Page 16 of Lex

Holy wow. He looked exceptionally hot in a white button-down shirt, jeans and scuffed boots. Absolutely edible. That simple wardrobe should not have her jaw dropping, and yet there she was, wondering if drool was running down her chin.

“Hi.” His bright blue eyes dipped slightly then lifted back up to hers. “You look very pretty.”

A blush warmed her cheeks. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat, stepped forward then locked the door behind her. “So…where are we going?”

“My favorite spot.” He walked her down the driveway to his big black Yukon and opened the passenger door.

“What’s it called?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve never been there,” he said vaguely. “But I think you’ll like it.”

He was being very mysterious, and she frowned as he closed the door. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a large picnic basket on the back seat. Smiling, she waited for him to climb in, then asked, “A picnic?” No one had ever taken her on a picnic before. It was a romantic gesture, and he was scoring big-time points with such a thoughtful move. She might have to reconsider her three-date rule.

“The weather is so perfect, I thought it would be nice to eat outside.”

She studied his handsome profile. “I didn’t peg you as a romantic.”

“I’m usually not,” he admitted. “Guess you just bring it out in me.”

Sitting back, she crossed her legs. “Did you grow up around here?”

“Sure did. You?”

“Yes. And even though it’s beautiful…”

“You had to leave, too?”

It’s as though he could read her mind. She nodded. “I wanted to see what else was out there. After finishing school, I became a traveling nurse.”

“Really? That’s amazing. How was it?”

“I loved it. Nursing itself is fulfilling, but getting to live in all different cities and work in constantly changing environments made it exciting, too. I always looked forward to a new assignment. But when my mom needed me, I decided to come back and care for her.”

“That was nice. Caring for an aging parent isn’t easy.” They shared a knowing look. “You think you’ll ever go back to it again? Traveling around?”

“No. I enjoyed it at the time, but after a while, moving around so much loses its appeal. The older I get, the more I just want to put roots down.”

“I can understand that.”

“I saved a good portion of my earnings and have enough to live on now, so money isn’t an issue.”

“That’s good. Most people don’t think about saving money when they’re young.”

She shifted to face him more. “What about you? After your military days ended and you stopped flying, what did you do?”

Lex slowed the SUV and turned into a small private airport. “My flying days will never end. It’s in my blood. Speaking of which…” He sent her a bright-white smile. “I hope you don’t mind flying to our picnic destination.”

Summer’s eyes widened as he pulled up to a large silver plane that looked a lot like a tin can with wings. Normally, she was a pretty good flier. Enjoyed it, even. It was something she’d gotten used to and often looked forward to when she was jetting around the country to new jobs. But her nerves ratcheted up at the relic waiting to be boarded. “In that?”

“Why does everyone doubt my Spitfire?” He clapped a hand over his heart. “Trust me, she’s got it where it counts.”

Trust me. It was the same thing Scott used to say all the time, and he’d always let her down. But Lex isn’t Scott. She needed to remember that and give him the benefit of the doubt.

They got out of the Yukon, Lex grabbed the picnic basket, and they walked over to the plane. “Are you sure this shouldn’t be in a museum?” she asked, taking the basket as he pushed rolling stairs up to the door.

Lex threw his head back and laughed. “Maybe one day. But not today.”

Shockingly, the door didn’t creak when he opened it, even though it was probably so old it was twice their combined age. Turning, he held out his hand. After a brief hesitation, she slid her hand into his much bigger one. Warm, callused and strong. She immediately felt safe. Protected. “If this thing crashes, I’m going to be really upset,” she warned him, only half joking.