Page 41 of Espresso Your Love
“Stay here until I come to get you, and no peeking.”
She nods eagerly, visibly excited.
With a grin, I hop out of the truck and grab my bag of supplies from the back seat.
13
Cassie
I sit here, with a scarf over my eyes, eagerly waiting for Ryan to come to my door. My heart pounds with excitement. He looks amazing, and I hope tonight goes well. I’m nervous with my stomach feeling like I’m riding on a roller coaster. A really fun, thrilling ride.
The truck door opens. “Ready?” he says.
His hand finds mine, and I take it, allowing him to guide me out of the truck. I move my foot, trying to find the sidestep, but my foot slips. Before I can fall, Ryan’s hands catch me at my waist. Instinctively, my arms wrap around his neck. It’s almost like they belong there.
“Are you okay?” I feel his chest rumble on mine as he laughs.
“I run into people when I can see. What did you expect when I’m blindfolded?” I joke, still laughing as he sets me down gently.
With my feet on solid ground, Ryan leads me forward a few steps with his hands on my shoulders. Gently, he unties the scarf from my head, and I blink a few times to adjust to the light.
I gasp in amazement at the breathtaking view before me.
We’re standing on a hill overlooking Meadowbrook, filled with autumn-colored leaves.
“How did you find this place?” I keep my eyes peeled on the scenery in front of me.
“I had a little help from Mitchell.”
“I didn’t even know we could come up here. It’s beautiful, Ryan.”
“I’m glad you like it. Want to sit?” He splays his hand back toward the truck.
The bed of the truck is filled with blankets and pillows with a breakfast-in-bed tray in the center.
My jaw drops as I walk closer to see the whole tray filled with food and treats.
“I thought having a picnic overlooking the town while the sun sets would be a nice setting for our first date.”
It takes a moment to sink in, then I find myself giddy thinking how sweet and official that sounds. Our first date. And hopefully not our last.
“I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”
The smile he gives me makes all my worries melt away, and all that matters is right now, here with him.
He helps me into the truck bed before climbing in himself. He, of course, looks a lot more graceful than I did.
I look over the food spread at sandwiches, cheeses, fruits, and cookies.
“I hope you are hungry.”
“I’m starving. I was so busy, I skipped lunch.” My stomach rumbles right on cue.
“Good, there’s plenty.”
We settle in as we talk and eat while the sun dips below the horizon. His eyes crinkle, and his laughter fills the air as he tells me about the chicken in the bakery incident. And I tell him the story of the goats in the town square.
“Do you miss being in the big city?”
