48 First Dates (Seeking Romance #1)

The Prince of Yes-Boxes

31

Speed date turns to more.

A riverside lunch without

sparks—until a call.

B efore I got up, I checked “yes” next to Hayden’s name, bringing my total up to three. As I headed out, I handed my sheet to the Fairytale Dating Service employee in charge of our room. She informed us we would receive an email containing the information for who we matched the following day.

I searched for Mitzi in the crowded hallway, but she spotted me first.

“I found him,” she said as her eyes lit up and her cheeks glowed. “At least I think I found him—he’s the only one I checked ‘yes’ for. His name is Brock, and he’s a park ranger like you. Only he’s way better looking, no offense. I would climb him like a tree, and he could hike up Clingman’s Dome with me on his back. He asked questions, real questions, ones that let me know he wanted to know more about me. Ahh, he’d better check yes for me! He said he would... how did you do?”

“I checked yes for three guys, no instant winners, but they all seemed nice enough to see again. And I got emoji-propositioned and proposed to. Oh, and I met the radish guy.”

Mitzi’s eyes flew open as she gasped and said, “Do tell.”

As we walked to the car, I told her about Jeremiah, Bob, and Teddy. We laughed about Carter and his short sentences, plus Blake and his fondness for watching paint dry. She agreed—the three guys I checked yes for were the best options.

Mitzi told me about how Brock had been the first of her speed dates. Everyone after that fell flat. I almost told her about the memories of Brenn that ruined my time with Brendon and Blake.

But I ended up holding my tongue.

The emails arrived early as the smell of our morning brew permeated the kitchen. As expected, Mitzi and Brock matched each other. Her phone rang before she could take a sip of her coffee. I smiled as she gave me a thumbs-up. She grabbed her mug and headed back to her room.

With one hand warming on my cup, I tapped to open my email. Only Hayden’s information was included. I was surprised Julian didn’t check yes. But Brendon’s exclusion wasn’t a shock. I was so lost in the memory of Brenn and our one kiss that I missed an opportunity for the real-life man in front of me.

And that’s when I decided no more. I texted Hayden, and we set up a real-life, non-speed date.

We met for a picnic lunch later the same afternoon. The restaurants were full of the Sunday crowd, so he suggested we take lunch into the park and go for a hike. It was unseasonably warm that weekend, so the idea sounded like a pleasant one.

I arrived at the Metcalfe Bottoms parking lot with my sub sandwich. When I opened the door, the fresh fragrance of early spring mixed with wet earth greeted me. I glanced over at the riverside benches and saw Hayden waving me over.

“Hey, Hayden. I’m glad that you checked yes.”

“Well, I had to hear more of your seven-word fairy tales, Adelaide.”

“And I wanted to hear more of your whistled classical tunes, apparently to the backdrop of rushing water.”

He smiled and started whistling Old Man River.

In between bites of our sandwiches, we chatted about the kinds of food we liked and which trails in the park were our favorites. I told him about my job as a park ranger, and he told me about his teaching music at a local private school.

The conversation flowed easily, and we had a lot in common. But by the end of the afternoon, I still felt no sparks. We went out once more that week, and it was like our last date. It was full of nice conversation, but there was no combustion.

At the end of that date, he asked me out for Saturday night. I told Hayden my friends were coming into town that weekend, so I couldn’t see him. On the way home, I realized how grateful I was to have an excuse not to see him again.

Sunday afternoon, Cynthia, Tom, Mitzi, Brock, and I were in the kitchen. Our hands warmed on mugs of hot chocolate as we chatted. We laughed about Bollywood Bob and Jeremiah. I showed off the new stopwatch charm I had for the speed dates.

Cynthia’s new engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight that spilled through the window. As she talked about planning a wedding with Margaret, her mother, I said a silent prayer of thanks for my mom.

Later that night, Cynthia and I were alone in the kitchen. Tom had left, and Mitzi was out with Brock. “I tried Cynthia. I mean, Hayden is nice, but he’s not the one. I mean, Bre—”

“Are you kidding me?” Cynthia said. She narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at me. “You’re going to bring up Brenn again? Get over it. You said no. Either call him and tell him you changed your mind or move on.” She dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand in the air.

I felt my face flush as my jaw dropped.

She looked at me. The flash in her eyes extinguished. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. That was insensitive. I’m just upset about something else. Tom... he... never mind about that. I just meant that you should call Brenn. I bet he misses talking to you, too, and somebody has to make the first step. Your short texts aren’t doing the trick.”

I nodded, my eyes focused on my hands wrapped around my cup.

Alone in my room later that night, I admitted she was right. Before I lost the nerve, I picked up my phone and texted:

Me

I miss hearing your voice.

I was about to text more when my phone rang. I answered it before the second ring.

“I miss you, too.” At the sound of his voice, my brain filled the room with the memory of his spice. I breathed in deeply. Tension I hadn’t known I was holding on my shoulders melted away.

“Brenn.”

“Adelaide.”

“Why did we let this go on so long?”

“I don’t know. There were good reasons, but I can’t remember any of them now.”

I sat down on my bed and leaned against the pillows. “Me, too. What are you up to these days?”

“I’m working for my uncle and exploring Montana, although it’s pretty cold right now. What about you, Ads? How are you really doing?”

Awful without you.

“I’m good, Brenn. One more week, and it’ll be nine months since I had a drink. I’ve been going to this grief recovery group, and it’s helping me deal with things in a better way.”

“I’m proud of you.” My heart started beating so loudly that I almost missed his next question. “What are you girls up to?”

“All our jobs are going well. Tom was here this weekend, and he’s doing well, which you already know—he said you guys talked. Cynthia and Christopher are getting married—you should see the size of her engagement ring. Also, Mitzi and I did this speed date thing. It didn’t work out for me, but Mitzi’s experience was a whole ‘nother story.”

“Spill it, Monroe.”

We spent the next few hours catching each other up. I barely noticed how the light changed in the room.

“I gotta go, Adelaide. I don’t want to, but it’s getting late, and I have to work in the morning.”

Please, don’t. I could listen to your voice all night.

“I know, me too.” I took a deep breath, wondering how to put into words what I was feeling. Wondering if I even had the right to do that anymore. “I needed this, Brenn. Promise me it won’t be this long before we actually speak to each other.”

I couldn’t bear it.

From deep in his throat, he said, “I promise, Adelaide.”

Hallelujah!

I hung up the phone and let out a long, contented sigh. That night, my dreams were filled with rock-hard abs and emerald-hued hummingbirds dancing across Irish springs.