“It’s a surprise,” he tells me.
“Are you really not going to tell me?” I ask.
“You’ll see. How are you feeling?” he asks, reaching over the console and resting his hand on my knee.
“Much better. I still have a lingering cough every now and then.”
“Good. I hate you being sick.”
We make small talk the rest of the short drive until we pull into the Gaylord Hotel. “You’re taking me to a hotel?”
“They have an incredible steakhouse, and the inside offers a lot of things to see and do. There’s shopping and a waterfall. We can even take a romantic boat ride.”
“In a hotel?”
“Yes, in a hotel. Stay put.” He climbs out of the car and rushes around to open my door. Hand in hand, we make our way inside and to the steakhouse. “Reservation for Riggins,” he tells the lady.
We’re seated at a back table, with low lighting, and it’s very romantic. “Wow, how did I not know about this place? It’s like an indoor village out there,” I say, referring to the interior of the hotel.
“It really is. This place attracts a lot of tourists. Then again, Nashville, in general, attracts a lot of tourists.” He laughs.
“It’s the music. I admit it’s a fun city to live in. That’s why you live downtown, right? To be in the center of the action?”
Something passes in his eyes. “Initially.” He doesn’t get the chance to say more as our waiter approaches. We both order sweet tea to drink and an appetizer. “You’re not drinking?” he asks.
“No. I’m still taking cold medicine, and I don’t want to mix the two. Besides, I want to remember this night. What about you?”
“I’m driving.”
“One glass of wine won’t hurt.”
“You’re right, but I would never put you in that situation.”
“A gentleman.”
“Only when it comes to you.” He winks.
“You’ve got me here. You don’t have to keep trying,” I tease him.
“This is me, Aspen. This is me with you. I’m not trying, just speaking the truth.”
I ignore him and the impact his words have deep inside. “What are you getting?” I ask, opening my menu.
“Steak.”
“What kind of steak?” I chuckle.
“I’m thinking the New York strip. You?” He glances at me over his menu.
“This barbecue chicken sounds good,” I say just as the waiter approaches. We place our order and fall into an easy conversation. That’s the thing with Conrad. It’s always easy. He’s easy to talk to, easy on the eyes, and easy to fall for. The only thing not easy about him is trying to push him away. I failed miserably at that.
“I’m stuffed,” I tell him as we exit the restaurant.
“You feel like walking around?”
“Definitely.” He takes my hand in his, and we begin to stroll. “I can’t believe I’ve lived here as long as I have and have never been here.”
“Over there.” He nods toward a waterfall. We head in that direction and take the steps. “We have to document this moment,” he says, pulling out his phone. He settles in behind me and presses his lips to my temple. “There.” He checks his phone and the picture he just took.
“Send me that.” I can feel myself wavering. If nothing else, I’ll have the picture to look back on.
“Thank you for agreeing to come out with me tonight,” he says as we walk along the path of the lazy river.
“I was exhausted trying to push you away,” I say as we stop at a bench. Conrad points, and I take a seat.
“Why were you? Pushing me away, I mean?”
“Because you made me feel too much. I’ve never met a man who can reduce me to goo from just a simple touch of his hand.”
“I do that to you?”
I nod. “I know that when this ends, my heart will be broken. I also know I won’t ever recover.”
“Who says it has to end?”
I ignore his question. “Part of the reason I pushed you away is that from the day I met you, you’ve been all about going out to the clubs and meeting new people—meeting new women. You’ve constantly given your brothers a hard time for settling down. To me, that told me you and I don’t want the same things.”
“That’s the thing. I’d already been distancing myself from that lifestyle before that weekend. It wasn’t fun for me anymore. I may have been giving my brothers shit, but I was envious of what they’ve found in their wives. As far as the women, I liked to meet new people, have some drinks, but I didn’t sleep with all of them.”
“That’s none of my business.”
“You’re wrong, Aspen.” His hand cradles my cheek. “It is your business. You’re the one I want. Not just for a night or two, but for all of my nights moving forward. I’m an open book for you.”
“Just like that?”
“As I said, I was already distancing myself and envious of my brothers. Then our week at the cabin happened. You showed me what I was missing. What it really means to be with one woman for more than just a night of fun. In a few short days, you captured all of my attention.”