Page 63 of Flashback for the Forward

“Care to spell it out for me?” I prompted.

She worried her lower lip with her teeth. “I, uh, was thinking more along the lines of a date.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. Holy shit, this was huge!

Play it cool, man. If you act too excited, you’ll scare her away.

I hummed, pretending to mull it over. “Mmm. A date?”

Bridget began to backtrack, her steps carrying her away from me. “I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s okay. It was a stupid idea—”

“Wait!” I called out before she could disappear into her bedroom.

She froze, her hand gripping the doorknob.

“I’d love to have dinner with you, Bridget.”

Her big green eyes sparkled. “You would?”

A smile stretched across my face. “Yeah. How’s tomorrow sound? Pick you up at seven?”

Blinking at me, she shook her head. “I don’t think you understand. I can’t go out.”

“I know.” It was impossible to forget the resources her ex had access to that made her terrified to leave the house.

Confusion flickered across her features. “Then what—”

“Even if we stay here, I want to treat this like a real date—get dressed up, eat dinner from a restaurant. While you were the one to ask me out, I’m more than happy to take care of all the details. But I don’t want to trigger you by taking charge, so if it makes you more comfortable to plan the evening out, I’ll cede control to you.”

Her plush lips parted on an exhale. “You would do that? For me?”

Didn’t she get it yet?

“Bridget, I would do anything to make you feel safe and supported.”

Because I love you.

“Okay. Tomorrow night at seven,” she agreed.

“See you then, beautiful.” I tossed her a wink as we both retreated into our bedrooms.

Closing my door, I leaned against it, replaying the conversation we’d just had over again in my mind.

Could this be it? The start of our second chance?

Only time would tell, but I knew one thing for certain.

Tomorrow, I was going to pull out all the stops for our first “official” date.

Flowers in hand, I knocked on Bridget’s bedroom door at seven sharp.

She must’ve been eagerly awaiting my arrival because it swung open without delay, revealing the love of my life on the other side.

With my breath caught in my lungs, all I could do was stare at the stunning creature standing opposite me. Bridget was always beautiful to me, but wearing an emerald wrap dress that accented her hourglass figure, her hair and makeup done, she was downright gorgeous.

“You look—” Huffing out a laugh, I shook my head. “I don’t have the words to describe it.”

Toying with the knotted belt at her waist, she swept her gaze over me from head to toe. “You clean up pretty nicely yourself.”