Beyond the Bases

“What might that be?” I try to hide my smile but fail. I’m having a great time and am glad I didn’t let my worries or fear keep me from our day date.

“It’s a surprise.” He kisses the tip of my nose. After lacing his fingers through mine, we say goodbye to Larry before we’re back on the road.Planning dates is not my thing. Planning dates that an adorable four-year-old might be tagging along with is challenging. I wanted to spend time with Larissa, and Paisley if she had been with us, but I wanted them both to have fun and feel comfortable. So I planned a picnic. At first I was going to go to the park, but not wanting them to end up on the front page of the tabloids, I decided to call in a favor. Tank Thomas played with my dad, and to this day, they remain good friends. He owns a large farm not far from here. Thankfully, he said we could stay as long as we liked. He and his wife are out of town. It’s the perfect spot with lots of privacy. I ordered food from a local deli, packed up a couple of old blankets, a cooler for water, and I threw in a couple of juice boxes for Paisley just in case.

Kids drink juice, right?

I also picked up a Frisbee, and I found a new pink glove, the smallest I could find. I got Larissa one too so the three of us could play catch. Not sure Larissa will want to play catch, but lying back on the blanket with her, just talking sounds pretty damn good to me. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. So far, today has been perfect.

“I just need to make a quick stop,” I tell her. I want to reach over and hold her hand or set mine on her warm thigh, but I keep both hands on the wheel. The last thing I need is to scare her away because I can’t keep my hands off her.

“That’s fine. I’m with you.” She smiles. As the day goes on, those smiles seem to come easier for her. I have to fight the urge to puff my chest out, pretty sure I’m the reason behind her smiles. I’m doing that. Making her smile. She has a lot on her plate with working, school, and Paisley. I’m glad today I could give her a day of fun. A day to maybe not think about all her responsibilities. Larissa takes care of everyone, that much is already obvious, and dammit if I don’t want to be the one to take care of her. This connection we have is real. I feel it with every touch, every look. I’m out of my element with her, but I’ll be damned if I let that scare me away.

The stop at the deli is quick. Everything packed up in a wicker picnic basket like I requested. I didn’t care what it cost; I wanted today to be special.

“Look at you,” Larissa says when I place the basket in the back seat.

“What?” I feign innocence.

“Let me guess, boy scout?” she teases.

I throw my head back and laugh. “Just like to be prepared.” The place we’re going to is about twenty minutes outside of town.

“Where are you taking me, Monroe?” she asks.

“Take a guess?”

“By the looks of things, a picnic?”

“Yep. You good with that?”

“No complaints.” Her mouth tilts into a warm smile as she settles back in her seat. We make idle chitchat. She teases me about my planning, and I take every bit of it. I love seeing her carefree and smiling. “Who lives here?” she asks when I pull into the driveway.

“A good friend of the family.”

“Do they care that we’re here? Going to jail is not on my to-do list,” she says with a hint of a smile in her voice.

“No jail, at least not today,” I say, causing her mouth to drop open. I throw my head back and laugh. “Relax, Ris. I’m trying to get you to want to spend time with me, that’s a sure-fire way to make sure that never happens.”

“As long as we’re on the same page.” She winks and climbs out of the truck. “What can I carry?” she asks.

“Grab that bag,” I say, pointing to the backpack I brought with the gloves, balls, and Frisbee. I gather the basket, throw the small cooler strap over my shoulder, and grab both blankets. “This way, madam.” I bow my head to her, causing her laughter to flow freely once again. That’s a sound I would love to hear every day. I lead us behind the house and to the garage. Tank gave me the security code so we could use the golf cart to get back to the pond and gazebo.