by Ava Miles
“It sure did,” Jake said. “Way to go, Sadie.”
Sadie felt her cheeks heat. She hadn’t done it to be brave, but it meant a lot to her to hear them say so. She’d always felt like the little mouse of the McGuinesses—smaller and softer than their larger-than-life personalities. The rest of them had seemed driven from the get-go, but it had taken her a while to find her purpose. College hadn’t helped her, and for a time, she’d struggled to match her love of quilting with a job she loved. Now she was leading the quilting circle at work and making big decisions and speaking up inside her family. Progress…
“Anyone want to see her pictures on Facebook?” Shelby asked, reaching for her phone.
As her family clustered around her, Sadie hoped she had enough bravery in her to mention her date to her half-sister before things got too serious.
Chapter 4
“Dad, I think you should wear this for your date tonight. Haley agrees with me.”
Riley gave his drawing one last look. If the girls were on a tear about fashion, he wasn’t going to get any more work done today. The colors he’d chosen for his new female superhero, Lady Justice, still didn’t feel right. Should she wear red? Was it too cliché?
“Dad! I’m talking to you.”
Swiveling around in his white ergonomic office chair, he gave his daughter his full attention. And winced when he saw her holding up his navy sport coat. “Oh, come on, Jess. It’s only a first date. I want to keep things casual. Plus it’s hot out. I’ll sweat.”
Haley simply shook her head, silently telling him that he didn’t have a clue. The two of them had impressive skills when it came to ganging up on him.
“Ladies, I know you have strong feelings about this, but I can dress myself for a date,” he told them, shifting his feet on the floor to make his chair rock back and forth. If they would just go back to playing princess like usual, he might figure out his color scheme.
“Dad!” Jess said, marching forward with the sport coat. Her face was scrunched with determination. “You can still wear a T-shirt under it, but we need to find one that’s clean and doesn’t have any holes.”
Riley took the coat from her little hand. Jess looked like a princess on a tear in her yellow gown and sparkly green tiara. Darn, she was so cute he wanted to pluck her up. So he did. She screeched in his ears.
“I don’t see why I can’t wear a T-shirt with holes,” he joked, nuzzling her under the chin while she kicked at him. “No one could see them under the jacket.”
“Stop it, Dad! This is serious. Put me down. This minute.”
He kissed her on her chin and set her down. Fighting a smile, he watched her brows narrow and her hands anchor onto her little hips.
“That is not how you treat a princess,” she informed him. “Right, Haley?”
“Right,” her best friend said, keeping strategically close to the doorway, ready to run if he tried to tickle her.
“All right, I’ll wear this,” he said, picking up the sport coat that was now lying on the floor after the melee. “But I get to pick my own T-shirt.”
Jess’ eyebrows rose. “We’ll see.”
Sure enough, by the time he was ready to escort Jess to the Bradshaws, he was wearing everything his daughter had picked out. Looking in the mirror, he had to admit the kid had taste.
“See, I told you,” Jess said, opening the front door. “You have fun tonight.”
He shook his head as he picked up his car keys.
“Hey, Sadie!” he heard Jess call out. “Dad, Sadie is here.”
He frowned. He was supposed to pick her up. Following his daughter out, he felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her. She was standing in a soft ray of sunshine in the waning evening light. Her brown hair was up in some twist. The line of her neck was going to drive him wild. He’d told himself not to expect a goodnight kiss, but now he was pretty much certain it was all he was going to think about.
Her dress was a deep pink, the hue of a beach sky right before sunset. Her arms were bare, and she was clutching a gold purse that matched her sandals. In that moment, he knew exactly what color he was going to use for his female superhero.
Gold was a power color, and sexy as hell.
He realized Jess was talking to Sadie, but he’d been so captivated he hadn’t heard a word. Shaking himself, he strode forward.
“Hi,” Sadie said brightly. “I know you were going to pick me up, but I need to…ah…talk to Paige first. Hope that’s okay. I’ll just be a sec.”
She took off toward the Bradshaws’, and given the story he’d heard from Mark, he had to wonder what she intended to do and say.
Jess turned around and faced him. “Well, that was weird. I’ll go see what that was all about. Be right back, Dad.”
“Jess, come back here.”
He watched as his daughter hurried toward the Bradshaws’ front door, ignoring him. He thought about going in after her, but that would add another layer of awkwardness to the situation. The smart thing was to wait for her.
Sweat was already popping up under his sport coat, courtesy of the weather. Crap. Just his luck the weather was still in the low nineties and muggy as hell. Should he stand in his front yard like a moron or go back inside and wait? Sadie had said she’d be back in a sec, but for all he knew, the two women could get to talking. He checked his watch. They still had an hour until their reservation at the restaurant.
“Hey!” he heard Mark call out.
“Hey!”
His friend headed over. “Seems Sadie was nervous about your date given the situation with Paige. She wanted to make sure it was okay. Paige is reassuring her. You know, the more I see Sadie, the more I like her.”
“Good,” Riley said. “I didn’t plan on bringing up the sister thing, but should I?”
Mark shrugged. “Maybe you should mention it in passing, tell her that you made sure there weren’t any concerns either. You’re both acting like responsible people.”
“Thanks, Dad,” he said dryly.
Mark laughed. “You look pretty good. Did Jess dress you?”
“Stuff it,” he responded, kicking at the bicycle tracks Jess and Haley had left on the lawn. He’d tried to tell them to stay on the sidewalk, but Jess insisted princesses biked wherever the urge took them. He was starting to wonder about her new teacher. What seven-year-old said that kind of thing unprompted?
The Bradshaws’ front door burst open. “Dad! Sadie is coming.”
He struggled not to roll his eyes. By now all of the neighbors were going to know he was going on a date, as if his sport coat wasn’t indication enough. “Thanks, honey.”
“You bet!” Jess said. “Haley, let’s get out our batons and wave at Dad and Sadie as they leave.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see this,” Mark said, shoulders shaking. “It’s like you’re being presented at court as a couple.”
“Shut up, man,” Riley said under his breath.
“I should grab my phone and video this,” Mark said.
“I’m going to kill you.”
He didn’t mean it, of course, but he was getting embarrassed. A few of his neighbors had trailed out onto their front porches, likely at the commotion.
“Hey!” their neighbor across the street called, jogging down his steps. “You guys having a party?”
Mark glanced over at him, biting his tongue. Riley felt his jaw clench.
“Nope,” he replied, “just going out with a friend.”
“Here she comes,” Jess announced, acting like an announcer at a pageant or reality TV show, and she and Haley ran down to the edge of the steps, batons in hand, as Sadie emerged.
“That’s some friend,” his neighbor commented. “I didn’t know you had a friend like that, Riley.”
He was sure his cheeks were red as he started toward Sadie, who was smiling at the girls as they twirled the batons through the air, ribbons flapping everywhere.
“Have fun, you two,” Jess said. “Dad, don’t worry about being home e
arly. I promise to go to bed on time. I can always stay at Haley’s.”
Sadie’s cheeks were now as red as his were. Man, he hoped she wasn’t thinking he’d put his daughter up to giving him the house all to himself.
“I’m so sorry,” he said softly when he reached her. “Here I thought picking you up at your house was the gentlemanly thing to do. Now I realize it was the sanest course of action.”
“It’s okay,” she said, meeting his eyes. “It was my fault. I changed the game plan.”
“And I know why,” he said, nodding to the Bradshaws’ house. “When Mark told me about your connection to Paige, I made sure they were okay with us going out. I didn’t want things to be awkward for anyone.”
“Me either!” She gave a nervous laugh. “Paige assured me she’s totally cool with it, and I feel better knowing you know. I’m not fond of secrets.”
He shifted on his feet. “Who is?” Then he thought about his ex, who’d seemed to thrive on secrets.
Don’t go there. This is about you moving on.
“Shall we go?” she asked. “I can follow you to the restaurant if you’d like.”
He didn’t hesitate. “No, I’d rather pick up my gentlemanly duties, if that’s okay with you.”
“I’d love that,” she said, tucking her head to the side in the most adorable fashion.
“You look beautiful, by the way.”
“You do too,” she said, her eyes casting down almost coquettish-like. “Jess mentioned helping you.”
Her lips twitched, and he found his own mirroring hers. “That’s great. Now you realize I’m a lost cause when it comes to all this stuff.”
She gave him a studied look. “Oh, I think you’re wrong there. So far you’re doing pretty good.”
“I can do better,” he murmured in a low voice. To his shock, he realized he was flirting. Flirting! So he wasn’t dead in the dating department, after all.
“Are y’all going to leave? My hand is getting tired from waving!”
Leave it to his daughter to insist on the final word. He hadn’t even realized she and Haley were still sending them off princess-style. Paige was on the front porch, he noted, a soft smile on her face. That reduced some of the pressure in his chest.
He extended his arm to Sadie. “Shall we go, my lady?”
Her smile turned from radiant to luminous in a heartbeat. She fitted her hand through his arm, the warmth of her body beckoning.
He felt a sharp ping in his chest, like something was breaking free. He felt himself smiling back at her, not caring that nearly all of his neighbors were watching. Not caring that they’d become a spectacle. He was in awe of the way the waning light captured the gold in her brown eyes.
Gold.
The color held new meaning. It was the color of Sadie.
He was a goner.
Chapter 5
By the time Riley parked the car at Nashville’s famous Printer’s Alley, she knew a few more things about him.
He liked to hum, and it was downright pleasant to the ear. He’d kept up a delightful rumble as he’d maneuvered the car through the downtown traffic.
He also didn’t feel the need to talk for the sake of talking. She rather liked that. She figured Jess was probably the talker in the family. That little girl and Haley sure as shooting had warmed her heart with their enthusiasm over their date.
Paige had been shocked to see her at the door, but her surprise had melted into kindness as soon as Sadie awkwardly explained her concerns. Her half-sister had put a hand on her arm, insisted that she not worry about it, and told her that Riley had already brought up the same thing.
Her reassurances had given Sadie a happy burst in her veins, so much so that she’d felt like she was walking on air when she’d gone outside to meet Riley. The kids’ sendoff had been oh-so-sweet, and even if they never had another date, she would always remember the beginning fondly.
“Skull’s Rainbow Room was highly rated as a great first date spot, and it has live music,” he told her when he came around to open her door. “I hope you like it. We’re a little early for our reservation, but we can see if they’ll seat us.”
Printer’s Alley was chock full of places suited to every palate. She’d never been to this particular restaurant before, but she was eager to see the place where Tim McGraw had gotten his big break. Rye had also played there a few times back in the day.
“I’ve always wanted to check it out,” she said. “I haven’t been down here since the Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar closed its doors. That’s where Rascal Flatts was discovered, you know.”
“No, I didn’t,” he said, putting his hand under her elbow as they walked through the crowd on the brick-lined street. “I know it’s heresy in this part of the world, but I’m not a country music lover.”
She stopped suddenly. Okay, so this might be a problem. Not only were there two Grammy-winning country music stars in her family circle—Rye and Susannah’s husband, Jake—but her big brother represented singers and wrote songs. The McGuinesses had country music running through their veins.
“You’re kidding! How could you not love country music? It’s got passion and soul, and most of the songs simply break your heart before putting the pieces back together again.”
He tucked her close as people walked around them. “Personally, I think it’s a lot of guys running around in tight jeans, trying to prove their masculinity by singing about how much they love apple pie, the American flag, and their hunting dogs. And the women are mostly fake. Half of their songs are about how much they love hearth and home, and the other half are about doing tequila shots.”
There was some angst in his voice she didn’t understand. Truth be told, she had to work to keep her mouth from falling open. How totally rude of him to say that! But she was too much of a lady to point it out. “What kind of music do you listen to, then?” she asked instead.
“I love New Wave bands like Echo and the Bunnymen. ‘Under the Milky Way’ is a classic! ‘Bed Bugs and Ballyhoo’ is one of my faves.”
Bed bugs? Well, Brad Paisley had made her laugh with his song about ticks. “I’ve never heard of those bands. What do they sound like?”
“They have a unique sound.” He shrugged. “I like people who have integrity about what they put out. It’s the artist in me.”
Part of her agreed, but how could he assume nobody in country music had integrity? Why, the country singers she knew were some of the best people there were. “I see.”
“I also like The Church,” he said, his brows creeping closer together as he studied her.
Whew! Relief coursed through her. She’d wondered about that. “I like church too. My mama’s a preacher.”
“Ah…not that kind of church.” He shifted on his feet as though uncomfortable.
What other kind could he mean? she refrained from asking. This conversation was going nowhere fast.
“Anyone else you like?” she asked, hoping for a silver lining.
“Public Image Ltd. is awesome! If I had to pick a favorite song, I’d have to say…” He paused and guided her to the side of the building out of the way of the crowd. “‘This Is Not A Love Song.’”
So he wasn’t a romantic, after all? She was becoming confused.
“Who is your favorite country singer?” he asked, clearly trying to salvage the conversation.
“Well, I’m partial to Rye Crenshaw and Jake Lassiter,” she said, going strictly with family for reasons of loyalty.
“I don’t know them,” he said. “But I only like—”
“Wait! You don’t know Rye Crenshaw or Jake Lassiter?” Her voice rose, causing people to turn their heads to look at them. Even passersby had trouble believing it was true.
“Have you been living under a rock?” a tall bearded man asked, stopping next to them. “Sorry, I overhead your conversation.”
Riley shrugged, seeming uncomfortable.
The bystander looked Sadie up and down. “Honey, you need to dump this
guy and cut a rug with me tonight. It’s un-American not to like country music, and we don’t need our women hanging out with—”
“All right, that’s enough,” Riley said, holding out his hands. “I’m not trying to slam your jam. Everyone deserves to have their own taste in music.”
“Not in Nashville, they don’t,” the tall man said, getting into his face. “You need to move along, mister, before I show you what’s up.”
“I understand your loyalty, sir, but my friend is right,” Sadie said, putting her hand on the tall man’s arm to settle him down. Up close, the man looked like a lumberjack. If he was violent, he might take a swing at Riley. While Riley was tall too, he was leanly muscular. One punch would level him, given the difference in their sizes.
“If you change your mind, I’ll be having a beer at the bar over there.” Lumberjack Arms gave her a saucy wink. “You’d better treat this little lady right, son, or you’ll answer to me.”
“If I didn’t treat her right, she wouldn’t be out with me, man,” Riley said, clearly not backing down.
Was he crazy? Lumberjack Arms had over a hundred pounds on him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be out with a man who seemed to have so little sense, especially when it came to potential violence.
“Thank you again, mister,” she said, hoping to smooth things over. “Honey, we need to get along. Bye, now.” She gave a partial wave to the tall man and pulled Riley toward Skull’s Rainbow Room before a fight could break out.
“Oh, what a beautiful atmosphere,” she said, pretending to be distracted by the beautiful dark wood interior.
Riley gave their name to the hostess, who didn’t blink that they were early, and soon they were shown to a table in front of the black-and-white checkered stage with a long L-shaped wood and marble extension. The server gave them cocktail menus, and she decided on a drink with passion fruit, lime cordial, and rum. Couldn’t go wrong with something island-like in her opinion. Perhaps it would jazz up her mood. Oh heck, she might as well find out if they weren’t going to suit. She should be used to that kind of disappointment by now. Only Riley was so different from the men she normally dated, so much more outspoken and opinionated.
