“Grant?” Aspen says. I turn the phone so that she can see him. “Take care of my sister.”
“With my life,” he says. The conviction in his voice would bring me to my knees if I were not sitting in his truck.
“Now, hang up and go enjoy your date. Love you, Rory.”
Tears fill my eyes. “Love you too.” I end the call and slide my phone back into my purse. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I even started this. I know I can trust you.”
“You didn’t start it. I did. I didn’t want you to have a shed of doubt. If you don’t like how the night is going, tell me, and I’ll take you home.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. We’ve been to dinner a few times a week since we met. I know that I’m determined, and I can be a lot to take on, but, babe, I would never pressure you into anything you don’t want.”
“No. It’s not that I think that you will. I-I don’t really know what’s going on with me,” I confess. “I like spending time with you.” The confession slips past my lips without thought.
His smile is wide. “Well, I know what’s going on. You and I are going to get this Valentine’s Day date started. Stay there.” He grabs his keys and climbs out of the SUV. When my door opens, he surprises me, sliding his hand behind my neck and leaning in so that our lips are barely a breath apart.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Rory,” he whispers, ghosting his lips across mine.
“You called me Rory,” I say when he pulls back. He nods. “Why?”
“I got the impression only those close to you do. Those that you hold in here”—he places his other hand over my heart—“call you that.” His blue eyes bore into mine. “I care about you. Hell, I’m fucking crazy about you.”
“I like it. I mean, I like you calling me Rory. It’s something I haven’t heard in a while, and I miss it.”
He nods. “Come on, baby. Dinner is going to get cold.”
“Are we eating outside?”
“Kind of. Come on.” I turn in the seat, and before I can start to move, his hands grip my hips, and he lifts me from the seat, setting me on my feet. He leads me to the Ranger, the same one we took out the first time I was here. Inside is the same quilt I covered up with, and an extra, plus a thermos. “Mom.” He smiles over at me. “I might have left work early today to get set up and recruited my parents for help. Well, I recruited my dad. Mom found out and added her own touches.”
“You’re lucky to have them.”
“I know. You are too, according to Mom. She swears I was going to mess this up without her expertise.”
I can’t help but laugh. “So, what part did she take care of?”
“The quilts are clean and fresh, the hot chocolate and dessert. I bought a chocolate cake, and she was insistent that I couldn’t serve my miracle baker girlfriend store-bought cake. She was horrified and read me the riot act. I let her take over from there.”
“She’s awesome,” I say with a smile. “So, what’s for dessert?”
“I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me. Just that it was going to be a surprise. She and Dad dropped everything off. I texted them before I came up to your apartment to get you.”
“You put a lot of thought into this.”
“Only the best for my girl.” He winks, and those damn butterflies take flight. “Now, I’m going to need you to put this on.” He produces the blindfold from his jacket pocket. I don’t hesitate to take it from him and slide it over my eyes. That’s why I don’t see him coming until his lips press against my cheek. “It’s just a short drive.” He places his hand on my thigh, and instinctively, I place my hand over his and weave our fingers together.
I’ve not been much for surprises during the last few years, but something tells me that whatever he has planned is going to be good. Suddenly, I’m excited to experience it with him.
“We’re here,” Grant says. “Stay there. I’ll help you out.” He raises our joined hands and places a kiss to the back of mine.
I miss his touch instantly, but when I hear the door shut on the Ranger, I know that my time is almost up. All of the anticipation of the past few days and the ride here is going to be over. “I’ve got you,” he whispers huskily, reaching for my hand and helping me step out of the Ranger. “Watch your step,” he says. His hold on me is tight as he guides us to our destination. “Right here.” He steps behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Aurora,” he says sweetly. “Take off your mask, baby.”