“I know, I’m beyond excited. I’m gonna grab some wedding magazines and we can browse. Be right back.”

Pulling into our driveway, I had forgotten it was Friday and was momentarily taken aback by the slew of new cars in the driveway. “Wow girls, lots of new people today,” I said to them, and to myself.

“Mom, Piper got in trouble at storytime,” Lucy blurted out.

I spun around to face them in the backseat.

“I didn’t get in trouble,” Piper argued. “Cinderella told me to keep my voice down.”

“Why? Were you yelling?”

“No. A second grader thinks she knows everything. She said her mommy was running a marathon tomorrow and I told her she was wrong. People can’t run marathons. Marathons are when the same show is on TV all day long.” Piper smirked and looked out her window, mighty proud of herself.

There goes my chance of winning Mother of the Year.

“Come on, weirdos. Let’s go tell Gigi your story, she’ll love that one.”

We climbed out of the car and made our way to the front door. I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart leaping into my throat when I saw a familiar black pickup truck parked further up the driveway. The girls didn’t skip a beat, one passing on each side of me on their way to the front porch.

Okay, Kacie, stop being a freak. You saw his truck once and it was during a torrential downpour, no way is that the same truck.

I filled my lungs with crisp Minnesota air and exhaled slowly, urging my heartbeat to return to a normal pace.

The girls made their way through the front door, with me a few hesitant steps behind. I was putting our shoes in the closet when I heard the girls squeal from the back of house. “Brody!”

My body froze.

Holy shit.

He was here. Why? To torture me? I closed the closet door and turned to make my way toward the kitchen, pausing in front of the mirror, making sure I looked presentable.

My mom was standing in the kitchen, leaning against the island with her arms folded across her chest, while Brody sat on a stool across from her. He had a baseball cap on, pulled down low. His eyes were shadowed so that I could hardly see them, but I knew he was staring at me. Lucy and Piper were kneeling on the ground petting Diesel, who was licking the leftover cookie crumbs from Cinderella off their faces.

“Hi, honey. How was storytime?” My mom beamed at me like it was no big deal that the sexiest man I had ever laid my eyes on was sitting three feet to her left.

“Um, it was good. They had fun. What’s going on?” I looked back and forth from my mom to Brody.

A small, cocky smile crossed his lips, but he didn’t say a word. His stare was too intense. I looked back to my mom.

“Nothin’, just hanging out. Brody called this morning to see if we had any vacancies and we did, so he’s staying for the weekend. Fred’s a little giddy. He’s out back re-stringing his fishing poles.” Mom chuckled. “Come on, girls, let’s take Diesel outside and give him some fresh water on the deck.”

The girls hopped up and followed Mom to the back door with Diesel on their heels.

“Gigi, Piper got in trouble at storytime.” Lucy babbled to Mom on their way out the back door.

“So, what? You just needed a weekend getaway?” I said dryly to Brody once the back door closed.

“No, I missed Fred.” He shot back with a wicked grin.

I rolled my eyes and turned to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and a bowl of grapes. Without turning around I asked, “Can I get you anything, since you’re a paying guest and all?”

He let out a short chuckle. “No thanks, but don’t eat too much. We’re leaving for dinner in a couple hours.”

I spun around and locked eyes with him. “Dinner?”

“Yeah … dinner,” he replied confidently.

“But this morning we agreed-”

“We agreed to be friends. Friends have dinner together. I already asked your mom to babysit.”

“You … when…” I sputtered words but no sentences.

“So, like I said … don’t eat too much.” He got up and pushed the stool in, locking eyes with me one more time. “I’d like you to be … hungry … when we go out later.” He winked at me as he turned to head out the back door.

My room at the inn was painted a calming shade of bluish gray, and thank God I don’t mind that color because I stared at it for two hours while I was hiding from Kacie. Not that I wanted to avoid her, but I knew I got under her skin in the kitchen and I wanted her thinking about me for a couple hours before dinner, so I was out of sight. I stretched out on the bed, wondering what she was doing right now. Was she down in the kitchen giving the girls dinner? Was she reading on the back deck? Was she sitting at the island chewing on her bottom lip while concentrating on her nursing stuff? It was killing me to be this close but not talking to her so I grabbed my phone.

HEY I WOULD LIKE TO PICK YOU UP FOR DINNER AT 7PM IF THAT’S OKAY?

I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for her response.

K: 7 IS FINE. YOU ARE WEIRD.

WHY AM I WEIRD?

K: WE ARE IN THE SAME HOUSE, YET YOU ARE TEXTING ME. LIKE I SAID, WEIRD.

JUST SO YOU KNOW, I’M VERY BUSY UP HERE DOING ALL SORTS OF IMPORTANT THINGS.

K: UH HUH. FRED WENT UP A WHILE AGO TO ASK IF YOU WANTED TO FISH FOR A BIT AND HE THOUGHT HE HEARD SNORING.

THAT WAS DIESEL.

K: SURE IT WAS. WHERE ARE WE GOING TONIGHT, ANYWAY?

THAT’S FOR ME TO KNOW AND YOU TO FIND OUT.

K: WELL, YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME A HINT. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR.

DRESS CASUAL. WEAR THAT LITTLE BLACK NUMBER.

K: WHAT BLACK NUMBER?

THE ONE YOU WERE WEARING IN THE BATHROOM WHEN PIPER OPENED THE DOOR.

K: ASS :)

Oh, I see you’re back again, smiley face. I hope you’re ready to get your ass kicked this time. I’m gonna turn that one eye into a wink if it kills me.

I had forty-five minutes until I needed to pick Kacie up for our date, time to get moving. I grabbed my keys, left Diesel sleeping in my room and headed downstairs.

“Hi Brody!” Lucy and Piper called out as I passed the kitchen. No sign of Kacie anywhere.

“Hey Twinkies! I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Shit!” The clock on my truck dashboard read 6:57.

Cutting it a little close, Murphy. Don’t blow it.

I rang the doorbell. Sophia opened the door, her face contorted with confusion.

“Hi, Ms. Jensen. I’m here to pick up Kacie.”

She giggled and stepped back. “Oh, you’re adorable. Come in, Brody.”

“These are for you.” I handed her a small bouquet of tulips.

“They are beautiful, thank you.” She furrowed her brow at me, still trying to figure everything out. “Hang on, I’ll get Kacie.”

She disappeared around the corner and I stayed in the foyer, waiting for my … friend. Lucy and Piper came tearing toward me from the back family room.

“Brody, are you sick?” asked Piper.

“Yeah, do you have a fever?” Lucy asked, tugging on my shirt.

I bent down to her level as she felt my forehead. “Nope, not sick. Why?”

They looked at each other and shrugged.

“Mom was on the phone with Auntie Alexa and she said you were hot. If you’re hot, you have a fever. Do you need medicine?” Lucy continued the inquest.