Saturday 14th October.

Z A C

Addie's little but practical home had these big gorgeous windows that were perfect for watching the outdoors. She told me all about how she'd sit in her kitchen nook, drinking her morning coffee while the leaves rained and the clouds moved across the sky. The windows were also perfect for watching from the outside in.

Which sounded super creepy but I had a totally valid reason for standing in her back garden while she moved through her kitchen, putting dishes away, smiling and talking to Willa, who occasionally looked into the dark and squinted, hoping to see me. She knew I was here and she knew why.

I checked over the arrangements one more time and then I walked through the gate and around to the front doorstep so I could ring the bell.

"Zac?" She looked me over when she opened the door, taking in the black dress shirt and pants I was wearing. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking you on our first date."

She recoiled and pointed over her shoulder. "I have the girls. I can't leave."

I held my hand out for her. "Trust me?"

"I trust that if you think I'm leaving the girls here alone, you're insane."

I smiled. "That right there, makes me even crazier about you."

She narrowed her stare. "Wha—"

"You have to go with him," Willa appeared in her little white night gown and started pushing Addie out the door.

"Excuse me," Addie gripped the door frame. "Even if I was neglectful enough to leave my children here alone, I'm not dressed for a date."

She was wearing a pair of fitted sweat pants that hugged her curves and a tank top. If Willa wasn't around, I'd have lifted Addie off the ground, wrapped her legs around my waist and thrown her against the wall. But those thoughts had to remain distant because we weren't alone.

I wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her into me, her breath hitching when her chest collided with mine. "You're dressed for a date with someone who finds you breathtaking in whatever you wear."

Or don't wear.

"I still can't jus—"

"Addie," I lifted my pinky finger and swiped the side of my nose. "Trust me?"

She stared up at me, conflicted and gorgeous. It was genuinely hard to believe that she was here, with me, just a short drive away so that I could see her as often as she'd allow.

Finally, she released a breath and nodded. "I'm going to trust that I'm not leaving the girls alone. There's a sitter here, right? Tyler and May? Are they here somewhere?"

"Have fun. I'll call if Maggie wakes up," Willa smiled and closed the door behind us.

Addie talked for the duration of our small walk to the back gate and I kept a tight hold on her hand. "Watch your step," I interrupted, knowing that the extension cords I'd laid down were running through the grass.

"Oh," she sounded relieved when I shut the gate behind her. "So we're not leaving the property."

"I can't believe you thought I'd leave the girls here alone," I teased as we walked through the pitch black.

"I didn—"

"Stand here," I said, kissing her forehead. "I'll be right back."

She nervously laughed. "Don't leave me alone out here. It's so dark."

"You really need to start trusting me, baby."

I heard her breath hitch as I walked over to the house where the backdoor was. It took a little bit of fumbling around, feeling the house panels until my hand found the power box and I flicked the switch.

All at once, the garden lit up, ambiance enveloped my girl as she stood in the middle of the lawn, her lips parted as she drank it all in. Twinkling lights were in the trees, which were almost bare due to the leaves dropping for Fall. Lanterns covered the grass, surrounding a spot where a picnic blanket and cushions were waiting with food. Lights flickered on the fence, under the hedges, humming like fireflies. Addie covered her mouth.

"Zac," her voice full of awe. "This is beautiful. It's so. . . enchanting. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale."

I made a slow walk back to her, wanting as much time as possible to admire her in this light. "I know we were meant to wait until Milo and Raine got back to go on our first date, but I couldn't wait. So I thought I'd bring the first date to you."

She dropped her arms, bottom lip pouting. "Well, aren't you sweet."

"Mildly obsessed," I corrected, standing in front of her.

"Obsessed, hmm?"

"Yeah," I nodded, tipping her chin up. "I'm going for full fledged honesty and I definitely think it's an obsession. I can not get enough."

"Well," she drew her bottom lip in and fought a grin. "As long as you're being honest about this obsession."

I lowered my head so that we were eye to eye and leaned in, lips touching hers. "This smile," I whispered, giving her the softest kiss. "It's new."

"Is it?" She was breathless, a shiver shook her frame and I loved it.

"It's beautiful," I pushed my hands into her hair and held her head. "You're beautiful."

She tiptoed and threw her arms around my neck, deepening the teasing kisses I was peppering on her mouth. There was something different about Addie since the last time I'd been with her, back before she went home.

She walked a little taller now, talked a little more, smiled a little brighter. I always knew that this person existed though. I saw the sort of love she was capable of, even when she was broken, she gave what was left of her heart to everyone else, and what hadn't killed her, made her so much stronger.

My hands traveled down to her waist and I tugged her in closer so there was no space left between us. I'd had enough of space.

It took Willa a while but she'd finally started the playlist I'd set up and soft music started floating through the space.

"I didn't think these sorts of dates were real," Addie said, her hands restlessly messing with the hair on the back of my head. "I've read about them. Just. . . never been on one."

"Full disclosure," I said, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Willa helped me out. We brainstormed. I'll tell you something though, it's not hard to make those stories come true. The ideas are all right there."

She smiled but I could see doubt in her beautiful brown gaze, reflections of twinkling lights dotted her iris.

"You know what else," I said. "You'll get your happy ending. I'm not going anywhere. I'll read and research as much as you need so that you get your book worthy romance, for the rest of your life."

She swallowed. "That's a big promise, Zac."

"I don't think you understand what your happiness means to me."

She so badly wanted to believe me, I could tell she wanted my words to be real.

"It's alright," I said. "I've got nothing but time to prove it. Remember this conversation when we're eighty."

She laughed and leaned her forehead on my chest.

"For example," I said. "I've been told, this is the recurring move. The move that makes the stomach drop."

I bent down, gripped her thighs and lifted her in one quick movement that made her gasp as her legs hooked around my waist. One hand rested under her bum, the other went into her hair.

"So?" I asked. "Good?"

"Yeah," she breathed and tightened her legs. "Yeah that's defin— it's good. It's great. I like it."

"Like I said, it's not hard. You girls have about a million books full of clues. It's all right there."

She stared at me, her lips parted and a slight glisten in her stare.

"What?"

Her lashes fluttered as she blinked herself back into the present. "That just sounded a lot like something Margo said once."

"She must have been a smart woman."

Addie nodded and then leaned into kiss me and nothing had ever felt better than her body around mine.

After a long while of kissing, just tasting each other, we parted, our lips swollen and wet. Addie slid down my body and held my hand, leading me to the picnic blanket and food. "We should eat."

"Yes ma'am."

"What did you bring?" She peered inside the basket after she was sitting and I really had to force myself to stop staring at her lips.

"Blake made egg sandwiches."

She looked at me with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. "You didn't even make the food?"

"Hey, I was too busy doing this," I waved around at the garden. "You like her eggs anyway."

She sighed but I could tell she was teasing. "Yeah, I suppose I do."

"There's also fruit in there, cheeses and crackers, some wine."

"Ooh that sounds good."

I laid on my side, propped up on an elbow while I watched her. "You wanna move in with me?"

"Zac?!"

"Too soon?"

She burst out laughing and I felt my chest tighten. "I am not selling this house until I have a ring on my finger."

"That's the requirement?"

She chewed on her sandwich and nodded.

"Good to know. I'll sort that out."

She shook her head, eyes curled up with laughter she was trying to smother.

After we'd eaten, we laid back, her head on my arm so that we could stare at the stars. Simplistic sort of entertainment that I knew a girl like Addie loved. She had a gorgeous appreciation for the world and the beauty it offered.

"How did your paper go this week?" I asked, remembering that her horticulture studies required an essay this week and she'd been stressing out over it.

"Aced it," she sounded proud and she deserved to.

"Worried over nothing."

"I don't want to get arrogant or overly confident and fail because I didn't study enough."

"Is there anything in this course that you didn't already know."

"A few things," she said and my hand ran up and down her shoulder. "There's always something to learn. Like, I know the stuff, it's just the writing and the papers that get me sometimes. I've always learned better by doing."

"You and I have that in common."

"Phew," she exhaled. "At least we have that."

"Cheeky," I said, quickly sliding out from under her and repositioning myself so she was encased beneath me.

"I like that we're different," she said, wrapping her legs around my waist, her hands traveling my arms that were on either side of her head. It sent a cluster of goosebumps across my skin. "We make two halves of a whole. Balance. It's important in a relationship."

My smile met hers in a kiss and then the backdoor opened and light spilled across us as I quickly rolled off Addie.

"Maggie is crying," Willa said, covering her face with her hand. "Sorry."

"Shoot," Addie sprung up and ran towards the backdoor and I didn't mind the view at all. But then I stood and followed her inside.

"What have you been doing?" I asked Willa when we headed into the living room.

"Watching To All The Boys I've Loved Before," she sunk into the white suede sofa and aimed the remote at the television which was paused on some kid with curly hair and a lopsided smile. "Me and Addie watch this movie all the time."

I lowered into the sofa next to her and watched for a few minutes while the dude and a pretty Asian girl made out in a hot tub. "Little old for you, isn't it?"

Willa aimed her narrow glare at me. "Was the live rendition in the back garden too old for me?"

"Sheesh," I held my hands up. "My bad."

"Noah's a cutie," she mumbled, cheeks red while she stared at the television and I ran my hands across my face, groaning.

Addie appeared from the corridor with Maggie on her hip. "She is wide awake."

There were about three occasions in which I'd had anything to do with babies. All of them were at the supermarket and I'd passed their frantic mothers attempting to soothe them. Will was six or seven when Raine met Milo and even though plenty of Raine's friends had kids, it wasn't like I hung out with them.

Addie walked over to the love seat and blew out a breath before she looked at me. "Sorry about our date. Remember what I said about dating a woman with a baby?"

Instead of answering her, I stood up, walked over to her seat, picked Maggie up and cradled her on my arm, looking at her cute little face. Babies were the epitome of innocence and goodness. So oblivious to pain, evil and the general shit fest this world had to offer.

Babies were a clean slate, a fresh start and they could grow to be whoever. Parents who were careless and neglectful with such innocent little people made me furious. How damn hard was it to love and nurture their hearts so they grew to love and be loved.

"Is she hungry?" I asked.

Addie shook her head. "I fed her in the bedroom but she fussed. I think she's teething."

"Are you teething?" I asked Maggie who was watching me with confusion. "You got some pretty cute front teeth there. Got some more coming through?"

She cooed, her tiny fists balling as she gurgled and smiled.

"Hmm," Addie stood up beside me. "Someone's a fan already."

"The ladies love me."

Addie laughed. We spent the rest of the evening keeping Maggie entertained who switched between restless cries and the giggles. Once in a while, I'd catch Addie watching me like she was worried that I was bored or frustrated about the turn of events but I reminded her that I planned our date around the fact that she has a child.

I was prepared for interruptions, it was part of the package and in all truth, watching her mother these two little girls was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. Beautiful in a promising sense because I could see a future with her, a family. That was what I wanted.

I wanted to build a life with this woman. Kids, a home, a couple of dogs and late nights with our children, I wanted it all. Forget short and fleeting fun. The real romance was knowing someone's soul, and having them know yours, and experiencing every milestone that life wanted to throw at us. For better or for worse, she had me and I wasn't going anywhere.

___

The epilogue is next 😱 I've loved this book so so much, thank you to everyone who has given it a chance!

Also, I have a new obsession, it's the Netflix series, Outer Banks. It's so good. Who's seen it? If you haven't, watch it.