.
“If I had space for him, I’d totally take him home to keep.” I lean against a bale of hay, taking a closer look at the calf.
“Well, now I’m jealous.” He turns to the calf. “You did a bad job, Barry. You were supposed to make me more swoonworthy. Instead, you found yourself an adopted family.”
I playfully swat his shoulder, and he pulls me in for a tender kiss. “I’m sorry for butting into your business at gymnastics. It wasn’t my place to interfere. You had it handled without my help.”
“You’ve already said sorry with a bazillion flowers. Your apology is more than accepted. What is this trip to McNabb Farm about?” I ask.
“Lately, I’ve decided I want something real, and the only way I’m going to get that is by showing the real me.” We walk around the barn, looking at the cows. Christopher introduces me to each one like they’re his extended family. I stroke a few of them on the head. As interesting dates go, this one is great. When we’ve met everyone, he leads me up a ladder to a small area above the animals. He’s laid out a blanket with strawberries and champagne.
“So, being all romantic is the real you?” I ask.
We sit on the blanket and he offers me the fruit before pouring the drinks. “The farm and the animals were the insight to me. The romantic stuff is all new.”
“I’m honoured you chose to shower me with your passionate side.” I take a bite of the strawberry. The juices flow into my mouth, awakening my taste buds. They’re the best I’ve ever tasted. “Did you grow these?”
“Yes.”
“The flavour is delicious.”
“Here. Try the champagne with them.” He hands me the flute and I take a drink. The dry fizz works perfectly with the sweet fruit.
“I take it back. If spending time with the real Christopher McNabb is like this, it’s not just Barry I want to keep.”
He leans in and softly kisses my lips. “I’m glad you said that because I’m not letting you go anywhere.”
Butterflies erupt in my stomach. That was definitely a declaration of some kind. “What are you saying?”
“Let me be your boyfriend. Yes, I’ll be overprotective sometimes, but I promise I’ll be sweet, caring, and a good listener.”
He’s just said all the words I want to hear. “You want to date me for real?”
“Yes.” He shows no hesitation with his answer, and I like it.
I have to be certain he’s not going to flake out on me, though. “What changed your mind?”
“A few things. We’ve been getting along well. I like being part of your life in more ways than just the bedroom, and you make me want things I didn’t before. I want to help you and Ainsley when I can.”
I take a deep breath in. I’m not used to accepting help with anything. Especially when it comes to family. “We’re not a charity case. Don’t think I’ll become a pushover just because you’re my boyfriend.”
“So, that’s a yes, then.”
I blink back at him. “Did you hear what I said?”
He chuckles. “You can handle yourself. I already know that, but would it be so bad to let me in too? If I can help, why not take what I’m offering? All I did was back you up with Mr Lightwood.”
“As my boyfriend, I might let you.” I wink at him playfully. It’s nice that he cares enough to want to protect me, but it’ll take time for me to consider taking it.
“I’m beginning to understand. My hang-up is commitment, and yours is accepting help. For us to grow, we need to overcome our fears. I’ve offered commitment and you can let me support you.”
“When did you get so wise? What have you done with the playboy from the bar?”
“I guess I’m ready to take the next step toward a new chapter. My grandpa might’ve been part of the reason, but it’s because I like you. I only see you. Every other woman I’ve taken out hasn’t matched up to the time I’ve had with you.”
“Aw, that’s really sweet.” He fills up our glasses with more champagne. “Let’s toast to a new chapter.”
“Cheers.” We both take a sip, followed by a romantic kiss. Hands down, this is the best date I’ve ever been on. We end the night with a stroll down the country lane.