Single Dad Seeks Juliet

“A lot?” I shrug. “No shellfish, though.”

He laughs at that. “That’s good. And probably for more than one reason. I don’t know that shellfish is what I think of when I picture picnic food anyway.”

“I’ve actually never been on a real picnic,” I admit. “Hopefully, I didn’t completely miss the mark.”

His eyebrows draw together as he considers me. “You’ve never been on a picnic?”

I shake my head. “It’s…well…the guy I dated for a while…it wasn’t really his vibe, you know? He was into nice restaurants, fancy bars…that sort of thing.”

He nods, but there’s something in his eyes that doesn’t quite read as affirmation. I’m not sure what he’s thinking, but to be honest, I’m a little too scared to ask.

My heart is already beating a million miles a minute over a teeny, tiny peek into my vulnerability. I can’t even imagine what I’d say or do—maybe pass out—if he tried to ask me more.

Luckily, he doesn’t, taking the basket and climbing up onto the trailer to strap it to the back four-wheeler instead. Once it’s secure, I toss him the blanket, and he puts that in the front compartment.

When he notices me fanning my face with my hand, he smirks and asks, “Want to just meet back at my house after this one for the debriefing?”

I’m not too proud to agree. “That works for me.”

“Good. I can just bring the four-wheelers home with me for the night, then.”

Now that I’m empty-handed, I’m markedly more awkward. I do not know where to put those pesky little paddles attached to my arms.

Do I vogue?

Do I put them in my nonexistent pockets?

Do I let them hang limply at my sides?

I just don’t know.

My flight instinct is buzzing, but I stand there anyway as Jake backs the first four-wheeler off the trailer and drives it over to the entrance of the trail, and then he walks back and reverses the second one off, pulling it to a stop next to me.

He’s put his sunglasses on at some point during all this, so I can’t see his eyes anymore, but he’s definitely smiling as he holds out a hand.

“Want a ride?”

“Oh, no. No, no, no. I can walk.”

“Do we really have to fight about this every time?”

Foiled by a threat I know he’ll follow through with—staying bitterly determined until I give in—I jump up on the back, facing away from him so my legs can swing freely.

He sighs, clearly unimpressed with my positioning, but he doesn’t say anything as he rolls it slowly over to the head of the trail and pulls it up next to the other four-wheeler.

I jump down as he cuts the engine, and then he swings a leg over and climbs off too.

Neither of us says a word as we watch his date drive a Toyota Pathfinder into the parking lot and cut the engine.

It doesn’t take her long to climb out, and when she does, it takes even less time for me to assess how truly, painfully beautiful she is.

She’s wearing low-slung, skintight jeans with a heavy-buckle-sporting belt and a tank top that shows off her perfectly toned arms and ample cleavage. Her hair is long, almost down to the band of her bra—assuming she’s wearing one—but she pulls it up as she walks.

I swear if I were a guy, this would be the kind of fantasy I’d expect from porn.

Jake is silent beside me, and I have to swallow hard to get rid of all the saliva filling my mouth.

She looked pretty when I met her at the group meeting to fill out paperwork, but I have to hand it to her—Date Rachel looks like a Victoria’s Secret model come to life.

One glance to Jake shows his eyes haven’t left her, and I instantly feel like a big, broken third wheel.

I step to the side and back, tripping over a root in the ground as I go. Jake reaches out to catch me, concern in his eyes, but thankfully, I stop myself before I make it to the ground.

His date, Rachel, having just made it to us, looks on with pity in her eyes.

Like, holy hell, this poor woman is such a mess.

“Whoops,” I mumble, tucking my burning cheeks toward the ground as I pretend to look between the two of them. “Sorry. I’ll just be…”

I glance away, twirling in a circle while I try to move away, afraid to lift my eyes off the ground and back up, but unable to bring myself to stop babbling to them either.

“So, um, have fun. Looks like it’s going to be…adventurous. And stuff. I’m excited,” I blab on. “I’m sure you guys are excited too. So, I’ll, um, let you get to it.”

Jake watches me with unconcealed interest as I back into the four-wheeler that’s to be mine and bump into it with my hip. Someone, anyone, please save me.