Just One Thing (The Alexanders 6)

Hunter came back then carrying his pillow. “Got it. Bye Mommy!”

“Bye baby. Be good for Miss Ri, okay?”

“Okay.” Hunter looked up at Bennett again. “Are you going to kiss my mom?”

Katie’s mouth fell open. She realized it was unexpected for the kids to see her with a man other than their father. That was why she hadn’t dated. She hadn’t wanted to confuse them, and okay, truthfully she hadn’t really wanted to go out with anyone anyway. If she’d thought it would be an issue she’d have had a talk with the boys about dating. But apparently a talk was long overdue if Hunter thought that all men and women automatically kissed each other.

“Hunter, Mr. Alexander is my friend.”

Bennett gave her a strange look before he knelt next to Hunter. “Buddy, I only wish I could be lucky enough to kiss an amazing lady like your mom. But first I need to show her that I’m a good guy. So tonight I’m taking her to dinner. Is that okay with you?”

Hunter nodded, like this made perfect sense. “Just don’t chew with your mouth open. She hates that.”

Bennett slanted a look in her direction. “Sounds like good advice to me. And by the way, my mom hates that, too.”

Ridley waved as she led Hunter down the sidewalk toward her house. Katie picked up her purse from the front table and locked the door behind her. She followed Bennett down the driveway to the pickup truck she’d seen at the Alexanders. He held the door open for her and took her hand gently to assist her into the cab.

Once he closed the door behind her, Katie put a hand over her heart. She was trying so hard to pretend like she wasn’t freaking out but wow, she hadn’t dated anyone as well-mannered as he was. He did it so naturally, like it was second nature instead of begrudgingly like the so-called gentlemen she’d encountered in the past. Then there was the way he’d handled Hunter. Bennett might not have children of his own, but it was obvious that he was comfortable with them. He’d handled the situation directly and with a kindness and understanding that she hadn’t been expecting.

If she’d been the blunt type with men, she might have just asked then and there if they could skip dinner and get right to dessert.

Practice date, remember? Katie blew out a breath, trying to cool down since her cheeks felt uncomfortably hot. It was harder than she’d thought to remember that this wasn’t a real date. Bennett was just as smooth as his brothers when he wanted to be!

They were quiet on the way to the restaurant. Finally Bennett glanced over at her.

“You look beautiful.”

Katie blushed. “Thank you.”

“Sorry that took me so long but ever since you opened the door, I’ve been trying to think of something better than ‘You look beautiful’ and I honestly can’t think of anything. Those words don’t seem like enough.”

Katie could have melted right there on the spot. How was it that this man thought he wasn’t good with words?

“You clean up pretty nicely, too. I like your shirt.”

For some reason, that amused him. “It’s not mine. Nick loaned it to me. Apparently I’ve been too busy to go shopping for the past decade or so. My bro

ther declared my wardrobe as tragic.”

The image of the completely competent Bennett asking his little brother for fashion advice thoroughly charmed her. Not to mention that it was incredibly flattering that he’d cared enough to ask for help.

“He did a great job. I guess he would know about clothes, huh, considering that’s Raina’s thing.”

Bennett nodded. “Exactly. That’s what I thought, too. One of the perks of being an Alexander. There’s always a brother or cousin who can help you with any situation.”

They arrived at the restaurant and found a parking space in the back. After Bennett turned the engine off, they both sat, unmoving. His fingers clenched and unclenched against the steering wheel and Katie saw what she’d been too self-absorbed to notice earlier.

Bennett was nervous. Really nervous.

"Want to know a secret?" When he glanced over curiously, she took one of his hands off the steering wheel and gently uncurled his fingers. “I’m nervous, too.”

Bennett let out a long breath. He didn’t ask how she knew what he was feeling. “You are?”

"Absolutely. I changed clothes a bunch of times. You're not the only one who has trouble with dating. In fact, this is the first date I've been on in years."

Bennett leaned over. “I find that very hard to believe but that’s probably a good thing. Maybe you won’t laugh too hard when I inevitably embarrass myself. Wait here a second.”

She watched as he got out of the truck and then came around to her side to open her door.