by Leah Atwood
“That’s what friends are for. What time are you meeting him?”
“He’s picking me at five.”
Kate gasped. “That’s only fifteen minutes.”
“I know.” Sophie laughed nervously. “That’s why I desperately prayed you would answer your phone.”
“Go get ready and have fun. But be careful, Soph. Take a picture of his license plate and send it to me before you leave.”
“Kate!”
“What? You can’t be too careful anymore.”
“Fine,” she conceded. In reality, it was a good idea. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
With lightning speed, she fixed her hair and applied a light touch of makeup, just a coat of mascara and a quick run of lipstick over her lips. A final glance in the mirror and she was satisfied with her appearance, self-doubt gone. At least in terms of comparing herself to other women. It wasn’t fair to anyone and wouldn’t change a thing.
She was who she was, and she was fine with that person. She wouldn’t let anyone take that away from her.
A rap on the door came just as she slid a pair of strappy flat sandals onto her feet. No heels for her, not with her propensity for falling or tripping over unseen things. When she opened the door, she saw Bryce standing in a casual pose, his feet slightly separated, his hands at his hips. He wore a faded pair of jeans with a fitted, solid black T-shirt, with sleeves that ended mid-bicep. He made eye contact with her, lifting one hand to give her a small bouquet.
The potluck of nerves grew. She’d talked with him on the phone, they’d texted, but she still hadn’t convinced herself whether she was dreaming or if this was real. She took the flowers, their fingers brushing in the process.
“They’re from Gram’s garden,” he volunteered.
Both had a hold on the flowers’ stems.
“They’re beautiful.” She brought them to her nose, breathing in their sweet fragrance. “I’ll put them in water and be right back.” She took them inside, leaving him at the door.
Deep breaths, clenching and unclenching her fists, counting to ten—nothing worked. Just a date. That’s all this was. A date with a man she’d met and connected with. Make that strongly connected with.
A man who had a daughter. And currently had a number one hit song playing on all the top country stations, even some pop. A man who lived life in the fast lane. Not intimidating, whatsoever. Ha.
Another rap on the door. “Everything okay in there?” The low, pleasing tone of his voice carried through her house.
Dear goodness, she’d been in the kitchen for ten minutes. A final deep breath and she went back out to meet him. “Sorry,” she muttered. “Couldn’t find a vase.”
“No problem.”
“Wait. That’s a lie.” Her heart thumped.
He paused and looked at her, his head crooked, eyebrows furrowed. “Nervous?”
“Yes.” She twisted her hands behind her back, feeling conspicuous in her every movement.
A comforting hand from Bryce went on each of her shoulders, and he narrowed his eyes to hers. “I get it. If it makes you feel better, I’m scared out of my mind right now.”
Her turn came to raise eyebrows. “You? Why? I’m just an ordinary girl.”
“And I’m just an ordinary guy. Tonight, forget everything else.”
“Okay,” she whispered. She could do that, or, at the very least, give it her best shot.
A gentleman, he opened the passenger-side door of his truck, offering her a hand as she climbed in. Once sitting in her seat, she busied herself buckling the safety belt. Bryce walked around the front of the truck, then climbed in from his side. Their eyes caught, and he smiled, setting her nerves at ease.
They drove down rough country roads, bouncing along, heading away from the town.
“Where are we going?” she asked, remembering too late she was to take a picture of his license plate.
“Still a surprise.” One side of his mouth curled upward, giving him the look of a little boy hiding a secret.
“I was supposed to send a picture of your license plate to a friend.”
His hand tensed on the wheel. “Why?”
“The whole world might know you, but I don’t. Safety precaution, in case I disappear.”
“Makes sense. You can’t be too careful in today’s world.”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t tell her who I am with. I only said a guy from the park.”
The hand relaxed. “Thanks for not telling.”
She shrugged. “I figured it’s not something you wanted to be advertised. Me neither. This is all overwhelming for me.”
“There’s somewhere I’m taking you before we eat, if that’s okay. A public place, so no fears of me kidnapping you.” Bryce cast a wink her way, and she laughed, the ice beginning to break.
“I’ll give you fair warning— the later I eat, the more voracious I become. It’s not a pretty sight.”
“I’ll take the risk. The detour will be worth any repercussions.”
“Says the man keeping it a secret.”
“A few more miles and we’ll be there.”
A small town came upon them, one she’d never been to despite it being within a ninety minute drive from where she’d grown up. Bryce continued driving, until at the outskirts he made a left turn onto a road that led to what looked like a big field, except there was a crowd of other vehicles gathered and several large tents erected.
“Where are we?” she asked, intrigued.
“The circus. You said you wanted to feed an elephant.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“Well, we can’t feed the elephants, but we can ride one. I hope your heart’s not set on seeing the circus because it starts too late.”
“You’re crazy,” she told him between spurts of laughter.
“Hey, you’re the one who brought up elephants.”
“I never thought you’d take me seriously.”
“We can turn around and go eat then.” He made a point of pretending to turn the steering wheel.
“Oh no, you don’t. You brought me here and now I have it in my head that I want to ride an elephant. How’d you find out about this?”
“A few days ago, actually. One of Gram’s friends mentioned it to her, thinking Gracie might like to go, but she’s in an afraid-of-clowns phase so it’s a no-go. When you mentioned elephants last night, I kind of took the idea and ran with it.”
“It’s a first date original. I can honestly say I’ve never ridden an elephant, nor would I have ever guessed that was where we were headed tonight.”
“Good. I can’t have our first date being unremarkable and risk missing out on a second.”
“But how will you top this one?”
“I’m sure I’ll find a way.” He pulled into a parking spot and killed the engine. “Wait there. I’ll come around.”
Easy banter settled the soup of nerves that had been simmering all day. Together, they walked through the grassy parking area, toward the tents. The ground was still soft from yesterday’s downpour and another burst from the clouds that afternoon, but stayed just short of being muddy. A few people stopped and gave Bryce a double glance, but kept on walking. Here, he melded in as a regular, everyday twenty-something man. Nothing about him, his clothes, demeanor, attitude, screamed I’m a star. He blended in like a chameleon to its surroundings.
A line was already forming at the elephants. The large mammals were corralled inside a makeshift circular pen of metal barricades. At the entry was a platform to climb aboard from which the elephants could be mounted. A photographer was positioned to snap a photo, should the rider wish to have a souvenir of the experience.
The wait was only fifteen minutes long. Excitement bubbled within her—she’d never envisioned riding an elephant, but now she couldn’t wait.
“Riders must go in pairs,” the attendant informed them when Bryce handed over payment.
A twinkle sparkled in his eye and he gave a half bow, h
olding out a hand. “May I have this ride?”
“It’d be my pleasure.” Adorably charming. That’s how she’d describe him tonight.
They climbed onto the elephant’s back, following the attendant’s instructions. Bryce sat behind her, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist while she held on to the red bar attached to a saddle-like contraption. Around the circle they went twice, smiling at the camera as they passed. At times, Bryce would lean forward, whispering something to her, his warm breath tickling her neck. To her disappointment, the ride didn’t last but a few minutes, the magic of the moment coming to an end.
“Do you want to see the picture?” Bryce asked, breaking into her wistful thoughts.
“Of course.” She put her smile back on. The night was still young.
In the first photo, they were smiling at the camera as was expected, but the picture from the second lap momentarily caught her breath. The photographer had captured the moment when Bryce had leaned forward to tell her something and her head had angled back slightly to hear his words. The effect was an image showing two people who looked like a couple with deep affections— not two people on a first date. She cast a sideways glance at Bryce and saw that he too looked mesmerized by the outcome of the photo. He blinked several times looking at the screen.
“We’ll take two of the second one,” he said. The photographer’s assistant clicked a few buttons on the screen and several seconds later, the photos landed in the printer’s tray. After placing them inside a card stock frame, the assistant handed them over.
They walked back to Bryce’s truck in silence. Sophie needed a few minutes to recover from the intense moment of the photo. She didn’t understand what was happening between them. All she knew was it was happening quickly, and she felt powerless to stop it, even if she’d wanted to. It would be so easy to let herself fall for him, give in to the eruptions of feelings going inside her.
She leaned against the truck’s door, watching people. The parking area was filling quickly as the show’s start time neared. Bryce came beside her, also leaning against the door, but facing her.
“Do you ever look at someone and wonder what their life is like, what trials they’ve gone through, what successes they’ve had?” She still looked forward, afraid of what she’d see if their eyes connected.
“People always say their lives are boring.” He nudged her with his elbow, reminding her she’d made that claim. “But everyone has a story. Nothing is boring if it comes from the heart. See that mom over there?”
Her gaze travelled the direction of Bryce’s extended arm. She saw a mom struggling to get both kids from her car to the entrance of the circus. She had dark circles under her eyes, but a broad smile as she held a toddler in one arm and a preschooler’s hand in the other, all while juggling a diaper bag that kept slipping from her shoulder. “Yes.”
“Twenty bucks says she’s a single mom working multiple jobs just to pay bills, probably picked up extra shifts to cover the costs of these tickets. And you know what? I’d rather sit down and have a conversation with her than someone who’s traveled across the globe on someone else’s dime.”
Turning, she leaned with one shoulder on the door so she was facing Bryce now. “You’re nothing like I would have expected.”
Hope flickered across his face. “Is that good or bad?”
“Good.”
“Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Let’s go eat.” Opening the door, he held a hand out again for assistance, as any southern boy would do.
“I googled you when I got home yesterday,” she blurted out as they pulled onto the road. She really must work on keeping her mouth shut.
Bryce gave her a sideways glance then burst into a full laugh. “You’re honest to a fault, aren’t you?”
“Maybe. Yes. I can’t help it.” A nervous giggle escaped.
He reached over, covered her hand with his. “Don’t change. I like that about you.”
She looked down at his hand on hers, unable to think clearly.
“So what did you find out?”
“About what?” Hard as she tried, she couldn’t remember what they’d been talking about.
“Me. From your google search.” He took his hand away, replacing it on the steering wheel to help navigate a sharp turn.
“Right. Not much. I felt too guilty, like I was invading your privacy so I didn’t look much.”
“You’re one of a kind, Sophie.” Regret flashed across his eyes. His teeth grazed his bottom lip. “I don’t care that you looked. My past is all out there and it’s anything but pretty. There’s no point in trying to lie or hide it. I’m not that person anymore, but I can’t go back and erase the things I did.”
How could she respond? Lots of words and phrases came to mind, but they all sounded cliché, textbook church responses that didn’t address the person as an individual. “What music do you listen to?” she asked, curious.
“Pretty much anything. My collection is an eclectic blend of everything from the country classics to classical.”
“Do you listen to your own songs? I’ve always wondered what musicians think when they hear their songs on the radio. It’s not as avoidable as an actor watching their own movie.”
“It’s bizarre. I mean, I recorded the song and, obviously, it’s me singing, but I can’t believe that it’s me on the radio. When I left Richmond for Nashville, I never thought I’d see the success I have. I thought I’d cut an album and if I was lucky, have it picked up by a small label. For me, it was about creating the music and having an audience who would listen, not the money or fame.”
A serene expression settled over his face as he talked about music. His love and passion for what he did was obvious. She couldn’t help wondering if she’d ever felt that strongly about anything. Not that she could remember.
“You’re very talented. Not many people write their own songs anymore.”
He shrugged off the praise with humility. “Not all of what I record is written by me, but sometimes I have no choice but to write. Things bottle up inside of me and the only way to let them out is to write.”
Chapter 6
Bryce steered his truck into the parking spot closest to the door of the small restaurant located off the beaten path. Bayou Bits was easy to miss unless one was looking specifically for it. The building was a small clapboard house converted to an eatery. His cousin, Dani, owned the restaurant and, laying aside all bias, Bayou Bits had the best food in the parish—the entire state for that matter.
“I’ve heard of this place before, but I’ve never been.” Sophie looked at him, apparently trying to hide the excitement in her eyes.
“It’s my cousin’s restaurant. She’s second only to Gram in cooking skills, and maybe my housekeeper. They’re all very talented. I make it a point to eat here at least once every time I come to town.”
“From everything I’ve heard, I’d thought they’d be busier, but there’s not another car here. A friend from work said even on weekdays the wait’s often over an hour.”
With a forced cough, he cleared his throat, debating if he should tell her, deciding to fess up. “That’s because we have the entire place to ourselves until eight.”
“How?”
“It helps to be related to the owner.” He flashed her a smile. “I called in a favor she owed from a few years back.”
“Wow. I’ve never had someone buy out a restaurant for me before, but I guess it wouldn’t do for you to be seen out with someone and take a chance on rumors starting.”
He’d become so accustomed to people in Oden Bridge treating him like any other person, that thought hadn’t crossed his mind. It was a reasonable assumption, but not his true motive. She’d been honest with him—he could do the same. “I didn’t do it to lower the chance of being seen with you.”
“Oh.” Her pink lips formed a circle.
He averted her gaze and looked out the window. “I wanted to impress you and thought it woul
d be a romantic gesture. I guess I didn’t think it all the way through.”
“And here I am, ruining it.” She reached over and touched his arm. “It was very sweet. Thank you.”
Once inside the restaurant, he saw that Dani had outdone herself. True to his request, she’d cleared out the back room, leaving only one table, which was next to a window overlooking the bayou. A small oil lamp glowed from the center, and several candles were lit in hurricane lamps throughout the room. Low strains of classical music filtered through the air, loud enough to create a setting, but not enough to distract.
He owed Dani big time for helping him out tonight. Even though she’d already said no, he would still make sure she was compensated for the loss of income due to closing for half the night. When he’d offered the first time, she’d reminded him that it was the least she could do since he’d lent her the start-up money to get Bayou Bits up and running. It hadn’t been a big deal to him. He’d had the money—she’d needed it. She was the only cousin from his dad’s side and the closest thing he had to a sibling.
Sophie sat in her seat, browsing through the menu. “Everything sounds so good. I have a bad habit of ordering a dish other than my first instinct and then I regret it.”
“Trust me to order for you?”
Her cheek indented, and he imagined she was deliberating. “Okay, but nothing with shellfish. I’m allergic.”
“Duly noted.” He stored the information away for later use, because he had every intention of seeing her again, many times. “What happens if you do eat it?” he asked out of curiosity.
“Hives. It’s not pretty, which stinks because I love shrimp, but it’s not worth the effects.”
“Is regular fish safe?”
“Yes.”
He took the menu from her hands and laid it flat against the table. “In that case, you’re in for a treat. You won’t find a better blackened tilapia than Dani’s.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Dani approach the entrance of the room, giving him two thumbs up. He stifled a laugh, glad his cousin approved of Sophie. A few minutes later, their server for the night came to the table, bringing the drinks they’d requested, sweet tea for both, and taking their order.
