“I thought so too.”
“You two are freaking weird,” Cade huffed out and finally moved into the back. I pushed the seat into its position, and Lola slipped inside. “And for your information,” Cade said, clipping his belt in. “I’m still a virgin, and unlike my dad, I know what condoms are.”
“Oh burn,” Lola choked out.
Cade grinned at her, and the atmosphere that had surrounded them when they walked out disappeared. “I speak the truth, what can I say.”
I huffed out a breath and put the car in gear. “You two will be the death of me.”
“Only because you’re old,” Lola replied, her face a serious mask. “It’s okay though, we’ll look after you.” She patted my arm, and I snatched her hand up.
“That right?” My lips quirked at the corner, my mind flashing back to the last time I’d had her naked and underneath me. It had been too long ago. If she’d just—
“Move in with me.”
“Wh-what?” Her eyes were so wide I was sure her eyeballs would fall out of their sockets. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” I pushed the car out of gear, not caring that we were still sitting in front of the diner with Cade in the back. “You’re on the other side of town, and Cade is basically living with me now. I want to be able to wake up next to you. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms.” I moved our hands to her growing stomach. It was the smallest of bumps, just barely there, but it had grown so much in the last week, and I was missing it all. “I bought that house for us. It was always meant to be us in there, not just me and Cade.”
“But…” Her gaze flicked to Cade in the back. “I don’t want to intrude, and it’s so soon, and—”
“Jesus, Lola,” Cade groaned out. “I’m trapped in the back listening to my dad talking flowers and shit. Can you just say yes so we can go home? I’ve got a gaming marathon I’m late for.”
“I…” She moved her attention back to me, worrying her lip. “I don’t know. This is all going so fast and I…” She shook her head and gripped my hand tighter. “Can I think about it? Give me a week to just process everything?”
I didn’t want to give her a week. I wanted her to be in my bed tonight and every other night after. But I understood what she was saying. She didn’t want to rush into it. Too bad for her that I was in this all the way, and in a few months we’d have a baby. She wouldn’t have a choice then.
I could have reeled all of that off to her. I could have persuaded her to move in today, but I respected what she said. So I lifted her hand to my lips, placed a kiss on her knuckles, and nodded. “Of course you can.” I let her hand go and pushed the car in gear again.
The engine vibrated through my seat as I pulled out of the lot and headed home. Lola hadn’t been there yet, and now would have been the perfect time to show her, but I didn’t want her to think I was pushing it on her. It had to be her choice. So I pulled to a stop outside the house, let Cade out, and slipped back inside.
“Are you ready?” I asked her.
“Ready?”
“For our first official date?” I winked and pulled back out onto the road. “I have the perfect place in mind.”
“You do?”
“Uh-huh.” I took her hand and ran my thumb over her wrist. The soft skin was the complete opposite of my rough palms, but I knew she liked that as much as I did.
I’d planned this date this morning while I was sitting in my office, finishing up more paperwork for my new position. There was only one week left until Aaron was gone, and then the department was mine. I’d be in charge of around forty people, and even though the thought scared me, it also excited me.
It would mean I was home more often than not. I’d still have to go away now and again, but not like I had before. My life would be different from how it had been for the last fifteen years, but it could only mean better things.
I looked over at Lola, grinning at her open mouth as she napped. She’d fall asleep anywhere at the moment. But that meant it would be more of a surprise. I didn’t want her to see where we were going. I didn’t want her to think of what else had happened in that area. I just wanted her to remember that first night.
After an hour, I pulled into the lot and turned the engine off. The vibrations had Lola’s eye
s springing open. “Crap, did I fall asleep again?”
I chuckled. “Yeah, but we’re here now.”
She smiled sleepily at me and moved her attention to the diner I was parked in front of—the same diner I took her to that first night. It may not have been an official date back then, but it would always be our first night.
“Is this the same place you brought me to the first time?”
“It is.” I waited for her to look back at me, and when she did, I cupped the sides of her face. “I could have taken you to a fancy restaurant, I could have taken you to the carnival, or I could have taken you to see a movie. But none of those things would hold what this diner and those pancakes do.” I pulled in a breath and swiped away a tear as it rolled down her cheek. “You like pancakes?” I asked, repeating the same words I’d asked all that time ago.