D is for Deacon (Men of ALPHAbet Mountain)

Having to work so much over the two days before the date helped to keep my mind off it enough that I didn’t dwell on the questions starting to form. Was I too young for him? Was he going to realize he didn’t like me when we were alone together rather than in a group? Would it be awkward trying to get to know each other and build any kind of relationship while we shared that friend group?

I wanted to talk to Lauren about what was going on. She’d gone through something similar when she and Carter were first getting together. I wanted to open up to her about how I was feeling.

But I didn’t particularly want to put a target on my back. Or make Deacon feel like I was gossiping about him. I didn’t know how much he had told any of the guys, if anything. The last thing I wanted was for him to think he had asked me to dinner, and I was already picking out China patterns.

As it turned out, I didn’t need to tell her about it at all. When Friday evening finally came along, I found myself running around the house trying to get ready and feeling like I had never picked out an outfit in my life. My phone rang, and I rushed into my room to snap it up off the vanity.

“Hello?”

“What are you wearing?” Lauren asked.

I paused. “Did you accidentally call me instead of Carter?”

Lauren laughed. “No. I want to know what you’re wearing on your date with Deacon.”

“You know about it?”

“Yes, I do. And we will talk about you keeping things like this from me some other time.”

“I would point out the amazing hypocrisy in that comment, but I really don’t have the time right now. Because, in answer to your question, I’m wearing my underwear. That’s it. Underwear and a full face of makeup. Because apparently, I can choose eyeshadow colors but have lost my ability to select appropriate clothing,” I said.

“Okay, I can help,” Lauren said.

“You’re okay with Deacon and me?”

It was kind of a loaded question, and I realized that as it came out of my mouth. Not only was I giving her opinion far too much weight than it probably should have had, but I was also already thinking about Deacon and me as a unit. We were about to go on our first date. Just dinner. And I had already gone there with linking our names together.

I wasn’t going to think about it too much. I frankly didn’t have the time for it. Deacon was supposed to pick me up in just a few minutes, and I didn’t want to leave him awkwardly waiting in the living room. This was not senior prom.

“I think the two of you would be really good together. And you’ve been talking about him with those big puppy dog eyes since the first time Carter brought him into the diner,” Lauren said.

I wanted to argue about having puppy dog eyes, but that could wait for another time. Right now, I would just be happy that my closest friend was on board when I thought she wasn’t going to be. Switching over to a video call, I showed Lauren the outfits I had been considering and had spread out on my bed. Then I moved over to the closet and showed her all the other options.

I’d just zipped up the dress she helped me pick out when I heard a knock on my front door. Rushing to get my shoes on, I checked the mirror one more time, then went to answer it. Taking a breath to settle my nerves, I opened the door to find Deacon standing on the other side, more dressed up than I’d ever seen him.

He smiled at me and held out a small bouquet of wildflowers. He’d clearly picked them from the field in front of my house as he walked up to the door, which I found charming. I took them from him with a smile.

“Thank you. Let me bring these in and put them in water.”

He followed me inside but waited in the living room as I went into the kitchen and settled the flowers into a jelly jar of water that I set on my windowsill.

We walked out to the car, and Deacon opened the door for me. He was sweet and courteous, somewhat of a surprise considering how gruff he and the other guys could be. I wanted to ask where we were going, but at the same time, I wanted to just let the evening unfold as it happened. This was already a far better date than the one with Josh, and that only reached another level when I realized he was driving us out of Ashford.

Deacon eventually pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant in the next town over, came around to my door, and opened it for me. Offering me his hand, he helped me out of the car. He didn’t let go of my hand as he guided me into the restaurant and let the hostess at the podium know he’d made a reservation.