“I want nothing more than to come inside, kiss you on your couch, make out with you until the sun comes up,” he tells me while keeping his gaze on the windshield. “I want to hold your hand and take you to beautiful places, to show you just how scenic it is in some of my favorite spots.”
“I’d like that,” I tell him honestly because I would. “But my mother is inside, so making out will probably not go down too well.” I can’t stop the smile from gracing my lips, but I quickly bite down on my lower lip to keep from laughing when he chuckles. “But I want to go places. It’s one of the reasons my dad wanted me to race. To be able to go anywhere in the world and sit beside the best of the best and show them a girl can do what they do as well.”
“Tomorrow,” Kayden tells me after turning his gaze to me. “I’ll pick you up at nine. I have somewhere I’d like to take you, but before we leave, I’ll come inside and meet your mother.”
“Thank you.” I’m sincere in my words because I know Mom would like him if she met him. And I just hope she’ll give him a chance. Men like Kayden could have anything they want, and he most certainly could’ve taken any of the girls tonight, and they would’ve most probably ended up at his place, doing things that I haven’t yet done. But he chose me.
That’s got to mean something.
Right?
I lean in, kissing him on the cheek before I open the car door and slip out. I bend down before I shut the door and offer him a smile. “Goodnight, slick,” I tell him while grinning playfully.
“Goodnight, speedy,” he responds with a wink that sends tingles through me. I make my way up to the house, unlock it, and step inside. Warmth hits me while the cool air from outside causes me to shiver.
Kayden pulls away once I’m inside, and I slide the door closed. I’m still smiling when I reach the living room to find my mom on the sofa with a book. She’s always loved reading, and when she finishes her latest novel, I’m next in line to devour it.
“Hi, Mom,” I greet, bending down to kiss her cheek.
“You smell like a boy,” she comments without looking up. She’s always been kind. A woman who was always there for me, no matter what. And I don’t know what I would do without her. “Who is he?”
I didn’t realize Kayden’s cologne is all over my clothes. “He’s my coach, Mom,” I tell her, but the grin on my face has her arching a brow as she finally looks at me from over the black rim of her glasses. “His name is Kayden, and he’s a bit older than me.”
“Oh? And I thought you were out with the girls,” she says, but I can see the hint of a grin on her face. When I was in senior year, she and Dad wanted me to find a nice boy to take to prom, but since I wasn’t overly popular, I ended up going with the son of one of their friends. Not the most romantic prom ever, but it was fun. I didn’t date. Never thought about it. Until now.
“I was, and when we went to a bar to go dancing, he was there.”
“And you ended up with him?”
I nod, settling in the armchair across from her, closer to the fire she’d lit. “We went to the beach. We didn’t stay long, and we just talked. I told him about Dad, about how he got me into cars and racing.”
“I hope I’ll be able to meet this boy,” she says.
“He’s not a boy, Mom,” I inform her, suddenly feeling anxious. I know Kayden is in his late twenties. If I remember correctly, he’s almost twenty-nine, which makes him a few years older than me. I know my parents have always been open-minded, and I pray Mom will be when she sees him.
“Just remember what Dad and I taught you—always be careful.”
“Ugh, Mom, seriously?” I’m embarrassed at the reminder of that fun chat I had with them. It was one of the most excruciating times of my life. “We’re not doing all of that.”
“I know, baby girl, but you have to remember, I love you, and I just need you to look after yourself.”
“Mom, you and Dad brought me up to be a responsible, level-headed woman. I’m not going out to do something stupid.” Even though I could’ve done so many times, I didn’t. My focus was always set, and Kayden is not going to disrupt that, no matter how much I like him.
“Good.”
“We have a date tomorrow, and he’ll come in to meet you,” I tell her, waiting for something negative. Most girls my age would’ve gotten a telling off, I’m sure, but Mom just smiles. “And be nice.”
“I’m always nice. If your Dad were here, that would be another story,” she teases with a wink, and I can’t stop the lump from forming in my throat. She’s right. He would’ve had my back and told Kayden if he ever hurt me, there would be hell to pay. And right in this moment, I miss my dad even more because he’s missing out of my life.
“I’m tired. I’ll see you in the morning,” I tell her before pushing to my feet and giving her a goodnight kiss. In my bedroom, I shut myself inside and focus on the happiness from the date tonight rather than the heartache.
Tomorrow, I’ll be able to see Kayden in the light.
And hopefully, we can get to know each other better.
12
Kayden
The sun is hidden behind clouds when I pull up outside Haelee’s home five minutes before nine. When I woke up this morning, I had second thoughts on taking her to my special place, but I promised, so I’m going to keep it.
I’ve hardly ever met any of the families of any girl I’ve been with previously, but with her, I want to do it right. Not because I am thinking about a long-term future just yet, but because we work together, and I want to prove to her that I’m not the judgmental prick she thinks I am. Also, I need to make up for our first meeting.
The frustration of the day had gotten to me, and the embarrassment of losing to a girl had me angry. She’s good, and I couldn’t see it that day through the prominent frustration that had taken hold of me.
It’s no excuse, and I need to show her I’m not usually like that. When I reach the door, I knock twice, holding the bouquet of flowers in my hand I hope her mother will like.
My chest is tight, anxiousness taking hold of me when I’m finally met with Haelee’s pretty, cocoa eyes. She’s gorgeous in a pair of tight blue jeans, her Vans sneakers, and a gray hoodie that makes her look like a bad girl in a hip-hop video.
“Hey, speedy.” I greet her with a smile, which she returns as she plants a chaste kiss on my cheek.
“Hi, come inside,” she says, stepping aside to allow me in. The house is modern yet has a homely feel with soft accents of off-white and brown and a fireplace I can see from the entrance foyer. “My mom is in the kitchen, making something to eat.” Her gaze falls to the flowers, and she smiles.
“They’re for your mom. I didn’t bring you any because I don’t know which your favorite is. Yet.” I tack on the last word, hoping she’ll notice it before a woman comes through from the kitchen and smiles at me.
“Hello, Kayden,” she says with a friendly grin, holding out her hand to me. “I’m Caroline, Haelee’s mom.”