Page 6 of Cade
I nod in agreement, and because I am my mother’s daughter, I add in my two cents. “You met him on family day. Let me go out with him and see if there’s something between us before you start on the twenty questions.” I watch as both Pops and Dad start to say something, so I hold up my hand. “Zane knows this guy and wouldn’t bring just any teammate to meet our family. You trust Zane enough to potentially become a brother. That should say something. I’m also not stupid and would like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
I swear Pops pouts. “It’s not fair when you make logical sense. That takes the fun out of things.” I shrug my shoulders but hear a knock at the door.
I start to walk toward the front door, though being who I am, I drop a couple of nuggets for them to chew on. “I’m off, but just so you know, Asher’s in the doghouse for something. He slept on the couch last night, and I hear Mayson might have an actual date this weekend. Love you!”
I hurry over to the door, excited to see Cade in person again. I really hope I haven’t built things up in my head. I also hope he’s not disappointed with me in person. I open the door and see Cade standing on the porch, smiling. I smile back at him. “Hi! I’m glad you made it without any problems.”
Cade nods. “Between GPS and a couple of instructions from Zane, it wasn’t difficult. You look beautiful. You ready to go?” I nod and grab my purse from the hook on the wall next to the door.
“I’m ready.”
Cade reaches out and takes my hand. I always thought the books I read, that talk about feeling electricity when a girl first takes a guy’s hand, were total fiction and neverreallyhappened. I don’t think it was electricity, but it was definitelysomething. It happened when he took my hand the night we met, and Ithought I was reading into things…but feeling it again this time has me thinking there’s something to it.
He walks with me down the steps. As we walk toward his truck, I’m reminded why both of my brothers drive trucks. “Let me guess, you don’t fit in those sports cars that you see some famous players driving.” Cade nods.
“I tried to get in one once to test drive, and the sunroof had to be open so my head stuck out. Not exactly the best way to drive a vehicle. This truck fits me, and honestly, I’ve never been into those flashy cars. They don’t do anything for me. My dad rides, and someday I’d like to get a Harley or something, but it hasn’t happened yet.”
We stop at the passenger door, and I go to reach for the door handle when Cade reaches up and takes my other hand, making me turn and look at him. “First thing is you don’t open the door while I’m around. That’s my job to do for you. Not because you’re not capable, but because it’s the gentlemanly thing to do. Always. Whether we’re getting in or out of a vehicle or in or out of a place, okay?” I can only nod, because holy hell, to me, that’s the kind of romantic gesture that I’ve seen some of the guys, including both Pops and Dad, do, but that I thought might be a dying thing. Cade pulls me closer to him and looks down at me. I’m not short for a woman. I’m close to five-eight, but next to a man who’s got to be six-four or taller, I almost look petite.He gets this small, but sexy-as-sin smile on his face. “I’ve been waiting since the last time I saw you to do this, and I’m not waiting any longer.”
He leans down and gives me the gentlest kiss I’ve ever felt. He barely touched my lips, but it felt more intense than any other first kiss I’ve experienced. My arms move up and around his neck. I want to kiss him more. Cade deepens the kiss and demands entrance, which I’m all too willing to give. Holy hell, the man can kiss! His arms pull me closer to him just as he breaks the kiss. His forehead tilts and touches mine as we both catch our breaths. “That was…”
Cade lets out a chuckle and continues, “That was some fucking kiss. I’m gonna need to do that again and soon. Just next time, maybe not in front of your house with your dads glaring at me through the front window.” I turn and look at the house and see Pops and Dad in the window. I also see what they don’t, and that’s Mom walking up behind them with a glare on her face that tells me she’s about to lay into them. I look back to Cade, thankful the sun is out today and shining bright. “Mom’s got it handled, but I agree. We should do that again as soon as possible, but without the audience.”
Cade nods and helps me into his truck. He closes my door and makes his way around to the driver’s side, making quick work of getting in and starting the truck. I look over at him as he pullsout of the driveway, his GPS on his phone giving him directions. “So where are we going? You told me to dress comfortably but didn’t give me any clues. You probably should know I don’t thrive on knowing there’s something I don’t know.”
Cade smiles and glances over quickly before his eyes are back on the road. “So you don’t mind surprises, you just don’t like knowing there is one and waiting to find out? You like to just stay blissfully unaware completely?” I let out a huff.
“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds dumb. I’m not good at the whole anticipation-with-no-information thing. I never have been. Maybe because with my sight and everything, I feel like so much of my life is out of my hands as it is. I’ll never be able to drive. I don’t know when, but one day I’ll lose my sight completely. I mean, I’m not waiting in anticipation for that to happen, but more like a lifelong dread mixed with acceptance of eventual reality. As much as I like to be independent now, I already have to rely on others more than most people. So, no, I’m not really big on it.” I didn’t mean to spew all that out, but it was all true.
I glance back at Cade again, and he’s lost the grin he had on his face a moment ago. “I get that. I mean your entire future with your sight is an unknown amount of time to wait in anticipation and dread. I promise going forward to either tell you it all or just surprise you and not tease you with it. Today, since I don’treally know this area, I got most of my ideas from Zane and some internet searching. I’m not the best cook, but I can put together a mean sandwich, so I bought some things and made us sandwiches and thought we could go on a picnic.
“I figured with it being nice and sunny out, that would be fun. Plus, it would give us more time to talk and spend time together. I thought after that we could go for coffee or ice cream. I know it’s not a big fancy romantic dinner with candlelight and everything, but I want you to be able to see, and frankly, to be honest, I’m not a fancy guy. I can pretend when I need to and wear a suit if I have to, but I’m more of a picnic or bonfire kind of guy. I prefer home cooking, like that lasagna you made, over some five-star fancy place in Portland that serves you a scallop with onion foam or some shit.” He doesn’t get that I’m not fancy either.
“I know some girls want to be wined and dined, but that’s not me, and it’s never been me. I’m a casual person. I also appreciate the fact that you put thought into the fact that the whole candlelight dinner thing is not for me. I’d basically be spending the night in the dark, and I do enough of that it holds no appeal for me. I love the idea of a picnic. I mean, to be honest, one of my dream vacations has always been to go away to a cabin in the mountains or a house on the beach and just relax. You know, sitting on the beach or on the porch of a cabin, enjoyingthe sun and nature around while reading a book or just enjoying the scenery. At nighttime, not going to a fancy place but maybe cooking together or grabbing something from a hole-in-the-wall, finishing the night with a bonfire either on the beach or in the woods. I mean, I love to shop and do some other very girly things, but even then it’s not for fancy jewelry or makeup. I could spend hours in a bookstore or checking out antique and thrift stores for the most random finds I can imagine. I’m not that complicated of a person.”
Cade smiles and reaches over to take my hand in his. He pulls it up and kisses my hand as he gives it a squeeze. “Darlin’, I think what you just said was music to my ears. If you’re feeling the way I’m feeling so far, then I’m thinking this is gonna be the last first date either of us goes on.”
Holy hell in a handbasket. I couldn’t agree more, but why does that thought equally excite and terrify me at the same time? I just nod because how do you respond to something like that? Jiminy crackers, the man is like all those alpha-cinnamon-roll sex-on-a-stick guys I read about all rolled into one. I might be in the best kind of trouble there is.
It only takes about half an hour to get to the place Cade had found to have our picnic at. Since it’s midweek and a workday for most people, we had the park almost to ourselves. Cade parked, and we found a picnic table by the water to eat and enjoythe scenery. He helped me to the table and went back to get everything from the truck.
He came back with his hands full. He shrugged his shoulders. “I brought a blanket too, so maybe after we eat we could spread it out closer to the water and watch the ships go by.” I can’t help but smile. This man has thought of everything.
“I love that idea. I also like the idea of eating at the table first. Makes things less messy.”
Cade nods, setting down the blanket on the other bench and the ice chest on the table. He opens it and starts taking things out. “There’s a deli near my place that makes great salads, so I grabbed a few different kinds to try. I got two different potato salads and two different pasta salads. I also got a fruit salad and some chips. I didn’t know if you were a pop drinker, so I got some bottled water and some sparkling flavored water. I might have also grabbed some chocolate chip cookies, but don’t tell my coach that. I’m supposed to be watching what I eat, and too many of those aren’t on the plan.”
My mouth moves before my brain does. “Plans are made to be broken, and sometimes the best things in life happen when they are.” Cade smiles, leans over, and kisses me quickly before sitting down across from me. “You’re right. I have a feeling those two words are going to repeat themselves frequently, and I’mmore than okay with that. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry as a horse. What do you say we dig in?”
I nod and start plating up some food. Something tells me that this could be the start of something real. How that doesn’t scare the shit out of me is a question for future me. Right now, I’m going to enjoy this lunch and spend time with the sexiest man I’ve ever had the luck to kiss.
Cade
Today’s been nothing short of amazing. I don’t think I’ve spent an off day having a better fucking time. Hanna…Hanna is amazing. She’s so fucking smart and funny. She really listens when someone’s speaking to her, and she’s gorgeous. When she smiles, it’s like the world pauses. I’m pretty fucking sure she’s the best kisser I’ve ever…I mean, I’ve never been a player like Zack or even Carter or Zane, but I’ve done alright in the dating department. But that first kiss…it took everything in me not to pick Hanna up and take her right there in the bed of my pickup truck. My little bit of self-control that came out probably saved my life because I can’t imagine that her dads would have been okay with seeing that in their driveway.
If things go the way I’m feeling they might, even after just a week of talking and one official date, then I’m going to wantto be on her parents' good side. Of course, me being a fucking overachiever and all, I just had to meet someone who has three parents to impress. No bother, I’m gonna show them I can treat their daughter like she ought to be treated. I mean, that’s all a parent wants, isn’t it?
Focus, Evanich. We’re in my truck and heading to the last stop of the day, which Hanna declared had to be ice cream. When we were packing up the picnic, I again suggested either coffee or ice cream. She looked at me with the most serious expression and asked one question. “Both are excellent choices, but since you’re not from here and I’m realizing your teammates have not been properly indoctrinating you to life in the Pacific Northwest, I only have one question to ask you. To be honest, I’m gonna judge you by your answer. Do you like Tillamook or Umpqua ice cream better?” I think I might have scared her with my answer.
