“I have a date with Laura tomorrow,” he told them. “I'll only see you for a minute.”
Ivy pouted. “But last time you had a date with Laura, you brought soup and movies. Can we have that kind of date again?”
Ethan chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe next time. This time, I get to take your sister out for something special tomorrow.”
Laura grinned. She'd nearly forgotten about their date tomorrow evening.
“And it is super important that neither one of you gets sick, okay?” he told the children. “No more stomach bugs.”
“Okay, Ethan,” Dallas agreed. “But we do need more movies.”
Ethan laughed. “I'll see what I can do.”
“Have a great night, Ethan,” Laura told him. “Thank you for coming over. I know it wasn't terribly exciting, but-”
“It was perfect,” he finished for her. He kissed her cheek, prompting another chorus of “ews” which made Laura laugh as he opened the door.
Craig was waiting outside for him.
“I'll see you tomorrow,” Laura said, the smile already filling her face. “And you're sure you can't tell me another hint?”
“No more hints,” he said, stepping outside. “Bye, Laura.”
She watches as he walked down the path to the car with Craig. He looked back and waved one last time before getting inside and driving off. Laura watched him. The night didn't feel magical anymore. It felt normal. Mundane. She missed him already.
She sighed and closed the door.
“Okay, time to brush teeth,” Laura informed her siblings. They sighed, but since their adult friend was gone, they didn't have a reason to delay too much.
“What do you think the surprise is?” Dallas asked Ivy as they walked toward their bedrooms.
“I don't know,” Ivy replied. “But I can't wait to find out!”
Chapter 17
Laura
Laura stood in front of the bathroom mirror. She brought her hands down her sides, smoothing out the silky material of her white dress. She'd been standing there for at least ten minutes, just double checking that her hair and makeup was as flawless as possible. It was important to her that she look her absolute best. She was getting ready for a date with Ethan and had a feeling tha
t wherever he took her, it was going to be pretty extravagant. Or at least a little more extravagant than horseback riding and lunch on hay bales.
Butterflies continued to bounce around inside her belly as she stepped out of the bathroom. There was something special about Ethan. He wasn't like regular guys she'd dated, and she knew that it had nothing to do with his money. There was just something about him that got her excited. It made her light up inside and put a spring in her step that she didn't think still existed.
After pacing the room a couple of times, she glanced down at her watch.
“Oh, God,” she whispered. “I completely lost track of time. He'll be here any second.”
She slipped into her white high heels and then headed out of the bedroom. Her shoes made a clicking noise with each step as she made her way the living room. Dallas, Ivy, and Elena were all seated around the table in the kitchen eating dessert.
“Now that looks tasty,” Laura said. “It smells good, too. What is it?”
Ivy smiled wide, and her green eyes lit up. “Elena made us our favorite! It's ice cream with broken up Pop Tarts sprinkled on top.”
“That sounds... interesting,” Laura said, giggling. “Maybe I'll try some when I get back.”
“You look really pretty, Laura,” Dallas said.
Hearing such a sweet compliment from a five-year-old caused Laura's heart to melt in an instant.